Bullet Hell Games: These Platformers Will Make You Sweat

Bullet Hell games may be niche, but they still have a loyal fan base. Games like this boil down the action and gameplay to a very simple formula: dodge. All the time, various projectiles are flying towards you from every conceivable direction, in different variations, formations and rhythms.

To survive here, the player needs good reflexes, precision and a cool head. Over time, various games have found their own ingredients to create interesting genre cocktails. We'll introduce you to some of the best Bullet Hell games on Steam.

Vampire Survivor

This game caused a real hype that many imitators wanted to take advantage of. Vampire Survivor is more casual and expands the bullet hell game genre to include roguelike elements.

The pixelated 8-bit look and the low price give you the impression that there isn't much hidden behind the game. But this impression is misleading. The addictive gameplay and constant dopamine rush have already captivated millions.

 

Vampire Survivors is set in a post-apocalypse where the player has to fight off hordes upon hordes of different monsters. Depending on the level, the player has to survive for 15 or 30 minutes while avoiding the many enemies and their attacks. However, the player's attacks occur automatically at fixed intervals.

Meanwhile, he collects experience points that he can invest in random updates. These include new weapons and improvements. The random factor therefore plays a more important role, even more than the mere skill of the player. That's exactly why Vampire Survivors is so addictive. There are always new upgrades and new weapons. It's like gambling for just a few euros.

Enter The Gungeon

Everything is creaking. Even the enemies are animated balls. Descend into the Gungeon and collect a variety of shooting gadgets from effective to outlandish and crazy. Enter The Gungeon is a roguelike, which means the random factor plays an important role.

At the same time, the player's skill is also required; You have to skillfully avoid enemy attacks and use your own shots. The level of difficulty is particularly high in the deeper levels of the Gungeon and the bosses flood the screen with projectiles. 

Enter The Gungeon is more of a medium difficulty bullet hell game. Although the player's skill is required, the lucky discovery of a particularly powerful weapon or an effective power-up can save your life.During their explorations, players not only collect guns, but also improvements that modify them. They then shoot at incredible speeds or with extremely large projectiles.

With upgrades, projectiles can set enemies on fire, knock them back, poison them, and can be fired in a homing manner or with additional projectiles. The player characters can also be equipped with extra armor or a lot of life. There are also numerous items that the player must actively use.

Project Lazarus

If you prefer bullet hell games where you throw projectiles around, then Project Lazarus might be right for you. It's not the enemies who attack you with a variety of projectiles, you yourself are the source of screen-filling projectiles, lasers and rockets.

In Project Lazarus you control a robot while avoiding invading creatures from all sides. Meanwhile, the robot is firing on all cylinders. Roguelike elements ensure that every run is different. During this time you will receive random upgrades and new weapons, which can be further improved.

Over time the player unlocks various mechs. These control themselves differently, have different passive abilities and can equip a different number of weapons.Compared to many other bullet hell games, Project Lazarus is characterized by higher hardware requirements and more appealing graphics.

Cuphead

Cuphead is one thing above all else: extremely difficult. The graphic style and presentation are inspired by 1930s cartoons. Hand-drawn animations and a jazz soundtrack immerse you in the early years of cartoons.

You control Cuphead or Mugman either alone or together with a co-op partner and fight your way through numerous challenging levels. As a 2D platformer, you not only have to dodge enemy projectiles, but also jump from platform to platform while continuously firing at the enemy, including the occasional super move.

In terms of play, Cuphead is characterized by its focus on boss fights. The bosses demand everything from you and there is little room for error. Cuphead has become famous and infamous for its level of difficulty. Player skill and learning the attack patterns of the bosses come first.

Beat Hazard

Beat Hazard shows what bullet hell games can offer. In this arcade shooter, the gameplay dances to your own music. Either alone or with a friend, you take control of a weapon-filled spaceship and fend off countless hostile ships in the vastness of space.

The aggressiveness of the enemies, their number and also your own rate of fire depend on the music. Your own music collection blasts in the background and sets the pace. Every song is like a different level.

Beat Hazard offers a number of different modes. In addition to the co-op mode, you can also compete with your fellow players in head-to-head mode. An entire album to play through is available as an additional challenge.

Conclusion

Our list shows how different bullet hell games can be. Whether with or without a story, a different level of randomness, as a target or as the cause of the hail of bullets - the genre offers different approaches and focuses. So there should be at least one or two titles for everyone.