TECHMASH

Tag: #Grimdark

  • Sinner to Weapon: Meet Saro, the Inquisition’s New Sanctioned Psyker in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

    Sinner to Weapon: Meet Saro, the Inquisition’s New Sanctioned Psyker in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

    The Holy Inquisition of the Imperium has never been known for its mercy, but it certainly knows how to recycle a sinner.

    Owlcat Games has dropped a blazing new trailer for their highly anticipated grimdark cRPG, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. The spotlight this time shines directly on Saro, a newly revealed companion who perfectly embodies the cold, pragmatic philosophy of the Inquisition: if you can be used as a weapon for the God-Emperor, your sins can wait.

    Check out the trailer drop and everything we know about this volatile new ally below.

    The Soul of a Sinner, the Might of a Pyromancer

    In the bleak universe of Warhammer 40,000, psykers are a walking existential threat. Intuned with the terrifying currents of the Warp, they can snap and unleash Chaos at any moment. Most are hunted down and executed. The “lucky” ones? They get broken, rebuilt, and turned into living weapons.

    That is exactly the hand Saro was dealt. After undergoing a brutal and harrowing sanctioning process, he now serves the Tyrantine Cabal of the Inquisition.

    “Even though he is now deemed a sinner who will never be granted the blessed light of the God-Emperor, his iron will and fervent belief in the Imperium have helped him survive countless battles as well as the lure of the warp.”

    High Risk, Blazing Rewards

    If you like your tactical combat with a side of extreme danger, Saro is going to be your go-to companion.

    • The Power: In combat, Saro unleashes devastating pyromancy abilities. He is capable of conjuring massive firestorms that can incinerate heretics, mutants, and xenos alike in a single turn.
    • The Catch: Wielding the Warp comes at a heavy cost. Lean too hard on Saro’s psychic abilities, and you will cause catastrophic disturbances in the Empyrean. This can trigger volatile warp phenomena or accidentally summon literal daemons straight into the middle of your battlefield.
    • The Weakness: While his supernatural knowledge is invaluable for the game’s detective investigations and his destructive output is massive, Saro is a classic glass cannon. He lacks physical strength, meaning you’ll need to use the game’s revamped cover system to keep him safe.

    Play the Closed Beta Today

    Saro is just one of the ten distinct companions players will be able to recruit into their Inquisitorial warbands.

    Want to test his pyromantic firestorms for yourself? The Closed Beta for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is officially running right now. You can gain instant access to Act 1 of the beta by purchasing one of the Founder’s Packs directly from Owlcat Games’ official website.

    The full game is currently available to wishlist on Steam and is slated to launch on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

    Find out more here

    #WH40K #DarkHeresy #OwlcatGames #Grimdark #cRPG #GamingNews #Warhammer40k #ClosedBeta #GamesWorkshop #Techmash

  • Kill the Dealer: Bloodthief Dev Announces Grimdark Blackjack Roguelike ‘Blackout Jack’

    Kill the Dealer: Bloodthief Dev Announces Grimdark Blackjack Roguelike ‘Blackout Jack’

    If you spent 2025 pulling off high-speed, hyper-violent vampire parkour in the overwhelmingly positive boomer-slasher Bloodthief, solo developer Blargis is about to hand you a completely different kind of deck. But don’t expect a relaxing night at the casino.

    Blargis has officially pulled back the curtain on Blackout Jack, an upcoming story-driven, grimdark blackjack roguelike heading to PC via Steam. And if you’re eager to try your luck, you won’t have to wait long: the game’s first Steam playtest is officially launching on July 15.

    The House Always Wins… Until You Kill the Dealer

    Blackout Jack twists the familiar, high-stakes math of classic blackjack into a tense, tactical struggle for survival. Set in the rain-slicked, crooked alleys of a seedy medieval city, this isn’t just a game about beating the house—it’s a game where the house wants to take your literal mortality.

    The core loop places you at a table against a sinister, death-dealing dealer. Your ultimate, secret objective? Murder him. To do that, you’ll need to survive card rounds by building insane combos and powerful deck synergies. You aren’t just hitting or standing; you’ll be manipulating the odds using:

    • Card-altering elixirs and boons to bend the rules.
    • Life-paid chips and multipliers to maximise your damage.
    • Strange relics were purchased from the local hostess using blood gems.

    “I wanted to create an experience that blended a strong sense of mystery and narrative with the kind of gameplay where numbers keep going up and every run feels like it can spiral into something bigger.” — Developer Blargis

    Explore a City Built on Secrets

    What makes Blackout Jack particularly intriguing is that the game doesn’t end at the edge of the card table. When you step away from the dealer, you’ll be able to roam the grim midnight streets of the city.

    The urban underbelly is populated by unscrupulous characters, shady denizens, and fellow conspirators. By exploring, you can uncover hidden tools like lockpicks and poisons, pick up cryptic lore, and buy vital items to stack the deck in your favour for your next run.

    Naturally, death is a heavy feature in this grimdark world. But in true roguelike fashion, a gruesome game over isn’t the end. While death resets the night, you keep essential knowledge. Every failed run brings you one step closer to decoding the dark conspiracy binding the city together and permanently forcing the dealer to cash out.

    Join the Playtest on July 15

    If you love the psychological tension of Inscryption mixed with the addictive, rule-breaking card math of Balatro, Blackout Jack looks like it’s going to be a must-play.

    Head over to the official Blackout Jack Steam Page right now to hit that wishlist button, and keep your eyes peeled for the playtest drop on July 15!

    Find out more here

    #IndieGames #BlackoutJack #GamerNews #Roguelike #Deckbuilder #SteamGames #PCGaming #Grimdark #Bloodthief #Blargis