Bullet Heaven, also known as "survivor-like" or "reverse bullet hell," is a subgenre of action roguelikes. The player typically controls a character that attacks automatically, while the main gameplay focus is on maneuvering to evade massive hordes of enemies, collecting experience or currency, and making strategic upgrade choices to enhance abilities and create powerful builds. The objective is usually to survive for a set period or defeat specific bosses.
Key Bullet Heaven Titles
- Vampire Survivors:
Often credited with popularizing the current wave of bullet heaven games, Vampire Survivors features deceptively simple pixel graphics. Its core appeal lies in its addictive progression, where players select from a vast array of weapons and passive items that synergize to create overwhelming screen-clearing effects. Gameplay is minimalist, primarily involving character movement.
- Brotato:
This title offers fast-paced, wave-based arena combat with a strong emphasis on build diversity. Players control a potato wielding up to six weapons simultaneously, chosen from hundreds of items and weapons. Runs are typically short and intense, encouraging experimentation with different character archetypes and item combinations.
- Halls of Torment:
Blending bullet heaven mechanics with a pre-rendered, dark fantasy aesthetic reminiscent of late 90s ARPGs. It features persistent character progression, unlockable equipment, and quests, adding a layer of depth beyond single-run survival. Players delve into themed dungeons, battling unique bosses.
- Soulstone Survivors:
This game translates the bullet heaven formula into a 3D environment, offering more dynamic combat and a greater emphasis on aiming certain powerful skills. It boasts a large roster of characters, extensive skill trees, and a focus on crafting potent builds capable of dealing with increasingly challenging enemy waves and curse modifiers.
- 20 Minutes Till Dawn:
Characterized by its stylish gothic pixel art and Lovecraftian themes, 20 Minutes Till Dawn combines auto-shooting with manually aimed special attacks. It offers a selection of distinct characters, unique weapons, and a "tome" system for synergistic upgrades, all within a tense 20-minute survival window (or shorter 10-minute mode).
- Death Must Die:
Another entry that successfully merges bullet heaven gameplay with deeper ARPG systems. Players battle through various realms, seeking favor from gods who grant powerful boons. It emphasizes narrative elements, persistent gear acquisition, and strategic build-crafting to overcome challenging encounters and formidable bosses.
