Welcome to our devlog, reader! If you’re here, indie games probably have a special place in your heart like they do for us. We are here to give you a behind-the-scenes look at Cosmic Cog and Sea Studio’s latest indie game, Stabjack.

2024 had been a troubling year for Cosmic Cog. The game development industry was showing signs of decline, clients were starting to become scarce, and staff had hours to fill. We thought, “Maybe we can try another in-house project. Something small.” So a collaboration with an old friend was proposed. Cosmic Cog’s expertise was in card games, and we were excited by the idea of utilizing the familiar design language of playing cards, as Balatro had. We wanted a fast game loop, with the tension of a single card draw being able to make or break the game. 

That’s how we found ourselves rapidly prototyping a roguelike based on Blackjack. With an addictive game loop and high-quality art, we knew we had something special. We decided to push boundaries wherever we were able. A first-person view was used to give clashes between the main character and the foes an immersive feel. Subtle camera movements were added to make combat feel physical. The setting, we decided, also needed to show this constant sense of tension… Which is why the game begins with the player at the scene of his wife’s murder, forced to defend himself with the very weapon that killed her. 

We quietly released the demo last weekend, spreading the word by grassroots means, and hoping that our work will speak for itself. If you are are a fan of Roguelike deckbuilders — Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Wildfrost — as well as the more unusual examples of the genre, like Peglin or Dungeon Clawler, we think you’ll love Stabjack. The demo is in a fairly polished state, with dozens of modifiers to unlock and over 20 hours of gameplay. Our team iterates quickly, and you’re likely to see many meaningful updates here on itch.io before our full release, expected in Q1 of 2026. 

Please leave us a little feedback and tell us what you think. We hope you enjoy this game as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.

A self-fulfilling prophecy

Progress!

Another day in the life of our unlucky protagonist