NEW ON STEAM
BLACKWOOD
At a glance
BLACKWOOD game facts
Steam store information checked 2026-09-24。- Studio
- AttritoM7 Productions Published by IZilla Games
- Release
- Sep 16, 2026 Released
- Official genres
- Action · Adventure · RPG · Strategy
- Play mode
- Single-player
- Desktop platforms
- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Unsupported No additional compatibility detail
- Controller
- Full support
- Steam features
- Achievements · Cloud · Family Sharing
- Languages
- 1 listed languages Englishlanguages with full audio support
What that means for your setupBLACKWOOD is made by AttritoM7 Productions and published by IZilla Games, released on Steam for Windows on September 16, 2026. It is single-player only, with full controller support, achievements, Steam Cloud, and Family Sharing, and English full audio. The Steam page marks it as Unsupported on Steam Deck with no additional compatibility detail, so anyone hoping to play it portably should check current reports before buying. Importantly, what is shipping today is Act 1 of a planned three-act story, with Act 2 due in March 2027 and Act 3 in September 2027, and the publisher states existing owners will receive Acts 2 and 3 as free updates rather than separate purchases. The current asking price is $24.99 USD.
BLACKWOOD sells itself on a genuinely unusual dual life: a quiet, slightly nostalgic DVD store management loop set in 2012 New York that you then abandon at sundown to go commit cinematic, Max Payne-style violence as Anton Blackwood. The combat promise is the loudest part of the pitch, with brutal contextual takedowns, dives and rolls, and a money laundering loop tying the two halves together. If that day-to-night contrast hooks you, there is real ambition to dig into here, though what you can actually buy and play today is only Act 1 of three.
What the game actually feels like
A cinematic third-person action setup where your day job is running a small DVD shop in 2012 New York, restocking shelves, setting prices, ringing up customers, decorating, and generally playing the role of a normal civilian, while nights send you out into the city as a contract killer.
Combat that leans heavily on fluid movement and stylish violence: dives, rolls, slides, and a library of contextual takedowns that let you use the environment itself to finish fights, paired with cover shooter gunplay that several players compare to Max Payne and John Wick.
A double-life money loop where clean income from the DVD shop stays strictly separate from dirty money earned on assassinations, and you have to balance both to keep your cover story and your underworld operation running, with RPG-style touches like outfits and apartment interactions to reinforce the dual identity.
A three-act story about Anton Blackwood navigating a web of conspiracies and consequences in 2012 New York, told in cinematic set pieces that are designed to be replayed as bite-sized missions rather than one long open-world slog.
What early players are seeing
What is landing
- Several players highlight the takedowns and movement as the standout feature, calling dives, rolls, slides, and environmental finishes satisfying and stylish, with one reviewer describing the gunplay as the closest thing to Max Payne they have played in a long time.
- The 2012 New York DVD store concept earns genuine affection; multiple reviewers say they spent more time managing the shop than they expected, that the nostalgia hits hard, and that the clean versus dirty money split is a clever thematic and mechanical hook.
- The story and characters get consistent props, with several players calling the cast interesting and invested, praising the Act 1 cinematic buildup, and the overall noir tone, even when they have criticisms about pacing or polish.
- A number of reviewers note that the indie ambition is real, praising the sheer variety already in Act 1, from shop management to Act Plays that play like movie scenarios to underground fighting arenas, and several describe it as a solid foundation that could be excellent with more updates.
What still needs watching
- Multiple reviews flag rough melee combat: parries and counters are inconsistent, the camera works against you, Anton turns awkwardly, and fights against more than two enemies feel punishing, with several players calling the hand-to-hand system the weakest part of the game.
- Performance and control complaints show up across players, including reports of floaty gunplay with inconsistent hit registration, strong recoil even on pistols, an unresponsive dive and slide system, slippery driving, a jittery sprint, and some users seeing roughly 45 to 55 fps on their setups.
- You are buying Act 1 of 3 today, with Act 2 not promised until March 2027 and Act 3 until September 2027, and several reviewers specifically note that the current package is short, side missions get repetitive after the main story, and the day-versus-night balance feels uneven.
Is BLACKWOOD worth buying now?
Current decision
Wait for more reviewsEven though BLACKWOOD has a real hook and a vocal group of players enjoying it, the player reviews are clearly split: many praise the takedowns, the Max Payne-style gunplay, the 2012 store vibe, and the money laundering loop, but a roughly comparable group report rough melee, floaty shooting, janky movement, and a short Act 1 that feels more like an early access slice than a finished game. Because Acts 2 and 3 are not coming until 2027 and the official Steam score sits in mixed territory, waiting for more polish, a broader consensus, and ideally a sale is the safer call, especially since the studio has already shipped a post-launch patch addressing some of the early complaints.
Who this is for
A good fit if you…
- Players who want a cinematic, Max Payne-inspired third-person shooter with stylish dives, rolls, and environmental takedowns as the main draw.
- Fans of noir crime stories and 2012 New York atmosphere who enjoy a slower, roleplay-flavored shop management loop between action set pieces.
- Indie and Early Access-tolerant players who are comfortable buying Act 1 of a three-act story now and receiving Acts 2 and 3 as free updates through 2027.
- Anyone who specifically enjoys the idea of managing a DVD store with clean money while laundering dirty cash from assassination contracts.
- Players looking for a controller-friendly single-player action game on Windows that does not require a multiplayer community or live service.
Wait if you…
- You want a fully polished, finished-feeling package today, since only Act 1 of 3 is available and Acts 2 and 3 are scheduled for 2027.
- Strong melee combat is a dealbreaker for you, because several reviewers describe the hand-to-hand system as inconsistent, frustrating, and in need of an overhaul.
- You are sensitive to rough edges like floaty gunplay, janky movement, slippery driving, or variable framerates, which show up in multiple player reports.
- You primarily want to play on Steam Deck, since the official compatibility is listed as Unsupported with no additional detail.
If BLACKWOOD is not quite your game
SIMILAR OPTION
RimWorld
Choose it ifGo for RimWorld if you want endlessly replayable colony management with emergent drama, and go for BLACKWOOD if you want a finite, noir crime story with shooter combat and a compact store management side activity.
How it comparesSingle-player management plus emergent storytelling RimWorld is a deep sci-fi colony sim where the AI storyteller weaves drama out of colonists, raids, and relationships over long playthroughs, while BLACKWOOD is a tightly authored three-act action story with a small DVD shop sim attached; RimWorld offers near-infinite replayability and systems depth, BLACKWOOD offers a more curated narrative and cinematic combat.
SIMILAR OPTION
DAVE THE DIVER
Choose it ifPick DAVE THE DIVER if you want a cozier, more whimsical management-plus-action mix with light RPG flavor, and pick BLACKWOOD if you want a grittier, Max Payne-style shooter with a noir crime story and a money laundering loop.
How it comparesDaytime management loop vs. nighttime action DAVE THE DIVER splits a single day between deep-sea exploration and fishing by day and running a sushi restaurant at night, while BLACKWOOD splits its day between running a 2012 DVD shop and going out as an underworld assassin by night; both lean on the contrast between a calm management phase and a more dramatic action phase, but BLACKWOOD is far more violent and crime-driven on its night side.
SIMILAR OPTION
Pathfinder: Kingmaker — Enhanced Plus Edition
Choose it ifChoose Pathfinder: Kingmaker if you want deep RPG systems, long exploration, and tactical combat in a fantasy setting, and choose BLACKWOOD if you would rather play a short, cinematic action thriller with light management on the side.
How it comparesStory-first single-player RPG with cinematic moments Pathfinder: Kingmaker is an isometric party-based fantasy RPG built around exploration, kingdom management, and classic cRPG combat, while BLACKWOOD is a real-time third-person action game with a linear three-act story and a small embedded store management layer; BLACKWOOD leans on gunplay and takedowns, Pathfinder on turn-based tactics and character builds.
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