Heavy Bullets
A roguelike FPS with retrievable bullets and procedural levels.
Heavy Bullets is a roguelike first-person shooter from Brazilian indie developer Terri Vellmann, published by Devolver Digital. It launched on Windows, OS X, and Linux on 18 September 2014.
In the game, the player carries a pistol with a limited supply of ammunition that can be recovered after firing. The goal is to fight through eight procedurally generated levels and reset a security mainframe. Defeating enemies earns money, which can be spent on usable or passive items. Death is permanent—players must start a new run—but money deposited in a bank carries over to future attempts. Purchasing insurance allows players to save both money and items if they die.
Vellmann began work on the title during a game jam. It was built using the Unity engine, with music and sound composed by American rapper Doseone. An early access version appeared on Steam on 15 May 2014, ahead of the full release on 18 September 2014.
Aggregate review sites Metacritic and GameRankings gave the game scores of 72 out of 100 and 74 percent, respectively.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Heavy Bullets
- Developer
- Terri Vellmann
- Publisher
- Devolver Digital
- Composer
- Doseone
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
- Released
- WW · 18 September 2014
- Genre
- First-person shooter, roguelite
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Heavy Bullets was originally begun by Terri Vellmann as part of a game jam. The game uses the Unity engine, and its music and sound were composed by American rapper Doseone. An early access build launched on Steam on 15 May 2014, with the full version following on 18 September 2014. The player character is armed with a pistol and a low amount of ammunition that can be retrieved after firing. The objective is to battle through eight procedurally generated levels and reset a security mainframe. Killing enemies rewards money, which can be used to purchase usable and passive items. Upon death, the player must start a new play-through, but money deposited in a bank carries over; players can also purchase insurance to save money and items if they die.
Reader's Guide
Heavy Bullets stands as a distinctive entry in the early 2010s roguelike FPS revival, blending procedural generation with a tight resource economy. Its core mechanic—retrieving spent bullets—forces deliberate aim and risk management, distinguishing it from contemporaries that offered abundant ammunition. The bank and insurance systems introduced a persistent progression layer uncommon in roguelikes at the time, allowing cautious players to mitigate permadeath frustration. Published by Devolver Digital, the game benefited from the publisher's reputation for supporting experimental indie titles. The involvement of Doseone for music and sound added an atmospheric, offbeat quality. Aggregate review scores of 72/100 on Metacritic and 74% on GameRankings reflect a generally favorable but not universal reception, with critics noting the tension created by limited ammo and the replayability of procedurally generated levels. Though not a blockbuster, Heavy Bullets contributed to the growing niche of roguelike shooters that would later influence titles like Enter the Gungeon and Risk of Rain 2.
Did You Know?
- Heavy Bullets was originally started as part of a game jam.
- Money can be deposited in a bank and carries over between play-throughs.
More in First-Person Shooters of the 2010s, Part 1 1-24
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