Valkyrie Initiative Announces Fast-Paced 2D Platformer Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel
Valkyrie Initiative and solo developer 70`Strike today announced Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel, a fast-paced 2D platformer inspired by the 16-bit classics of the ’90s, coming to PC via Steam and GOG as well as PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Packed with humor, destruction, grotesque enemies, and pure hellish energy, the game sends players into a bizarre underworld where the circles of Hell have been reimagined as the floors of a chaotic infernal hotel
Watch the official announcement trailer here
In Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel, players take control of Mr. K, an ordinary office clerk and all-around decent guy whose fate takes a darkly comic turn after a ridiculous accident sends him straight to Hell instead of Heaven. There, he arrives at the gates of the Inferno Hotel, a surreal place where each floor has its own rules, atmosphere, and dangers. With the hotel in chaos and its floors sealed off, Mr. K must fight his way through every trial in search of an audience with the Boss to set this cosmic mistake right.
The game will take players through nine floors of the Inferno Hotel and more than forty handcrafted levels, blending fast and dynamic platforming with strange mechanics, grotesque enemies and bosses, and surreal locations ranging from fiery factories to a park of homeless souls. Built around the spirit of the Mega Drive and Super Nintendo era, the game combines familiar retro sensibilities with fresh ideas, satirical humor, and an offbeat personality of its own.
To celebrate the announcement, Valkyrie Initiative has also opened Steam Playtest sign-ups for the game. Players who take part in the Playtest and meet certain conditions will have the chance to earn a range of exclusive in-game rewards, which will be granted at the full launch of the game. These rewards include a golden kettlebell skin, a smelly kettlebell skin, and a stylish yellow shirt for Mr. K.
Some of these rewards will require genuine skill. Players who complete every level in the Playtest build with an S Rank will unlock the Steam achievement “Golden Run”, qualifying them for the top reward, provided they also wishlist the game and follow Valkyrie Initiative’s publisher page on Steam. Additional rewards can be unlocked through other Playtest achievements and participation requirements. The Playtest start date will be announced at a later time.
“After working on the dark and demanding world of Skelethrone, I wanted to create something lighter, stranger, and more playful without losing the sense of challenge and personality that makes action games memorable,” said Ksayfar (Dmitriy Bukhtatov), solo developer at 70`Strike. “Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel is my love letter to the weird energy of ’90s platformers — games like Earthworm Jim, Boogerman, Bubba ’n’ Stix, and Sonic — filtered through a bizarre vision of Hell inspired by The Divine Comedy. It’s fast, surreal, hand-crafted, and intentionally a little unhinged.”
Key features of Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel include:
- Fast-paced, dynamic 2D platforming
- Two gameplay modes: Classic with limited lives, and Arcade, where players cannot die but lose more points when hit
- Over 40 levels spread across nine floors of the Inferno Hotel
- Grotesque enemies and bosses
- Surreal locations and bizarre underworld humor
- Hand-drawn pixel art and frame-by-frame animation
- A retro-inspired soundtrack composed by the developer, blending jazz, ’80s disco, blues, and more
Players can wishlist the game and request access to the Steam Playtest here
70`Strike is the solo development label of Ksayfar (Dmitriy Bukhtatov). Following work on Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona, Bukhtatov began development on Kettlebell: Inferno Hotel as a more playful and eccentric project inspired by classic ’90s platformers, hand-drawn pixel animation, and a whimsical reinterpretation of Hell.About Valkyrie Initiative
Valkyrie Initiative is a publisher focused on bringing distinctive games to players across multiple platforms. The company works with development partners on publishing, platform releases, and community-facing initiatives for original indie and mid-core titles.
