Gunbrella

Lore & Background

Gunbrella was announced at the Nintendo Indie Showcase in May 2022 and released on September 13, 2023, for Windows and Nintendo Switch. The game is developed by Doinksoft, an independent studio based in Oregon, which previously created Demon Throttle, Gato Roboto, and Devolver Bootleg, all published by Devolver Digital.

Players take on the role of a mysterious protagonist who wields the Gunbrella to fight enemies, solve puzzles, and traverse environments. The Gunbrella has three primary functions: shooting projectiles, blocking damage, and traversing ziplines and other terrains. The game features a side-scrolling platformer with shooter mechanics, and players navigate levels while investigating the origin of the Gunbrella, encountering and interrogating cops, cultists, ghouls, and more.

Set in a dystopian steampunk world, the protagonist is a gruff woodsman investigating the origins of the Gunbrella, which bears a special insignia but no other identifying symbols. He heads to the nearest major city but finds himself in a local town besieged by a rebel group. With train services halted by blockades, he cannot leave and begins exploring the town's secrets to uncover the weapon's origins.

Reader's Guide

Gunbrella represents a notable entry in the indie action-adventure genre, blending shooter and platformer mechanics through its central weapon. The game's unique gameplay—using an umbrella for shooting, blocking, and traversal—distinguishes it from conventional titles. Its release on Windows and Nintendo Switch in September 2023 brought it to a broad audience, and its development by Doinksoft, a studio known for other Devolver Digital-published games, underscores the continued collaboration between indie developers and the publisher. The game's dystopian steampunk setting and narrative focus on a gruff woodsman investigating a mysterious weapon contribute to its atmospheric appeal. While the article does not provide sales figures or critical reception, Gunbrella's innovative mechanics and distinctive premise have made it a point of interest for fans of indie games and action-platformers. Its legacy lies in its creative integration of a mundane object into a versatile tool for combat and exploration, showcasing the potential for unconventional game design within the indie space.