Gunslugs

Lore & Background

The storyline of Gunslugs follows a group of slugs investigating the mysterious Black Duck army and its goals. The army is waging war, and the player must stop them. Gameplay is presented with pixelated graphics and retro audio, emphasizing classic arcade-style action. The player progresses through levels by killing all enemies, shooting crates, and collecting ammo pickups and weapons such as flamethrowers, egg guns, and dual-wielding pistols, which can be fired in front of or behind the player.

Reader's Guide

Gunslugs occupies a niche as a deliberately retro-styled shooter that saw a wide multi-platform release over nearly a decade, from mobile devices to consoles and PC. Its reception varied by platform: the iOS and PlayStation Vita versions received generally favourable reviews on Metacritic, while the Nintendo 3DS and Switch versions received mixed or average scores. The iOS version achieved moderate sales, with the creator reporting 10,811 sales within the first nine weeks of launch and an additional 150,000 downloads of a free version. The game's significance lies in its demonstration of the indie development model, with a small Dutch studio releasing a pixel-art action game across numerous platforms, maintaining a consistent visual and gameplay identity throughout.

Did You Know?

• Gunslugs was developed by Dutch studio OrangePixel.
• The game was released on ten different platforms between 2013 and 2022.
• The iOS version sold 10,811 copies in its first nine weeks.