10 Video games In Steam’s Bullet Fest You may Need To Examine Out

With the arrival of the “Bullet Heaven” tag on Steam in Could, the style born out of Vampire Survivors seems to have coalesced to a single time period. So what higher approach to rejoice than a Steam Fest themed round each bullet heaven and bullet hell? That’s the considerably chaotic categorization for this week’s themed sale on Valve’s retailer, which incorporates video games as diversified as Returnal and Megabonk in its assortment of reductions. We’ve gone by the (oh blimey) 2,759 video games included to pick out ten significantly robust releases you’ll wish to take a look at.

Payload Studios is greatest recognized for TerraTech, an open-world sandbox journey primarily based on designing your personal automobiles and exploring with them. With a direct sequel for that one in Early Entry, the discharge of TerraTech Legion was fairly a shock: A bullet heaven sport set in the identical universe, and bringing throughout its vehicle-constructing methods. The result’s genuinely nice, sporting a Survivors-like format however right here every level-up helps you to add new weapons, shields and instruments to your bespoke car, constructed to your personal design to greatest make the most of the drops you choose. It provides a complete new dimension to the style, giving a a lot larger sense of autonomy to this entry within the automated shooter realm.

Seeing solo developer Kimmo Lahtinen’s bullet hell Geometry Wars-alike Sektori develop into such a break-out hit towards the tip of 2025 was an actual pleasure. The Finnish dev has made video games I’ve adored, like 2018’s hack-n-slash looter shooter Barbearian and 2021’s fascinating match-3-based narrative journey Day Repeat Day, video games in two wildly completely different genres, earlier than arriving at a 3rd with Sektori. It’s a stunningly laborious twin-stick shooter, with echoes of Geometry Wars however its personal distinctive path and a far larger depth.

Fortunately gaining a brand new spherical of consideration with its Swap 2 launch, the greatest Zelda-like in years is a twin-stick shooter. I’ve accomplished the sport twice now, and each instances it was a sheer pleasure; the second time, performed on Arduous, proved much more pleasant than the primary. You play as a wee ship in a ruined world, preventing a purple plague to launch pleasant ships from its affect, and it has all of the Metroidvania-ish exploration and puzzle-solving dungeons you need from a 2D Zelda sport, however with bullet hell fight.

I’m not able to acknowledge that Enter the Gungeon is a decade previous, but it surely’s laborious to not think about it a pivotal sport in each the bullet hell and rogue-lite genres. Dodge Roll’s bullet hell dungeon crawler introduced a lot persona to a style during which video games are too typically sorely missing it, and I can not wait to see what the builders do with the long-awaited Enter the Gungeon 2. However proper now you’ll be able to remind your self, or uncover anew, why the unique was such a giant deal, not least when it’s discounted by 80 p.c.

Not an grownup spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, however somewhat one of many earliest post-Survivors video games to seize the hearts of many gamers. This tremendous lo-fi tackle a bullet heaven requires much more use of reflexes than others, with a extremely neat unlock system and the flexibility to assemble minions out of your bone assortment. You may additionally take a look at developer caiys’ equally purple video games launched since, Xenosensory and Voids Vigil.

The most effective issues about planet Earth is that if there’s a gaming style, somebody could have made a model primarily based on typing. That’s even true of bullet heaven, someway, through Glyphica, a sport about surviving the assault of a whole lot of encroaching phrases by typing them to demise. It’s been in Early Entry since October 2024, however nonetheless receives common, important updates, the newest as lately as yesterday.

I grew to become fully obsessive about Halls of Torment final 12 months taking part in on cell, and might definitely suggest it for these searching for a Vampire Survivors-like sport that doesn’t make any massively completely different strikes. There are even bridge ranges, though (and I really feel like I ought to whisper this) I feel Halls of Torment‘s are higher! The galloping ghost horses are an excellent enemy! The foremost change right here is that you simply discover armor and weapons in your journeys and might both danger dropping them by utilizing them within the stage or teleport them again to your base to maintain for later, and it makes for a extremely attention-grabbing dynamic. Plus it’s very colourful!

Again in 2019, Wiznwar launched Demon’s Tilt, a darkish, gothic pinball sport that was additionally someway a hack-n-slash motion sport. They returned in 2024 with Xenotilt, and its superb post-colon title, Hostile Pinball Motion. This time issues bought so far more intense, pushing it over into bullet hell territory. There are upgrades to unlock, survivors to rescue and it’s all optimized for Steam Deck.

Arms of God solely got here out in Early Entry yesterday and it’s already racking up loads of optimistic consideration. In contrast to many within the bullet heaven style, Darkish Jay Studio’s debut sport has gone for a lot larger constancy with its graphics, with the devs stating that its aesthetic, accompanied by a metallic soundtrack, is impressed by Doom. A number of weapons might be merged collectively to type extra highly effective weapons, after which these might be merged with upgrades, too, to make your personal bespoke construct. Plus it has a lot of gore.

With distinctive artwork design, Simply King takes the core of Vampire Survivors and strikes it right into a Slay the Spire-style stage development. It’s all about defending your king by surrounding him on 4 sides with characters that every possess their very own assault sorts. As this cluster of heroes with the king at your heart, you progress by quick ranges that encourage experimentation, all of the whereas switching out characters and making ready for every run’s remaining boss struggle. And everybody has the very cutest eyes.