The art of hand-to-hand combat has been captured in many different games over the years, but Acts of Blood is on the way to ratchet up the violence. Dropping a splash of Indonesian cinema into the bloody mix, it aims to mirror the bone-snapping brutality of The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, and many others.
The Raid stands tall 14 years on as one of the finest action flicks ever made, and its many follow-ups and spinoffs have been delightfully devious watches too.
There’s an indescribable tenacity to Indonesian cinema, a degree of realistic violence that’s so innately disturbing yet so engrossing you can’t help but be glued to the screen.
Despite being cultural landmarks for the region, none have attempted to bring that same ferocity to video games. At least, until now that is. Enter Acts of Blood.
What is Acts of Blood?
With the violence of Indonesian cinema at its core, Acts of Blood layers hard-hitting third-person melee systems to deliver a knockout of a brawler. It’s designed for casual players to make it through, while providing enough depth in its combat mechanics to allow for deadly combos and lethal power moves.
Set in the creator’s city of Bandung, the game follows Hendra on a quest for revenge. It’s a plot typified by the genre where our star takes matters into his own hands, hunting down those who wronged him one by one.
Hand-to-hand combat takes center stage, with Hendra skillfully dispatching waves of criminals by separating them from consciousness, snapping their bones, or smacking them into deadly objects in the environment. One level at a time, one boss at a time, you will punish those who made you hurt.
Set to be released in Summer 2026, Acts of Blood will launch with a litany of customization options, collectibles to track down, and a highly replayable arena mode.
Dexerto caught up with the game’s solo developer, Farjul, to learn all about it.
What the devs say about it
Working solo gave Farjul freedom
“I’ve been making games since junior high school back in 2010, but once I started working professionally in a game studio, things changed. The creative freedom I had as a solo developer wasn’t there anymore.
“In January 2024, something just clicked. I decided to start a new personal project, Acts of Blood. Since then, what began as a learning experiment has evolved into the full game I’m building today.
“I started this project purely because I wanted to reignite that passion I used to have when making things on my own.”
You’re a one-man army taking down warehouse-fulls of enemies.
Recreating the city of Bandung
“We don’t often see our cities, culture, or everyday environment represented in games, so I wanted to change that, even if just in a small way.
“It’s not an exact 1:1 recreation [of Bandung], but I try to capture the atmosphere, the feel of the streets, the architecture, and little details people from here will recognize. This is my way of paying tribute to my hometown while also giving players around the world a glimpse of a city beyond just our capital, Jakarta, which most other Indonesian games tend to be based on.
“Besides representing my hometown on a global scale, the city also fits well with the game’s plot, vibe, and atmosphere. Bandung is known for its cooler weather due to frequent rain compared to other cities in Indonesia. I wanted the game’s color palette to lean toward bluish tones with red accents, which fits perfectly.”
Eksil TeamActs of Blood is set in Farjul’s city of Bandung.
“The city’s biome is also more varied. Bandung blends a bustling urban environment with natural mountainous areas. From a game design perspective, this makes it easier to create diverse level environments so players won’t get bored with repetitive cityscapes.”
Violent gameplay inspired by Sleeping Dogs and The Raid
“I’m a huge fan of Gareth Evans’ and Timo Tjahjanto’s action films, and this game is basically my love letter to their work.
“We’re aiming to replicate the brutal combat and raw energy of those movies. We’ve been upfront with our publisher and other partners that we’re going all-in on violence, and they’ve been supportive.”
“Our animator, David, actually attended a silat workshop in Bali led by Yayan Ruhian (one of the actors/stuntmen from The Raid), so I think our team has the experience and passion to stay true to the spirit of those films.
“Our core combat system is inspired by Sleeping Dogs, which uses strike, counter, and finisher mechanics. However, Sleeping Dogs’ strike combos are a bit too simple. Mostly relying on tapping or holding a single attack button. That’s where Sifu comes in. We’ve added some of its complexity in attack button variations to deepen the combat.”
“The goal is to let casual players enjoy the game easily while giving more advanced players deeper combos to explore.
“Weapons are used sparingly. Guns only appear in specific areas where gunplay is required. They can also be used as melee weapons, you can actually swing a rifle at an enemy, which is a unique touch in our game.
“Since this is my first big project, I’m keeping the scope manageable. The story will be a brief, intense revenge narrative that lasts a few hours. But we’re adding achievements, collectibles, and arena modes to extend replayability.”
Plans for a follow-up
“As for the future, we do have plans. If things go well, I’d love to make a sequel that takes the concept into a small-scale open world, packed with content. Something closer to the Yakuza series. But that’s a story for another time.”
