Deadbolt (video game)

Did You Know?

• Several reviewers considered that Deadbolt successfully combined elements of Hotline Miami and Gunpoint.
• The game does not punish players for impulsivity over a methodical approach.

Gameplay

Deadbolt is a stealth-action hybrid in which the player controls the Reaper to suppress an undead uprising. Missions are assigned by a mysterious fireplace, and the player progresses through three sets of nine levels, each set focusing on a different undead type: zombies, vampires, and then skeletons (called Dredged) and demons. Over thirty-five enemy types exist within these four overarching categories. Level settings include ghetto houses, nightclubs, abandoned warehouses, and docks. A map editor allows players to share custom levels via the Steam workshop.

Objectives vary per level, such as assassinating gang leaders, investigating mysteries, or eliminating all enemies. There are no set paths or sequences, giving the player freedom to complete objectives in any order. After finishing a level, the Reaper returns to his car and safe house, where he receives souls as currency. Souls are awarded only the first time a level is completed, and there are not enough souls in one playthrough to buy all weapons from the Ferryman, requiring careful choices. The Reaper can also use weapons found in the environment or taken from enemies. Cassette tapes, randomly acquired by killing certain enemy types, contain personal stories of victims and can be listened to in the safe house for deeper world insight.