Enter the Gungeon was developed by Dodge Roll and released in 2016. It is a bullet hell roguelike game that takes place in a location called the Gungeon.

Gameplay

Enter the Gungeon is a game that combines top-down shooting with elements of roguelike gameplay. The objective is for the player to lead one of four characters – the Marine, Convict, Hunter, or Pilot (collectively known as the “Gungeoneers”) – through the Gungeon to find a powerful gun capable of erasing their past. Although each character has unique items and weapons, they all have the ability to shoot guns, use tables as cover, and perform a “dodge roll” to avoid damage. Moreover, the player can use a limited amount of “Blanks” to clear all enemy projectiles in a room. The game’s combat requires the player to memorize enemy behavior patterns and use dodge rolls and cover to evade bullets.

The Gungeon consists of five floors, with approximately twenty rooms in each floor. The design and benefits of each level are randomly generated from a selection of pre-existing rooms, and are home to enemies known as Gundead, who are shaped like bullets. To conquer these enemies, players must equip themselves with a diverse range of firearms and items that can be acquired by unlocking chests or purchasing them from shops and bosses.

Story

The story is quite vague, but the main goal of the game is to kill the past. The story is wide open for interpretation.

How long is Enter the Gungeon?

When it comes to the primary goals, Enter the Gungeon typically takes about 22 and a half hours to complete. However, if you’re a dedicated gamer aiming to explore every aspect of the game, it may take you approximately 164 hours to achieve 100% completion.

Reception

Enter The Gungeon was well-received by critics who often likened it to other popular games like The Binding of Isaac and Nuclear Throne. One review by Destructoid drew parallels between the challenging gameplay of Nuclear Throne and the dungeon exploration in Zelda.

In its initial week of release, Enter the Gungeon managed to sell over 200,000 copies on all platforms combined, with a majority of these sales taking place on Steam. Devolver Digital reported that the game had sold more than 800,000 units on all platforms by January 2017. The game’s total sales exceeded 3 million across all platforms by January 2020.