If you’ve ever wanted Ghostrunner to be faster, more sinister and medieval, Bloodthief might be the game for you. This is the upcoming PC game which has you in the shoes of a high-flying, wall-running parkour-fanatics vampire with a sword who can slice knights at light speed. Bloodthief is a “boomer-slasher” by indie studio Blargis and is out on PC on September 22, 2025.
Bloodthief: A Vampire Parkour Experience
Bloodthief feels like a nice and tight mix of first-person parkour, wall running and sword combat, turning into a frenetic and stylish experience. Like Ghostrunner, the game’s heel is speed, precision and performance of acrobatics and balletic and iaijutstu, but from a vampiric medieval point of view. Instead of neon cyberpunk cities, Bloodthief puts you in dark, grim castles, dungeons and open medieval arenas where blood splats walls when you hack through armor-clad foes.
The developer, Blargis, describes the game as a “boomer-slasher,” essentially evoking boomer shooters in a retro sense but with melee. For a brand new studio’s first foray, Bloodthief is looking like something of a speedrunner’s wet dream, a game for players who are more than happy to push the envelope of their timing, their dexterity, and their momentum.
Bloodthief vs Ghostrunner: The Distinction Bloodthief vs Ghostrunner is the discrepancy.
Buddies of Ghostrunner will immediately spot the DNA in Bloodthief. Both games have a strong focus on acrobatics and melee combat based on skill. Though, Ghostrunner might be placed in a futuristic cyberpunk city, in juxtaposition, Bloodthief takes you to a gloomy, medieval era; replacing neon lights with stone castles and armored knights.
Combat in Bloodthief is also a bit different. There’s no one-hit-kill like Ghostrunner, but you can’t absorb too much damage before you’re returned to a checkpoint. This balance makes Bloodthief playable while still having the adrenaline of high stakes combat.
Why Bloodthief Could Be the Next Speedrunner’s Best Friend
With Bloodthief, it’s not just about surviving, but rather mastering movement. The game’s traversal is very creative and your rewarded for finding alternate routes throughout the levels. Players willing to go to the extremes of the free running will find alternative routes, shortcuts and ways to gain that all-important edge over your opponents.
When the demo emerged as part of Steam Next Fest in June 2025, more than a few players deluged me with comments about how fast they were hooked. But even early on in the game, one could play with many different paths, wall-run paths and momentum tricks. If you love progression-based games, Bloodthief has that one-more-run factor.
Bloodthief’s Visual Identity
The change between cyberpunk motif and medieval theme seems to Bloodthief as a breath of fresh air. The muted nature of the environments allows all the frenetic action to pop, and there’s nothing like the stark red of blood splattering all over your screen. There’s something cinematic and exhilarating about watching an armored knight charge at you with a sword, only to be cut down in seconds by vampiric athleticism.
Release Date and Availability
Save the date: Bloodthief comes to PC September 22, 2025. If you need a taste of actual gameplay ahead of launch, the demo is still live on the game’s Steam page.
With One More Level’s Valor Mortis not due till after the year turns, Bloodthief is ready to pounce on acts and parkour aficionados in 2025.
FAQ
Bloodthief is coming to PC on September 22, 2025.
Bloodthief is the work of Blargis, a fresh indie studio that’s coming out of the gate with this one.
Bloodthief is a first person parkour action game, its genre is a “boomer-slasher” where you are playing as a vampire, you implement fast melee combat and it is set in the medieval time.
Yes. There is a free demo on Steam, originally launched with Steam Next Fest June 2025.
And while both offer speed and parkour combat, Bloodthief is also old-world medieval (with a bit of vampiric flair) and more or less lets you take a few hits before, you know, you’re dead — not the same as Ghostrunner’s one-hit kill system.
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