Cold Lazarus

An Odyssey Awaits...
Lazarus wakes up amidst the fragmented asteroid islands of Nimbranumbra. With no memory of identity or mission, Lazarus becomes intricately entwined in the chaos and politics that rule over the endearing inhabitants of this forgotten world.

Cold Lazarus unfolds as a hand-drawn, cartoon fantasy epic—a 2D side-scrolling adventure that spans ancient ruins, forgotten forests, quaint mushroom villages and alternate dimensions. Fire your laser powers at dangerous enemies! Bombard your foes with exploding Easter eggs! Foil the assaults of minions with imaginative items, like a giant fighting teddy bear!

Game Features:
Epic side-scrolling action, platforming and puzzles.

Smooth 2D controls. Forget the double jump—how about a quintuple jump! Flip, flap and flutter your way around deadly enemy attacks. Dejectedly, Lazarus the bird forgot how to fly…

Lock on to your foes with a simple targeting system and unleash Lazarus’s strange bird laser powers! Woah!

Barrage your enemies with exploding grenades supplied by the Easter bunny!

Utilize crazy items to aid in your battles! Need some backup? Summon a giant fighting Teddy Bear! Too many enemies at once? Stop all enemy movement with the Cuckoo-Clock! Want to wipe the board? Perhaps a plague of locust or frogs could help?

Collect ingredients for the "averse to labor" ocelot, so that you can watch television with him and regain some of your forgotten powers. I.e. There’s a simple but powerful upgrade system!

Follow the main story quest as Lazarus meticulously chronicles the details in elaborate and often humorous diary entries. Immerse yourself in a rich narrative of intrigue, romance, power, and vengeance!

Embark on numerous side quests, each offering valuable rewards to enhance Lazarus's journey. Explore a variety of storylines, each featuring its own charming characters and captivating narratives.

Dozens of unique boss fights, characters, enemies and landscapes!

A beautiful, epic symphonic rock soundtrack, which embellishes the mysterious and momentous world and story. Composed by Sheldon Slater, featuring Andy Burns and Danny San Filippo.

Who is Cold Lazarus, and what mysteries awaken with them?
Cold Lazarus is a story driven odyssey that fuses the exploration of a metroidvania with the intensity of a 2D shoot ’em up. Beneath its fast-paced combat and fluid platforming lies a richly layered narrative, brought to life through a striking hand-drawn aesthetic and a powerful symphonic rock soundtrack.
You play as Lazarus, an outsider who awakens on the drifting Asteroid Islands of Nimbranumbra. What he finds is a world both whimsical and unraveling, filled with mushroom villages, enchanted forests, and ancient ruins populated by a cast of endearing characters. But this fragile world is under siege. Mysterious portals have begun tearing through reality, unleashing a creeping plague tied to a stark, colorless dimension known as the “Frameworks.”
As Lazarus searches for answers, he’s drawn into a growing crisis that entangles him in political tension, existential threat, and a mystery that may define his very identity.
Gameplay centers on fluid, expressive movement and high-intensity combat. Players chain together seamless jumps and aerial maneuvers to navigate dynamic environments, dodge relentless enemy patterns, and maintain control in chaotic encounters. Combat unfolds across three core scenarios:
Exploration encounters: scattered enemies that reward mastery of movement and precision

Wave events: escalating, arena-style battles that test endurance and adaptability

Boss fights: large-scale, multi-phase encounters where survival depends on spatial awareness and split-second decision making

Lazarus fights back using an unconventional arsenal. His signature laser abilities offer precision and power, exploding easter eggs make quick work of enemy hordes, and curious items like a summonable giant teddy bear, inject chaos, strategy, and humor into every encounter.
Progression is driven by discovery and choice. By collecting “Special Ingredients” throughout the world or earning them through quests, players can upgrade weapons, abilities, and survivability.
At its core, Cold Lazarus is a narrative experience. Through a diary-like journey and a cast of memorable characters, players uncover the truth behind the portals, the nature of the Frameworks, and Lazarus’s role in it all. Meanwhile, President King Koala, a powerful and enigmatic leader, is determined to capture Lazarus for reasons unknown.
What unfolds is a genre-blending odyssey of action, mystery, comedy, and tragedy. Set in a world that is as charming as it is doomed.