Devlog #1 — From Duty to Development

🧟 Devlog #1 — From Duty to Development

Hey everyone 👋

Welcome to the very first devlog for Contagion Protocol — a solo-developed, heavy-metal, zombie-crushing roguelike built in the cracks of real life.

My name is Jakob or Para82 and I’m currently active-duty military — an airborne infantryman by day, solo game developer by night (and very early morning). This game is a passion project I work on before sunrise and after my kids go to bed. It’s a grind — but it’s the dream.

🎮 What is Contagion Protocol?

Contagion Protocol is a brutal, stylish pixel roguelike built for that feeling we all chase after a long day — log in, turn your brain off, and just obliterate waves of zombies to a nasty metal soundtrack.

Inspired by games like Vampire Survivors, Death Must Die, and my love for post-apocalyptic zombie novels (The Extinction Cycle, etc.), this game is meant to be:

• Easy to pick up

• Rewarding instantly

• Full of chaos, gore, progression, and replayability

• Something that just feels good to play

The music inspiration? That’s all my wife. She loves heavy metal (so do I), and said your game will be brutal and dark, the music should match it, so I thought — why not fuse all of this together?

✍️ Why I’m Making This Game

I’ve always loved the idea of developing a game for PC — I graduated with a B.S. in Software Development in 2019 and even released a tiny mobile game back then.

But then life happened

military, kids, responsibilities. One day, my wife asked, “What do you want to do after you retire from the army?” I told her: I want to make games.

She looked at me and said

“Then why don’t you start now?”

So, I did.

I wake up at 0400 to work on this before my day job. At night, after family time, I squeeze in a couple more hours. Weekends, holidays, whenever I can grab the time — I’m building this thing. And I’m not stopping until it’s everything I want it to be.

🧠 What Makes This Game Different?

• I want to push the zombie-survival roguelike idea further:

• Permadeath characters — if you lose them, you have to find them again

• Unlockable survivors scattered throughout the world

• Various biomes — cities, farmlands, and beyond

• 20+ unique zombies, each with their own chaos

• Endless mode, brutal bosses, weapon evolutions

• No DLC. No paywalls. Ever. Everything I add will be free.

I'm aiming for a gritty, replayable, metal-drenched apocalypse where every run feels earned — and every death gets personal.

The Plan Going Forward:

• First public demo: June or October Steam Next Fest

• Early Access target: Q1 2026

• Frequent devlogs & updates between now and then

• Roadmap coming soon (that’ll be Devlog #2!)

This game will be under $5. If it takes 2, 3, or even 4 years to make it amazing — I’ll do it. I want this to be a gem.

🫱 Why You Should Wishlist & Follow Because I care. I care about games. I care about gamers. I care about finishing what I start.

I’ve seen too many developers disappear or lock everything behind a paywall. That’s not me. I’m building this with love — and I want to bring the community in as I go. You’ll see the evolution of this game, and maybe a bit of me chasing a dream after active duty life.

If you’re reading this: Thanks for being here early. Thanks for supporting indie devs. And thanks for helping me build Contagion Protocol into something unforgettable.

Let’s crush some zombies soon. 🤘

– Para82

🖤 Wishlist the game. 📢 Follow for devlogs & progress. 🎤 And drop a comment if you’ve got thoughts, ideas, or just wanna say hi.