Lightbulb Crew follows up its critically acclaimed tactics RPG Othercide with Ex Sanguis, launching September 2025. A playtest is live now on Steam.
Ex Sanguis carries forward Othercide's DNA. The studio built its predecessor around turn-based tactical combat where initiative and action sequencing trump raw firepower. Players commanded squads of blade-and-gun-wielding clones through nightmarish, geometrically warped battlefields steeped in existential dread. Othercide's signature melancholy atmosphere paired with brutal difficulty created a niche cult following among tactics enthusiasts who craved something beyond XCOM's formula.
The new title mirrors that aesthetic and mechanical foundation. Ex Sanguis retains the porcelain character designs and grotesque, fluid environmental design language that defined Othercide's visual identity. Combat prioritizes positioning, turn order manipulation, and actions triggered outside standard turns, rewarding tactical foresight over brute-force damage output.
Lightbulb Crew's ambition here extends beyond reskinning. The studio demonstrated with Othercide that it understands how to craft tactics combat that punishes mistakes and demands resource management across run attempts. That game's rougelite structure and permadeath elements pushed players to adapt strategies mid-run, creating tension missing from more forgiving grid-based tactics games.
Ex Sanguis positions itself as spiritual successor rather than sequel. The playtest window gives the studio real player feedback before launch. For tactics RPG fans burnt out on XCOM clones, Lightbulb Crew's uncompromising design philosophy offers relief. The studio refuses to dumb down mechanical complexity or soften the difficulty curve.
The September launch window lands Ex Sanguis in relatively clear release territory, avoiding major AAA competition. This timing favors