- Devlog: Cat City - 21 August 2026
Hello everyone, this is Bread, producer of Bolt & Whalington, who has somehow just wandered into a city full of cats. Why a Cat City? 🐱Why is there suddenly a whole cat settlement in the game? Quite a few players told us before that while The Sardine had some lovely scenery, it did not really feel like a place where anyone actually lived. So recently, we gave The Sardine a bit of a “renovation.”A Livelier Sardine✨Now it finally feels much more like a lively little town. You will find all kinds of cats wandering around the place. They are all Bolt’s good friends, obviously. Build Your Own Cat City🏠We also plan to keep expanding the main hub in future updates. Materials you collect while exploring will be used to decorate and improve the town, and you will even be able to upgrade the “rooms” of your favorite cats. So at long last, all that random junk you keep picking up will finally ha…
- Devlog: Weird Weapons - 6 August 2026
Hello everyone, this is Bread. When making a game, designing normal weapons can sometimes be surprisingly difficult. But whenever our team starts working on strange weapons, the ideas seem to come effortlessly. And that is how some rather ridiculous creations have found their way into the game. In this devlog, we would like to introduce a few of the more entertaining weapons you can find in Whalington. Shadowless GauntletsA pair of multi-hit gauntlets capable of repeatedly knocking enemies back! They may not turn you into One-Punch Man, but they certainly let you throw a lot of punches.Kung Fu ChickIt is a chicken, but not an ordinary one. Any chick dressed in a training suit inspired by Bruce Lee’s iconic outfit must naturally know a thing or two about kung fu.Splashing GatlingWho has never dreamed of unlimited firepower? Sorry, we mean unlimited waterpower. And do you not think the li…
- Devlog: Sequence Breaking - 23 July 2026
Hello everyone, this is Bread. In this devlog, we would like to talk about sequence breaking. In our game, if you follow the normal progression route, it takes around half an hour of exploration and a boss fight before the protagonist can obtain a new ability. But players who truly understand the game and its rules can get it in just 30 seconds!By cleverly using Bolt’s downward slash and the ability to jump out of the mech, a route that would normally take dozens of minutes can be shortened to just a few seconds.And no, this is not a bug. It is a reward for players who really understand the game. In Metroidvania games, new abilities are often used to control the order of exploration. Players usually need something like a double jump or a dash before they can reach new areas. But once players become familiar with a game, many of them naturally want to break through these designed limitat…
- Devlog: The Magical Setting Machine - 9 July 2026
Hello everyone, this is Bread.As many of you may know, our game features quite a few meta elements. During exploration, players will also come across a strange device called the Setting Machine. The Setting Machine is not a regular mechanism, nor is it simply a tool that grants the protagonist a new ability. It is more like a machine that can rewrite certain “settings” in the game world. Through it, you can change yourself, alter obstacles, and even redefine the “identity” of certain objects. For example, while exploring the map, you may encounter an extremely narrow passage. With a cat’s rather solid body, there is obviously no way to squeeze through. However, with the Setting Machine, you can turn yourself into a mouse.As a result, a passage that was once impossible to enter becomes a new path forward. Even more interestingly, the mice that once treated you as an enemy will react diff…
- Devlog: A Cat Roundup - 11 June 2026
Hi everyone, I'm Bread, the producer of Bolt & Whalington.As many of you know, our protagonist Bolt is a Siamese cat. Many players are immediately drawn to his strangely charming, slightly goofy personality when they first see him. But in our game, Bolt isn't the only “cat” you'll meet! So today, let's take a quick look at some of the feline, and feline-adjacent, characters in Bolt & Whalington. Snow LeopardFirst, let's talk about Captain Snow, the instructor aboard the Sardine. She is a snow leopard from the genus Panthera, and is mainly responsible for the daily training of the crew.Other Feline FriendsOn the way to the Sardine's engine area, Bolt will encounter several coworkers whose path has been blocked by a metal gate. These three coworkers are also feline characters. From left to right, they are a Pallas's cat, a Japanese Bobtail, and a British Shorthair. Have you encountered th…
- One year since our first reveal, Bolt & Whalington has reached 10,000 wishlists! - 27 May 2026
We’ve got something exciting to share: Bolt & Whalington has officially passed 10,000 wishlists! Thank you so much for all your support. We’ll keep working hard to make the game even better.It has been nearly a year since the game was first revealed. After taking part in Steam’s Eastern Game Fest earlier this month, Bolt & Whalington has now reached this wonderful milestone.The three of us at Orca Studio would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged us along the way. Your feedback and support are what help us keep improving the game.Thank you from all of us!Orca Studio & OKJOY
- Devlog: Making a Quirky Cat Metroidvania - 13 May 2026
Hi everyone, I'm Bread, the producer of Bolt & Whalington.As I mentioned before,both the world and the main character in our game were never designed to be dark or overly serious.Instead, we wanted to create a more playful and quirky cat-themed Metroidvania.So in this devlog,we've put together some of the game's more unusual and fun ideas and mechanics.What do you think about a Metroidvania taking a more humorous and eccentric direction?You can visit the link below to watch this Devlog video.Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments,or join our Discord and chat with us there!
- Open Playtest Ends, Let’s Take a Look at the Highlights! - 24 April 2026
Whalington’s journey is taking a short break for now. During this playtest, we not only opened the game up for online players, but also brought it to PAX East in Boston, USA. More players joined the adventure than ever before, and we’re truly grateful for your support. Now, let’s look back at some of the highlights from this playtest.PAX EastBolt crossed oceans and time zones to make it all the way to Boston! The response from players at the show was incredibly warm, and we were even lucky enough to see a line form at our booth. That enthusiasm made the long trip more than worth it.Meeting players face to face felt especially direct and meaningful. We’ll definitely be attending more game events in the future to meet everyone in person. So if you spot us at a show, don’t be shy. Come say hi!Fun Playtest Stats RevealedFirst of all, we’re happy to share that more than 1,000 players joined…
- Devlog: Art — How We’re Upgrading the Visuals - 2 April 2026
Hi everyone! I’m Bread, the producer of Bolt & Whalington.Our Open Playtest is still live, so if you haven’t joined yet, feel free to jump in and give it a try!After the previous test, I received a lot of helpful feedback about our environments. So I started another round of visual polish, with one main goal in mind: making the scenes feel more layered and immersive. 1. Making the scene feel more layeredThe first step was improving how we handle different visual planes in each scene.The gameplay plane where Bolt stands is always the clearest and most detailed layer.For the foreground, I use darker, more saturated colors, and sometimes even full silhouettes, so it adds depth without stealing too much attention.For the far background, I apply more blur to help emphasize the space closer to the player.2. Outdoor scenesOutdoor scenes are affected more by atmospheric perspective.The farther…
- Big News: Bolt & Whalington Open Playtest Is Now Live! - 26 March 2026
No need to wait, jump in Whalington right now!————Major Update————For this playtest, we’ve condensed the game’s content to reduce early backtracking and get to its core mechanics and fun much sooner. This version offers around 1.5 to 2 hours of gameplay.The goal of this build is to give everyone a fast, focused taste of what makes Bolt & Whalington special. In the official release, content will unfold at its intended pace, with plenty of hidden surprises and carefully crafted stages still waiting to be discovered.This playtest version also adds 2 brand-new challenge stages, which can be unlocked after defeating the hidden boss, “Cheese Baron.” These challenge stages let you try out some of the new abilities planned for later in the game and experience a different style of gameplay.Compared with the previous test build, we’ve also upgraded the game’s visuals. Most noticeably, the scenery…
- Bolt & Whalington Playtest Now Available — Applications Open! - 23 March 2026
Our cat × mech Metroidvania Bolt & Whalington will be featured at PAX East in Boston, USA on the 26th! Booth No.: 14087Can’t make it to the event? No worries~ We’ll also be launching an online Playtest at the same time—everyone is welcome to try out the brand-new version!This Playtest offers about 1 hour of gameplay, featuring a condensed version of the early-game experience. (There may be some differences from the full release, so no need to worry about major spoilers.)We’ve also added hidden stages that showcase some of the game’s mid-game mechanics! We’re looking forward to seeing you reach the true ending in this Playtest version!【Applications are now open! Simply click “Request Access” below the video on the Steam store page】Don’t forget to wishlist the game and stay tuned for updates!Bolt & Whalington is a Metroidvania game where you play as Bolt, a Siamese cat exploring the float…
- Devlog: Art We have only one artist. Why did I choose a hand-drawn style? - 6 March 2026
Hello everyone! I’m Bread, the producer of Bolt & Whalington — and also the game’s lead artist (which, to be honest, just means I’m the only artist on the team). A lot of players have asked why we chose a hand-drawn look, so today I’d like to share the story behind our art direction. For a metroidvania, art is a huge part of the experience, but it also comes with a certain expectation of scale: you need a lot of content. Since our team is small, I thought carefully about art style from the beginning. We needed something that could deliver enough variety and atmosphere without demanding extreme precision for every asset, while still looking appealing at a glance. A hand-drawn style fit that balance well.With a one-artist team like ours, it’s simply unrealistic to draw ultra-smooth, frame-by-frame animation for everything — the workload would be enormous. If I tried to do that, Hollow Kni…
- A Ghibli-Style Metroidvania? Scene Showcase — The Sardine - 13 January 2026
Hello everyone, I’m Bread, the developer of Bolt & Whalington, a Metroidvania-style game currently in development. If you’re interested, you’re very welcome to add it to your Steam wishlist — thank you very much!Steam store page:Recently, I’ve been working on the environments for “The Sardine.” Since I’m a big fan of Howl’s Moving Castle, I’ve infused The Sardine with a Ghibli-inspired style. Do these scenes feel Ghibli-like to you?If you have any suggestions or ideas for improving the environments, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you very much!
- A Classic Question: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? - 4 January 2026
Hello everyone! I’m Bread, the developer of Bolt & Whalington, a Metroidvania-style game currently in development.If you’re interested, feel free to add the game to your Wishlist — your support truly means a lot to us! As you can see in the image above, our protagonist Bolt has turned into a chicken… and even starts dividing like a cell. This is actually the result of our Setting Machine, a system that changes the rules of the world.When we set “Bolt” = “Chicken”, Bolt literally becomes a chicken and gains all sorts of chicken-related abilities. These new abilities can be used for exploration and puzzle-solving in the Agricultural District.The first ability lets you press the left mouse button to explode, blasting yourself in a chosen direction.Another ability allows you to hold the right mouse button to throw an egg in a direction.Now things get interesting. If we continue changing the…
- Dev Log: The Teleportation System of the Configurator. - 12 November 2025
Hey everyone! I'm Bread, the developer of Bolt & Whalington.If you’re interested, please consider adding it to your Steam wishlist — thank you so much for your support! Steam Store page: In the previous Playtest , many players mentioned that they found the Configurator mechanic—which allows the protagonist to change gameplay modes by switching settings—really fun and unique. So, we’ve decided to expand on this feature and make it a more significant part of future level design.If you’re curious, feel free to click the link below to watch the video , or scroll down to check out the details and screenshots!In addition to its default presets, the Configurator also allows you to manually add new settings.In certain areas of the map, you may come across hidden cards marked with strange symbols. When you find one, try grabbing it and inserting it into a nearby Configurator — who knows, you mig…
- Bolt & Whalington joins the Metroidvania Carnival! Awarded — add to wishlist! - 3 November 2025
Coinciding with the "Metroidvania Carnival" hosted by Human Qube Games, this celebration tailored for Metroidvania fans will be coming to Steam from November 4th to November 12th!A hand-drawn, cartoon-style Cat X Mech adventure — Bolt & Whalington joins this Metroidvania feast!Bolt & Whalington is a fully hand-drawn Metroidvania game where you play as Bolt, a Siamese cat embarking on an adventure within the ruins of the Whalington, a massive airship floating among the clouds.Use the unique “Setting Modifier” to reshape your abilities and even the world’s rules, switch between mech forms to craft various weapons, confront powerful enemies, and uncover the long-buried secrets of this mechanical giant.By the way, here’s a little showcase of the award we just won last week!The game is still in development! We’re also working hard on the Demo!Everyone is welcome to add it to your wishlist!Yo…
- Engine Room Boss Fight Gameplay Reveal - 8 October 2025
Hey everyone! I'm Bread, the developer of Bolt & Whalington. The long-awaited gameplay showcase of the Mecha Girl boss (a fan-favorite since our very first reveal) is finally here! In this fight, Whalington will make use of the newly learned anti-gravity mechanic, allowing our tiny hero to soar up and strike directly at the boss's head for maximum damage. If you like what you see, don't forget to add Bolt & Whalington to your Steam Wishlist—your support means the world to us!🔗 Bolt & Whalington Steam page: 👉 Check out the gameplay reveal here Follow our community to get the latest information!💬Discord: https://discord.gg/rteuCHaZ5C🔗X: https://x.com/whalington25🔗Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bolt-whalington.bsky.social
- Art Optimization: Enhanced background contrast and color adjustments! - 1 October 2025
Hey everyone! During our last Playtest, many players told us that while they liked the unique art style of Bolt & Whalington, the backgrounds sometimes lacked clarity and made it hard to distinguish details. So, we've gone back and upgraded the visuals — improving depth, contrast, and overall readability. The result is a clearer, more immersive experience, while still keeping the game's signature style. What do you think of the updated look? We'd love to hear your feedback!If you're interested in Bolt & Whalington, don't forget to add it to your Steam wishlist — your support means the world to us. 🔗 Bolt & Whalington Steam page: 👉 Check out the video here Follow our community to get the latest information!💬Discord: https://discord.gg/rteuCHaZ5C🔗X: https://x.com/whalington25🔗Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bolt-whalington.bsky.social
- After playing Silksong, I decided to create a fun “Path of Pain” for players! - 17 September 2025
Hello everyone, I'm Bread, the developer of Bolt & Whalington.I'm currently working hard on this Metroidvania, and if you're interested, please consider adding it to your wishlist on Steam!🔗 Bolt & Whalington Steam page: In this dev log, I'll be sharing some new content from the Residential Area, including a speedrun challenge mode, parkour challenge stages, and a sneak peek at encounter battles.You can check out the video through the link below or scroll down for more details! 🎥 Watch the video here Follow our community to get the latest information!💬Discord: https://discord.gg/rteuCHaZ5C🔗X: https://x.com/whalington25🔗Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bolt-whalington.bsky.social
- Dev Log #8 | I actually put a "cat in the washing machine" into the game?! - 20 August 2025
Hi everyone, I'm Bread, the developer of the Chinese Metroidvania Bolt & Whalington.If you're interested in our project, please consider wishlisting us on Steam – it really helps!In the last video, I shared some hand-drawn visuals of the Residential Zone.In this devlog, I'd like to walk you through the design ideas behind this area and introduce some of its parkour-focused gameplay. We've designed several interesting movement mechanics for this zone, with three different types of long-distance traversal methods.🎥 Watch the video here Or scroll down for details!You might notice the Residential Zone feels completely different from the Kitchen Zone. Since it's a living area, it can't be messy and dirty like the Kitchen — instead, I wanted it to give players a fresh, contrasting visual atmosphere. Follow our community to get the latest information!💬Discord: https://discord.gg/rteuCHaZ5C🔗…
