Summary
Inspired by the likes ofDoomandQuake,Boomer Shooteris an ever-growing sub-genre of video games comprised of fast-paced shooters with a retro twist. Their blocky visuals and reflex-dependent gameplay are not only the perfect love letter tothe aforementioned classics, but are also a combination that makes for a lot of fun.
With the explosion in popularity of Boomer Shooters over recent years, many developers have put their own spin on them by combining their gameplay with other genres. One of the more successful combinations that regularly crop up isHorror Boomer Shooters. These titles take the high-octane action of Boomer Shooters and shroud them with oppressive atmospheres, creepy visuals,and nightmarish enemies, crafting an experience that juices up players' adrenaline in more ways than one.
Playersitching to get their hands onDoom: The Dark Agesshould absolutely check outWRATH: Aeon of Ruin. LikeThe Dark Ages,KillPixel Games and Slipgate Ironworks’WRATHis set in a bleak, dark-fantasy world where players will utilize firearms with a medieval twist to take down all manner of beasts and ghouls. One such weapon is the Fang Spitter, a gun players will acquire early on in the game that does what it says on the tin: literally firing clips of teeth at enemies.
Paperhead te4m
Genre
Horror, Boomer Shooter
WhilePAPERHEADEP0, developed by the aptly named Paperhead te4m, is only a free preview of the upcoming full game,PAPERHEAD, it is still an impressive and spooky package all on its own. The game sees players fighting through a cardboard world where everything has gone horribly wrong. Players have access to the typical weapons expected of a boomer shooter, as well as a pencil that allows them to alter the world around them and create things like bombs.
Fans ofThe Binding of Isaacmight want to check this one out based on its visuals alone, as the enemy design fromPAPERHEADfeels very inspired by Edmund McMillen’s signature style.
Byte Barrel’sForgive Me Fatherintroduces cosmic horror to the boomer shooter genre with its Lovecraftian-inspired 2D visuals. Although its gameplay is just as fun as other shooters,Forgive Me Father’s hand-drawn aesthetic alone makes the game worth players' time. Throughout the entire experience, players will feel as if they’ve beensucked into a pulpy horror comic, but don’t forget to fight those wonderous and grotesque illustrations that are charging forward.
Prodeusstays true to the boomer shooters’Doomroots bypitting players against the monsters of the chaos dimension, AKA hell, as well as an evil AI.Prodeusplays similarly to its influences but manages to maintain its own identity by modernizing the conventions of games from yesteryear and combining 3D visuals with some stellar pixel art. Not only that, developer Bounding Box Software packed a detailed level creator intoProdues, providing map designers and mod enjoyers alike ample content to sink their teeth into once the credits have rolled.
Prodeusis also a delight to listen to, with its soundtrack being composed by the legendary Andrew Hulshult, a name that will crop up a few times on this list.
Blazing Bit’sNightmare Reaperinnovates on the boomer shooter genre by taking its template and combining it with both roguelite and looter shooter elements. Assuming the role of a psychiatric patient, players will delve into their nightmares over and over again, battling through procedurally generated levels with the loot they find.
Nightmare Reaperis made more of a treat to play thanks to music by, once again, Andrew Hulshult. With a mysterious narrative and small details like the various mini-games attached to players' progression systems,Nightmare Reaperbecomes a blast.
CRUEL, developed by James Dornan, is another roguelite boomer shooter that combines the former’s addictive progression with the latter’s equally addictive gameplay. The game sees players fighting their way through a hotel full of monsters with the expected arsenal of weapons, as well as several upgrades that can be collected along the way. While it may seem simple in premise and execution compared to other titles on this list,CRUEL’s brutal gameplay, pulsing music, and dark atmosphere make it just as memorable as any other boomer shooter.
HROT’s is a weird little boomer shooter that pits players against the likes of masked soldiers, horses, and, in some sections, four-wheeled loaders.It’s bizarre in all the right ways, funny, eerie, and perfectly suited for its oppressively brown Soviet aesthetic. Players will easily get lost inHROT,if not for its terrifying absurdity, then for its fine-tuned gameplay. When players are finished withHROT’s campaign, they can test themselves in the game’s endless mode or its spoof ofBomberman, Bombermod, because why not!
Jasozz’sCultic, as the name implies, has players facing off against the ranks of a twisted cult. In visuals and concept,Culticseems to be borrowing more from theBloodarea of the boomer shooter gene pool, but the further players get into the game, the closer it feels to one of its other maininspirations,Resident Evil 4.Gameplay is slower than a typical boomer shooter, going so far as to allow players to forgo the characteristic guns-blazing style in favor of a more methodical approach where players will utilize traps and exploit enemy behavior.
Hakita’sUltrakillis an ultra-fast boomer shooter that sees players styling on enemies in increasingly wild and explosive maneuvers. Players assume control of V1, a robot fueled by blood who is forced to descend into hell when humanity is wiped out. Angels, demons, and everything in between, players will face near-endless threats during their descent.
Between the high-octane action ofUltrakill’s gameplay, players can discover secret levels that shift the tone fully into horror. These scares aren’t just conventional jump scares either, with one moment in the game having the potential to send unprepared players into an existential nightmare.
David Szymanski’sDUSKis a rabbit hole of horror. The game initially starts as a backwoods nightmare, with players fighting through the stereotypical cultists, but it continues to expand into grander realms of horror throughout its playtime. Like some of the levels inUltrakill,DUSKhas the potential to pull players out of their FPS haze to frighten them with some genuinely disturbing environmental design. On top of that, some ofDUSK’s enemy designs, seven years on, stand out as the scariest among shooters. Players' horror adventures withDUSKare made all the more memorable by its soundtrack, composed once more by Andrew Hulshult.
