Preview: Gennady Impressions | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform played: Steam (PC)

Also coming to: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch (full game Q4 2026)

I’m a sucker for weird, hand-drawn platformers that don’t take themselves too seriously. Give me something with attitude, a little bit of gross-out humor, and controls that are tight and responsive, and you've got my attention. That’s why the demo for the upcoming game Gennady grabbed me – it checked all those boxes.

First, a bit of info on the game: you play as Gennady, a grumpy middle-aged guy who wakes up inside some kind of nightmarish alien planet. And oh yeah, he's got on nothing but his boxers. There's nobody to rescue, no epic destiny - just a really angry nobody, a whole lot of green slime, and a lot of violence. It's completely absurd, a tinge scary, and just plain weird. Kind of like a mix between Earthworm Jim, Boogerman (look it up), and the old, late-night MTV show Liquid Television (also look it up)

The visual style really draws you in here. Everything is hand-drawn with a high-contrast black-and-white noir look that gets interrupted by bright splashes of color and, of course, gallons of green ooze. The animation has that classic comic-book energy that makes every dash and punch feel weighty and satisfying. Gennady himself has a lot of personality in the way he moves - kind of lumbering and irritated until he builds up Rage Mode, at which point he becomes an invincible, high-speed wrecking ball. It’s the kind of presentation that makes you stop and just watch the animations for a second. I particularly enjoyed the neck-cracking animation of one of the shop keepers.

Gameplay-wise, the demo does a great job giving you a taste of the game. Classic platforming and brawling are at the forefront, but the real fun comes from turning Gennady into a living projectile with furious dashes that both clear obstacles and shred enemies. Rage Mode is a blast—keep the aggression going and it lasts longer, letting you tear through rooms and enemies. Now, this is a roguelite: you die – a lot – and collect artifacts and upgrades, experiment with builds, and go back for more. Also, when you die there’s this clever little minigame where you shoot falling items to keep some of your progress for the next run.

Controls are responsive, the combat has a nice crunch to it, and the twisted humor lands quite nicely. There’s a mean-spirited edge to the whole thing that somehow works with the cartoonish presentation. It’s not perfect, of course. This is still a demo, so balance is a work in progress. A few control quirks and camera moments can feel a little rough around the edges, and a limited view around Gennady, added to the black-and-white aesthetic, makes it difficult to see some of the enemies and traps. The good news, though, is that those are the kinds of things that get ironed out before a full release.

The demo currently gives you a good chunk of the early game, plus a boss, plenty of rooms, and there's enough here to give you a real feel for the game. Gennady already feels like it could be one of those weird little indie projects that keeps you coming back. The combination of stylish hand-drawn animation, chaotic movement, and pure “what the hell is going on” energy is hard to beat. If the full game (due later this year) expands on the diversity in levels, bosses, and build variety while keeping this level of personality, we might have something special on their hands. The demo is free on Steam right now—go throw on your least favorite pair of underwear and give it a spin!