Buckshot Roulette
A strategic horror game of Russian roulette with a shotgun.
Buckshot Roulette is an indie tabletop horror game released in 2023, created and self-published by Estonian developer Mike Klubnika on itch.io. It later came to Steam on April 4, 2024, alongside a major update published by Critical Reflex. Critics and players have drawn comparisons between this game and the 2021 roguelike Inscryption, though their visual styles are quite different. Klubnika built the game using the Godot engine and also wrote its soundtrack.
The game launched on December 28, 2023, and saw a surge in popularity early the following year, earning praise for its strategic depth and high replayability. Within two weeks of its Steam release, it had sold one million copies, and by December 2024, total sales reached four million.
In the standard mode, the player faces off against a mysterious figure called "The Dealer" in a nightclub, playing a modified version of Russian roulette. Instead of a revolver, an eight-round pump-action shotgun is used. The match is divided into three rounds. At the start of each round, the Dealer loads a random mix of red live shells and blueish-gray blanks into the shotgun. The player then decides whether to shoot the Dealer or themselves. A live shell removes a life from whoever is hit, and control of the shotgun passes to the Dealer for their turn. If the player shoots themselves with a blank, they get another turn. Lives are tracked as defibrillator charges on a scorekeeping machine: one charge in round one, three in round two, and four in round three. The first side to lose all their charges and be killed loses the round. During rounds one and two, both the player and the Dealer can respawn indefinitely after death, but in round three, the defibrillator's wires are cut when no charges remain, triggering "sudden death." In this state, cigarettes become useless, and losing forces the player to restart the entire round. If the shotgun's magazine empties without anyone losing all their charges, the Dealer reloads with a fresh set of shells.
Starting in round two, a random selection of consumable items is given to both the player and the Dealer before each turn. Two items appear in round two, and four in round three. Each side can hold up to eight items at once.
After defeating the Dealer, the player can access an endless mode called "Double or Nothing" by taking optional pills at the start of the game.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Buckshot Roulette
- Developer
- Mike Klubnika
- Publisher
- Mike Klubnika (itch.io) / Critical Reflex (Steam)
- Composer
- Mike Klubnika · Alex PeipmanMultiplayer only
- Platforms
- Windows · Linux Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
- Released
- 28 December 2023 (itch.io) / 4 April 2024 (Steam) / 8 July 2026 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
- Genre
- Strategy · Horror · Tabletop
- Modes
- Single-player · Multiplayer
- Engine
- Godot
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Set in a nightclub in 1998, the game begins with the player in a dilapidated bathroom after first defeating the Dealer. They leave to reveal an energetic rave, then enter the Dealer's room and sign a General Release of Liability waiver. Midway through round 2, a bloody contract with the name 'GOD' appears. If the player defeats the Dealer in sudden death, they drive home with the shotgun and a briefcase of money. If defeated in sudden death, they enter a rusted bronze gate into an all-white sky, presumably Heaven, with the text 'YOU ARE DEAD'.
Reader's Guide
Buckshot Roulette is notable for its fusion of Russian roulette mechanics with a consumable item system, adding strategic depth to each turn. The game's three-round structure, escalating stakes, and sudden death mode in round 3 create tension. The 'Double or Nothing' endless mode, accessible by taking optional pills, offers replayability with random items and charges, and the ability to double earnings. The Steam release introduced four new items for this mode, and an October 2024 update added multiplayer for up to four players with two exclusive items. The game's popularity on Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube, along with its million-copy sales in two weeks on Steam, cemented its place as a standout indie title of the early 2020s. Its development in Godot and inspiration from Half-Life, Silent Hill, and Postal 2 contributed to its distinct aesthetic and atmosphere.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed in the Godot engine by Estonian developer Mike Klubnika.
- Buckshot Roulette sold 4 million copies by December 2024.
- A multiplayer mode for up to 4 players was released on October 31, 2024.
- The game's soundtrack was composed by Mike Klubnika himself.
More in Roguelikes of the 2020s, Part 1 1-24
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