Devlog Dec 2025

You may have already noticed: the release date is now locked in. On February 5th, 2026, Tackle for Loss and its soundtrack will launch on Steam.

At launch there will be a launch discount, and additionally a bundle discount if you buy the game and the soundtrack together. I’ve also prepared a handy graphic that compares the different editions:

In the meantime, reviews of the pre-launch version are already coming in – and honestly, it really blows me away. Because they show me one thing: Tackle for Loss is for real. People are digging into the game and (apparently) having some fun with it:

“Here comes the part that annoys the purist critics: Tackle for Loss is a lot of fun.”

GameHall

“I can't deny Tackle for Loss is a lot of fun.”

Defunct Games

“Fun. Really fun. Tackle for Loss is definitely worth checking out if you like retro games.”

Die Pixelspieler

Of course, there is also criticism – and I’m listening :) Many of the points that came up repeatedly are already being addressed for release:

1. Level Design

The levels have become less repetitive. If they still feel similar, that’s on purpose: in many sections, you move through multiple floors of the same building. Similar floor plans just make sense – and are only a tiny bit the result of my laziness ;)

2. Perks

One bigger point of criticism was that many perks didn’t really feel worth using compared to the standard attack, the Tackle. Actions are limited, and in practice Tackle was often simply the better choice.

Goal: Tackle remains the core of the game – perks are meant to support it, not replace it or compete with it.

Specifically:

• Juke now consumes no action. It can be used exactly once per try. After that, it only recharges after death or when transitioning to the next level.

• Spike consumes no action on a miss. An action is only lost if Spike actually hits.

• Sprint and Timeout now each have their own cooldown bar. They no longer take away valuable actions from the player, but instead act as additional tools.

Overall, this should feel more aggressive, smoother, and fairer – and support the tackle, not displace it.

3. Languages

I’ve added new languages. Alongside German and English, the game is now also available in:

Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Turkish.

Important: these are currently auto-translations, as I’m unfortunately out of budget here. But I’m all ears – if you spot mistakes in your native language, please let me know.