Callisto Protocol Roguelike

2024 is shaping up to be another great year for the roguelike genre with games like Hades 2, Windblown, Hyper Light Breaker and now we have a new Callisto Protocol game coming from Striking Distance Studios. Although it isn’t Callisto Protocol 2, the devs do make it clear in the trailer that they have been working on another premium title in parallel and considering that they mentioned Callisto Protocol 2, it would seem to be a pretty good sign.

However, the new game from Striking Distance is called Project Birdseye and it’s a roguelike. Birdseye is a fast paced, action roguelike set in the Callisto Protocol universe that takes place on Black Iron Prison. Birdseye is being developed by a small group within the studio who share a passion for the genre.

Project Birdseye seems like a smart idea on multiple fronts. Development on an isometric roguelike would cost a lot less than a premium title, which will help bring funds into the studio, which will then help development of their next premium project along with people keeping their jobs. It’s also a very solid foundation for an IP. There might have been some problems with the game, but the universe was brimming with potential. Finally, expectations won’t be overblown, which means that Project Birdseye should help restore some positive faith in the studio that was lost with the release of Callisto Protocol.

There are enough reasons to be excited considering how little we know right now. Fight against your corpse seems like a fun idea. The game also looks to be a combination of roguelike and Smash TV/Running Man as there is plenty of surveillance camera images in the trailer along with the title Birdseye. The purpose appears to be to escape the prison, but there are also three other trying to do the same thing and you can slow down their progress and possibly they can do the same to you. Unsure if this will be a multiplayer PVP roguelike or if they are just ai. It also looks to incorporate the elements of Callisto including the GRP power and then you have the art style, which is leaning into the comic book aesthetic which works well for the genre and perspective.

The game looks fairly far in development and considering Callisto shipped at the end of 2022, i would expect this to launch into early access by the end of 2024.