Solo Dev Reinvents Health Bars as Tile-Based Combat Maps in Mirklurk: Every Step Matters

Solo developer Mattias Myde is rethinking one of gaming's most fundamental mechanics: the health bar. His upcoming game Mirklurk: Every Step Matters converts the familiar resource pool into a quasi-Battleship arrangement that transforms combat into something more strategic and visual.

In the new system, weapons no longer deal simple numeric damage. Instead, they inflict damage patterns across enemy health pools, which are themselves visualized as large tile grids waiting to be cleared. This approach turns what players typically see as a simple meter into an actual tactical map that shapes how combat unfolds.

The concept gained attention through a video Myde shared titled "Rethinking the health bar," which caught the interest of industry observers. By redesigning this core building block of game design, Myde is exploring how a single mechanic can shift the entire feel of combat and strategy in an RPG.