#high octane

Underling Uprising is out now, bringing fast, colorful high-octane cartoon brawling game to Steam Deck and Linux players through Windows. Thanks to the sharp creative spark of Dummy Dojo, this brawler feels loud. That is out now on Steam with 81% Positive reviews. Some games walk in quietly. Underling Uprising kicks the door open, grabs a busted lab chair, and starts swinging. This is cartoon brawling with attitude, heart, and the kind of co-op chaos that makes you want to call the squad before the trailer even ends.

The underlings are done taking orders

I like a good beat ‘em up, but I like it even more when the setup has some bite. Underling Uprising puts you in control of a crew of genetically experimented-on underlings who finally snap. Not in a dark, grim way. This is not that kind of game. But we do have support.

... the game works on Steam Deck.

Underling Uprising runs on the Unity engine, but Dummy Dojo is not planning a native Linux port right now. The good news is that the game still works well on Steam Deck, giving handheld players a way to jump into the chaos through Steam. This is more like Saturday morning cartoons got tossed into an arcade cabinet, then someone cranked the speed way up. These weird little fighters have spent enough time being pushed around by the mad scientist who made them. Now they are clocking out for good. And by clocking out, I mean breaking everything in sight. That hook works since it is simple. Since you are not some chosen hero with a sacred sword. You are the mistreated little guy. The lab rat. The disposable minion. The one who was never supposed to win. Then the punching starts.

High-octane cartoon brawling with real arcade energy

Abylight Studios and Dummy Dojo, the team behind Ninja Chowdown Glaze of Glory, are bringing Underling Uprising to Windows PC on Steam. For Linux and Steam Deck players, that means the focus is on playing it through Windows compatibility on Steam. That matters for our crowd. Linux gamers are used to doing things our own way. We tweak, test, and chase smooth performance. Since we care when a game feels good on Deck, not just when it technically launches. So a fast-paced 2D beat ‘em up like this instantly gets my attention. The whole thing leans into high-octane cartoon brawling. Big movement. Loud reactions. Hand-animated environments. That punchy, colorful style where every hit feels like it should leave a dent in the screen. And honestly, that is the exact kind of game I want on Steam Deck. Quick to jump into. Easy to understand. Wild enough to keep a couch full of friends yelling.

Underling Uprising - Release trailer

Bring friends, then maybe betray them

The real magic here is the local multiplayer. Underling Uprising supports up to 4-player local co-op and versus modes. That is dangerous in the best way. Co-op beat ‘em ups have a special kind of energy. One minute everyone is working together. The next, someone grabs the temporary weapon you clearly saw first, and suddenly the room gets personal. Add versus mode on top of that, and you have the kind of game that can turn a quiet night into pure noise. The controls are built to be easy to remember too, which is a big win. Nobody wants to spend half the night explaining inputs to a friend who just wants to mash buttons and cause damage.

Seven stages, arcade scores, and more reasons to replay

Underling Uprising is not just a quick brawler with a great look. The game features seven lengthy stages that span the world and even go beyond it. That gives the adventure some scale. You are not just smashing through one lab hallway forever. This rebellion gets bigger. Stranger. More ridiculous. There are multiple difficulty levels for players who want a sharper challenge, plus an Arcade Mode where you can chase high scores. That is the old-school hook right there. Run it again. Do cleaner fights. Take fewer hits. Push the score higher. The game also lets you pick up temporary weapons and vehicles during combat, which should keep fights from getting stale. That kind of variety can make a brawler feel alive, especially when every stage throws new messes at you. A brawler with personality, not just punches What really gives Underling Uprising its spark is the narrative side. The game also includes a story-driven experience, character-specific interactions, and multiple endings. That is the part I did not expect, and it makes the whole thing more interesting. Beat ‘em ups do not need deep storytelling to be fun. But when a game gives its fighters personality, suddenly the chaos hits harder. You start caring about who you picked and the little lines. Since you want to see how different characters react. For a game about underlings fighting back, that matters. So the rebellion feels less like a gimmick and more like the soul of the game.

One for Linux and Steam Deck players

also, here's the fanfic playlist i'll be updating once in a while.

thanks for reading, love you.

p.s. i have decided to zhuzh up the post template for high octane. let me know what you think. i think it's sexy.

Dean groaned. "Yes, Jack, I know who that guy is." He punctuated his sentence by rolling his eyes, the situation weighing on him. Riley having coffee with his ex was something he handled surprisingly (not) well. Why shouldn't he while they weren't official? Yup. No problem. "No you clearly don't!" Jack shouted, "Or you wouldn't be standing here like an idiot while Riley is having coffee with... With EVIL BRUCE WAYNE." "I don't care, I don't feel threatened." Lies. Jack raised a brow, "Right. Of course you're not. That's why you look like you could throw up in HD."

for @call-sign-shark, Dean Volker and Amos of Von Bismarck Industries belongs to her.

Dean Volker had hit rock bottom when he met him, his friend and later on roommate who found fixing cars a relaxing hobby.

"It's in my fucking blood." Jack had said building up an engine from scratch before revealing his genius mother, Sheila, was a mechanical engineer handpicked by Amos Von Bismarck to be the head engineer of VBI's Racing Branch.

Extract of High Octane @justrainandcoffee

Dean laughed once. Shortly. No humor in it. “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?” Amos’s mouth twitched in a cruel smirk. “And you? Do you know how to fuck Riley right or do you want me to write you a guide from experience?” The next sound was the crack of a fist meeting bone. Amos was sent staggering back in an instant, one hand coming up to his nose as warm blood bloomed and slipped through the cracks of his fingers. “Oh, finally,” Heaven commented. “Someone did it.”

trick or treat 🍭

High Octane chapter 1 @evita-shelby

He stood up and walked toward the kitchen counter to crack a beer – warm, of course. He had forgotten to fill the fridge. This definitely was a bad day, and the retrospective of his life didn’t make it any better:

Dean Volker, 34, traumatized, can’t bring himself to get attached for fear of losing the person, works in a shady bar. Also, would prolly add ‘homelessness’ to the highlight reel real soon.