Bloodthief Turns Speed Into a Weapon — Honest Take on the Vampire Slasher’s PC Launch

Why Bloodthief Caught My Eye

Bloodthief is the kind of pitch that makes speedrunners perk up: a solo-developed first-person “boomer slasher” where you dash, wallrun, and literally drink blood to go faster. It’s out now on PC via Steam (Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck), priced at $19.99 with a 10% launch discount for two weeks. As someone who has bounced between Ultrakill, Ghostrunner, and Severed Steel, this caught my attention because it leans hard into momentum as both a mechanic and a mindset. If you love routing, resets, and shaving seconds, Bloodthief looks built for you.

• Momentum is the core loop: attack to move faster, move faster to attack better.
• 31 story levels with secrets, loot, and abilities suggest serious routing potential.
• Designed for mastery: medals, ghost races, and leaderboards are in the mix.
• Solo dev (Blargis) release on Steam with Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck support at launch.

Breaking Down the Launch

Here are the basics without the fluff. Bloodthief launched September 22, 2025 on Steam for PC, with native support listed for Windows and Linux, plus Steam Deck. It’s a first-person melee slasher framed around speedrunning: wallruns, dashes, slides, and rapid kills keep your momentum meter humming. There are 31 story levels, and the vibe is grimy medieval-gothic-crypts, castles, catacombs-more retro grit than glossy AAA darkness. At $19.99 before discount, it’s priced in that sweet spot where “short and replayable” can be a win if the skill ceiling is high.

The Real Hook: Momentum, Blood, and Flow

Bloodthief’s smartest move is turning blood into speed. You’re a vampire who converts kills into momentum, and momentum into traversal-think Doom 2016’s “health for aggression” loop, but welded to parkour. Attack chains feed mobility, mobility feeds attack windows, and the whole thing becomes a dance where stopping is failure. If that sounds like Ghostrunner with fewer platforms and more blades, you’re on the right track. The difference is philosophical: this isn’t a combat arena with parkour escapes; it’s a traversal game where combat is the fuel.

The question with games like this is always readability at speed. Can you parse attack tells while wallrunning? Are hitboxes forgiving enough to reward close shaves without random whiffs? Solo projects live or die by that micro-feel. Trailers and early footage suggest generous lunge range and clean feedback, but until players hammer the leaderboards, we won’t know if the flow holds under pressure.

Speedrunning DNA: Routes, Resets, and Shortcuts

Bloodthief leans into the “find the line” mentality. Levels are built with branching paths, hidden shortcuts, and secrets that double as time-savers. That matters more than having 100 levels—31 is plenty if each map supports multiple optimal routes and if movement tech enables sequence breaks. The inclusion of medals, ghost races, and leaderboards is a big tell: Blargis knows the audience here. If the ghost data is reliable and restarts are snappy, expect a healthy ecosystem of route guides and “no-blood” challenge runs within weeks.

Loot and abilities add spice, but they can also complicate competitive play if certain drops are mandatory for top times. Ideally, the fastest route emerges from movement mastery, not RNG. If the game separates categories (any%, all secrets, fixed-loadout), it could keep competition fair while letting casual players enjoy the power curve.

Value Check and Potential Pitfalls

At $19.99 (minus the launch discount), Bloodthief’s value hinges on replayability. If each level supports routing depth, that’s an easy recommend for speed fans. If it’s one-and-done with minimal variation, it’s a harder sell. The promise of 31 levels, secrets, and unlockable abilities suggests the former, but we’ve all played indies where the last third runs out of steam. I’m cautiously optimistic.

Performance-wise, Linux and Steam Deck support at launch is encouraging and usually implies a leaner tech footprint. That’s good news for high-FPS chasers—fast melee needs frame stability. But keep an eye on the option suite: field-of-view, motion blur toggles, input latency, and rebinds are critical in a game where milliseconds matter. Accessibility matters too—high-contrast outlines and clear audio cues go a long way when you’re sprinting through dim corridors.

Biggest risk? Solo-dev scope. Systems like momentum and melee are deceptively complex. If enemy variety is thin or checkpoints are stingy, the grind can turn from “one more run” to “I’m out.” Post-launch balance patches can fix this, and Blargis has the advantage of a focused design rather than a bloated feature set.

What Players Should Watch For

• Feel of the blade: consistent hit registration and satisfying stagger at speed.
• Route density: are there meaningful shortcuts and category-worthy differences?
• Restart friction: instant resets and quick loads make or break a speed game.
• Leaderboards: robust anti-cheat and solid ghost runs keep competition healthy.
• Deck playability: stable 60 FPS (or a clean 40) and good default controls on Steam Deck.

The Bottom Line

Bloodthief knows exactly who it’s for. If you get a kick out of turning the map into your playground and your enemies into fuel, this is a fresh spin on the boomer shooter ethos—less bullets, more bite. The launch price feels fair for a speed-first package, and the Linux/Deck support is a welcome signal that performance wasn’t an afterthought. Now it all comes down to execution: if the flow sings, this could be the next niche favorite in the speed community.

TL;DR

Bloodthief is a fast, first-person vampire slasher where momentum is everything—31 levels, secrets, and speedrun features for $19.99 (10% off at launch). If the melee feel and routing depth land, it’s a must for speed fiends; if not, it’s a stylish curiosity best grabbed on sale.