Fan-made Half-Life game coming to Steam with Valve's blessing

Fan-made Half-Life game Codename: Loop is officially headed to Steam now that Valve has given the creator permission.

Developer Daniel Almenara, otherwise known as PinkyDev, revealed the big news in a post to ModDB. "A few months ago I asked Valve for permission to publish my Half-Life fan game on Steam," the post reads, "and... guess what? Codename: Loop is coming to Steam, hopefully with a demo later this year!"

As for the full release of the game, Almenara is sticking to "when the game is ready" for now. But they did offer an update on how the project, which had already been in the works for some time when videos of it surfaced last June under the name Half-Life: Loop, is coming along. And if you're wondering, yes, the name was changed partly as "one of the ways to ensure the game [makes] its way to Steam." 

Simply put, Codename: Loop is a top-down twin-stick shooter based on Half-Life. It was originally pitched as more of a roguelike, but Almanera says he's now "going to be focusing more on linear campaigns with 'dynamic/random' stuff and user-created campaigns." A full-blown "extra" roguelike mode will exist as a separate component from the campaign. 

To allow for a wide range of user-made campaigns and levels, Almenara's also looking to add a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective as well as first-person camera options which will sit alongside the top-down standard. The tools and documentation that will help players make their own levels – and skins, while they're at it – are apparently shaping up nicely, too. 

"I am very happy to inform you that the current state of compatibility is incredible, to the point that all loop levels will be created in J.A.C.K (level editor) and will also have support for custom campaigns and levels," Almenara says. "In addition to this I will be doing everything I can to support the Steam Workshop, this way everybody will be able to share and download campaigns and levels and maintain this game alive forever." 

Half-Life 2 code was found in the Switch port of Portal, and someone was even able to play it.