Boris and the Dark Survival
- For other uses, see Boris (disambiguation).
This page is about Boris and the Dark Survival. If you are looking for the 2024 Rebrand, please visit Bendy: Lone Wolf.
"A lone wolf struggles to survive the inky abyss of Joey Drew Studios in this top-down survival horror." |
Boris and the Dark Survival, abbreviated as BatDS, is a standalone game and a side prequel to Bendy and the Ink Machine, developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc. First revealed on February 5, 2020, the game was released on February 10, 2020, for PC platforms and Google Play, for the franchise's third anniversary by the price of $0.99, with the price increasing after every major update, making it one of the cheapest games in the Bendy franchise. It was later released for iOS on February 14, 2020.
The game, after its initial release, was expanded with three major updates: The Wolf Trials, The Unleashed, and Symphony of Shadows. It has since been rebranded into Bendy: Lone Wolf, discontinuing the original version of the game.
Synopsis
Characters
- Main article: List of characters (Boris and the Dark Survival)
- Buddy Boris
- Sammy Lawrence
- Lost One player
- Milla Legna
- The Patron
- Boris clones
- Joey Drew, Wally Franks, Thomas Connor, Shawn Flynn, Jack Fain, Emma LaMonte, and Wilson Arch
Story
The intro of the game tells a short story Boris' life in the Cycle, described as him surviving on anything he could find, and fearing the Ink Demon. From there, the main gameplay begins.
There are 7 scraps that Boris can find inside of lockers. These scraps are used to create the wall art that is seen in the Safehouse in Chapter 3 of Bendy and the Ink Machine. Once he finds all 7, it triggers a cutscene. Said cutscene explains that Boris was using the scraps to try picturing his former human self, before the memory is lost forever. This ending is the original ending to the game and is considered the main ending.
There are 5 tapes that Boris can find inside the bodies of dead Boris clones. These tapes can be played in a tape player located in the Dungeons, and they contain messages from a mysterious woman named Milla Legna, who tells the story pf how she came to be locked inside of the dungeon. After collecting all 5 tapes, Boris has to find the key that Milla hid in the studio for whoever would come to save her. After finding the key and unlocking the dungeon, it is revealed that Milla was actually Alice Angel in disguise, attempting to trick Boris into falling into her clutches. Beating the following level unlocks Alice encounters for the rest of the game.
There are 5 padlock keys that Boris can find inside of lockers. The keys are used to unlock the cage within the dungeon. Once all the keys have been collectedl the Butcher Gang break out and unlock Butcher Gang encounters for the rest of the game.
Updates
Boris and the Dark Survival recieved 3 content updates over its lifespan, this category will document all of them.
"If you expect me to take care of your work while you take FIVE, you're crazy!" - Your annoyed co-worker
This article requires cleanup to bring higher quality to the article's standards. Please make sure to read the Manual of Style when editing.
The Wolf Trials
The Unleashed
Symphony of Shadows
Gameplay
In Boris and the Dark Survival, Buddy Boris has to take the Service Elevator down to find secrets, collect supplies, and find audio logs within the different levels of the studio while avoiding enemies.
When it comes to collecting supplies, Buddy Boris will only need to collect 6 of them at each level. These items include spoons, gears, bones, plungers, books, wrenches, and radios.
During each level, the Ink Demon is wandering around searching for Buddy Boris and will move closer to Buddy Boris whenever he makes a sound, like opening a locker or playing an audio log. If the Ink Demon ever sees Buddy Boris, he will immediately start chasing him. Buddy Boris can hide in one of the Little Miracle Stations to avoid getting caught.
The Ink Demon will spawn immediately except on Day 1 and Day 2. On Day 1 he spawns once the player picked up 4 supplies. On Day 2 he spawns in after the player picked up 1 supply item. Day 3 and on he spawns in at the start of the game.
Buddy Boris has the ability to run during the level, but this will decrease his stamina. Buddy Boris can refill his stamina by drinking Bacon Soup from one of the Tasty Eats Machines.
Once Buddy Boris collects all 6 supplies, the Ink Demon will start chasing him, regardless of how far away he is; in order to survive, Buddy Boris must run back to the service elevator to finish the level.
The Hub
The main hub for the game is the Safehouse from Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 3, as well as multiple other rooms that stem off of the hallway that comes just before the Exit Hallways in Chapter 3. These extra rooms include the Elevator Room, the Dungeons, the Restrooms, and the Golden Days Gallery.
Collectibles
In addition to the supplies that Boris collects each day, numerous other collectibles can be found within the randomly generated levels. These collectibles can add little extras to the game, while some can trigger cutscenes and new levels.
Boris has 1 of 6 "Tunes" in the safehouse, with the other 5 being collectible inside the lockers. Collecting each Tune will give Boris a different song he can listen to while in the safehouse. Boris also knows 1 of 5 dances that he does while listening to a tune. There are 4 of Emma LaMonte's dance blueprints that Boris can find in the toilets. Collecting each dance blueprint will give Boris a new dance while listening to his tunes.
Boris can also find his favorite bone in one of the lockers. After finding it, the bone will be on the table in the safehouse, and Boris has the option of carrying it in his mouth during a level.
There are 6 odd fuses that Boris can find inside the lockers. Collecting all 6 will unlock a pachinko machine that Boris can use. If the player beats Wally’s high score of 15, then a secret audio log of Joey Drew will appear.
There are also some papers called “Lost Papers” that Boris can collect. They are pieces of paper with a handprint from one of the Lost Ones. Once all the papers are collected, the player can choose to play as a Lost One by using the Ink Chooser.
There are 4 candles that Boris can find inside the lockers. After finding the 4 candles, Boris has to find Sammy’s Mask. Once the player finds Sammy’s Mask and goes back into the men's restroom, the screen will go black and they will hear Sammy say “Our lord is calling. Are you a believer?” Then Sammy will be unlocked as a playable character which the player can switch between by using the Ink Chooser. Sammy can’t run. His stamina is instead used up by teleporting through the cracks in the walls.
Audio Logs
Audio Logs from former employees can be found around the randomly generated levels. The original release of the game had 4 audio logs from Jack Fain, Norman Polk, Thomas Connor, and Wally Franks. The Wolf Trials update added an audio log from Shawn Flynn and a 2nd log from Wally Franks.
In the main Hub, there are 5 tapes that can be collected from Milla Legna, a secret tape from Joey Drew that can be unlocked from the minigame, an audio log from Emma LaMonte, and a secret tape from Wilson Arch, which can be unlocked by playing the instruments in order as they are seen painted on the wall above the candles.
Level Generation
The levels in the game are randomly generated (See the link to know how) with Little Miracle Stations, Tasty Eats Machines, lockers, audio logs, and supplies put in different places each time. In addition to the randomly generated Ink Demon levels, there are 5 secret levels.
ALICE_FLOOR: Following the cutscene that takes place after unlocking the 1st Dungeon, a new level starts with Twisted Alice as the antagonist. Alice is a lot faster than Bendy when she sees Boris. The level can be accessed by clicking on the door to the first dungeon, or randomly through the elevator.
PROJECTIONIST_FLOOR: During the game, Boris can randomly end up in a level covered in ink puddles. The 6 supplies the player needs to collect are all hearts, and the Projectionist is the antagonist. If the player beats the stage, he will unlock a heart on a plate in the service elevator room which will allow the player to access the Projectionist stage, or randomly through the elevator.
BUTCHERGNAG_FLOOR: If the player unlocks the cage in the 2nd dungeon, a level will be unlocked where the Butcher Gang are the antagonists. The main difference is that all 3 of them split up to look for Boris.
LOSTONE_FLOOR: Very rarely during the game, the player will get a level that forces them to play as the Lost One Player. The Lost One cannot move fast and there are no Tasty Eats Machines in this level. There are four items in the elevator room, and four hallways at each door.
Level 414 (REGLUAR_FL0OR): Very rarely during the game, Boris will get to a level that has a glowing-eyed Boris clone named Borkis as the antagonist. The rooms are very open, all with tables with an item on them. The main room is the only location of a Tasty Eats machine and Miracle Station.
Reception
Boris and the Dark Survival was well received, given with the score of 4.3/5 from Google Play and 4.4/5 from iOS. Metacritic's PC review was currently not given yet.
Behind The Scenes
- Boris and the Dark Survival was made in a little under a week primarily by Matt Goles.
- Compared to Bendy and the Ink Machine, Boris and the Dark Survival utilizes a different save system based around autosaving instead of manual saving.
- Boris and the Dark Survival is the first appearance of Borkis in the Bendy franchise.
Gallery
TBA