Press Kit (Cold Lazarus)

Embark on a thrilling odyssey with Lazarus amidst Nimbranumbra’s asteroid islands. Encounter charismatic characters, explore ancient ruins, quaint villages, and brave the eerie ‘Frameworks.’ Battle foes, complete quests, and solve puzzles in this captivating hand-drawn fantasy epic!

Brief Summary

Cold Lazarus is a hand-drawn cartoon odyssey, a vibrant 2D open-world, side-scrolling adventure bursting with charm. Imagine Cuphead meets Hollow Knight, Paper Mario meets Metroid, as Lazarus becomes entangled in the chaos and politics shaping the forgotten world of Nimbranumbra and its endearing inhabitants.

Hop through forgotten ruins, wander cozy mushroom villages, and tumble across delightfully strange dimensions. Something odd is spreading across the asteroid islands of Nimbranumbra,  mischievous portal plagues are popping up everywhere, and it’s up to Lazarus to investigate.

But watch out! The ever-self-important President King Koala is hot on your heels, determined to keep Nimbranumbra under his fuzzy thumb.

Unleash devastating laser powers.

Bombard enemies with exploding Easter eggs.

Call in outrageous tools of destruction, including a giant, battle-ready teddy bear.

Adventure awaits… and it’s a little weird (in the best way).

About Cold Lazarus

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.

About CyrustheVirus Studios

CyrustheVirus Studios was established by Sheldon Slater, also known as CyrustheVirus001, in 2019. Serving as the sole developer, programmer, animator, artist, and composer for the project Cold Lazarus, Sheldon has been immersed in the world of video games since his early days. His profound love for the medium was shaped by influential titles from the Nintendo 64 era, such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie, and Super Mario 64, which left a lasting impact on him.

Despite diverse experiences, including years as a touring musician in a southern rock band and a role as a maintenance engineer for a prestigious hotel, Sheldon pursued his passion for video game development. After obtaining a degree in computer science, he decided to dedicate himself fully to his true calling.

By day, Sheldon works as a professional software engineer, and by night, he tirelessly delves into the realm of indie game development. CyrustheVirus001, or Sheldon Slater, is a dedicated individual who combines his daytime profession with his nighttime endeavors, demonstrating a commitment to both his career and his creative pursuits.

His game dev journey is also adorned with the unwavering love and support of his enchanting fiancée, Stephanie.

About the Soundtrack

Bishop to Queen Six composed all the music for Cold Lazarus.

Bishop to Queen Six is a symphonic rock collective led by composers Sheldon Slater, Andy Burns, and Danny San Filippo. With a distinctive blend of orchestral sophistication and rock intensity, the group is dedicated to producing original, high-quality music tailored for video games, film, and other visual media. Their work is characterized by its memorable themes, emotional depth, and cinematic scope, offering compelling musical experiences that enhance narrative and atmosphere alike.

Downloadable Assets

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.

An Odyssey Awaits…

When Lazarus awoke to the wondrous healing powers of a local guru, the spiritual guide mouse Mungus, he did not remember who he was, where he was going, or where he had been. Mungus, the accommodating vermin that he was, took in Lazarus and offered all the help he could to restore him to his former strength. For Mungus, the holy keeper of the ancient religions, saw something special in Lazarus and believed that the amnesiac blue bird would be the key to stopping the suffering of Nimbranumbra. So, in a selfish, exploitative fashion, Mungus sent Lazarus into the depths of an interdimensional rift—a bridge between the asteroid islands of Nimbranumbra and a world void of color known simply as the “Frameworks.” What followed was an epic tale of discovery and deceit, romance and adventure, laughter and tears.