Colt Canyon

Colt Canyon is an excellent roguelike with razor-sharp gameplay that’s incredibly addictive. The rhythmic action is comparable to titles like Hotline Miami, and there’s a constant temptation to have ‘just one more go’. Some may not be too keen on the heavily-pixelated graphics, but it’s the gameplay that truly shines through here, and once you’ve conquered the steep difficulty curve you’ll find this to be a fine addition to the Switch’s growing selection of roguelikes.

85%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, grinding

88% User Score Based on 845 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

Colt Canyon is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing shooter game. It was developed by Retrific and was released on June 16, 2020. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Colt Canyon" is a thrilling pixel western game set in a hostile canyon filled with bandits. Play as a cowboy seeking revenge for your kidnapped partner, battling enemies in real-time combat and rescuing captives. With its procedurally generated levels, rogue-like elements, and a variety of weapons, Colt Canyon offers a challenging and immersive experience.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 845 reviews

gameplay91 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

Engaging and satisfying gunplay with a variety of weapons and characters to unlock.
Challenging gameplay that encourages strategic thinking and adaptability.
Unique pixel art style and atmospheric sound design that enhance the Wild West theme.

Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially with certain bosses and enemy types.
Limited visibility due to the color palette can make it hard to distinguish between enemies and environmental hazards.
Repetitive gameplay loop with a lack of significant progression or variety in runs.

gameplay
222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The gameplay of Colt Canyon is characterized by its intense, skill-driven mechanics, blending old-school run-and-gun elements with modern roguelike features, resulting in a challenging yet rewarding experience. Players appreciate the satisfying gunplay, diverse weaponry, and the strategic depth provided by the progression system, although some criticize the repetitiveness and lack of variety in enemy encounters and upgrades. Overall, while the game offers a fun and engaging core loop, it may feel shallow to those seeking deeper mechanics or narrative depth.
- “The gameplay is intense, with enemies trying to take you down.”
- “The blend of old-school run-and-gun mechanics with modern roguelike elements results in a thrilling experience that’s both challenging and rewarding, providing countless hours of gameplay for those willing to master its unforgiving world.”
- “The controls are tight and responsive, the gameplay is addictive.”
- “The gameplay is monotonous, offering little variety in approach, the upgrades don't change anything, your companions are useless, and shooting is more often annoying than satisfying.”
- “On top of that, after 3 hours of gameplay, I haven’t received a single key despite encountering many chests that require one, which is very frustrating.”
- “The problem is that its gameplay is repetitive and mundane for a roguelike.”
graphics
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The graphics of Colt Canyon are characterized by a minimalist pixel art style that effectively conveys the game's old west theme, with simple yet expressive visuals that enhance the atmosphere. While some players appreciate the charm and clarity of the art, others find it challenging to navigate due to its simplicity, which can obscure important gameplay elements. Overall, the graphics are a polarizing aspect, appealing to fans of retro aesthetics while potentially deterring those who prefer more detailed visuals.
- “On the graphic department, it's a great example of minimalistic graphics telling a great story with moving grass, blood covering walls and crop fields, bullet shells flying in every direction.”
- “The art style is beautiful in its simplicity; the characters all being white silhouettes makes them easy to identify, and the splatter mechanics are insanely good.”
- “From its captivating visuals and immersive gameplay to its unforgettable cooperative experience, 'Colt Canyon' is a must-play for anyone with a hankering for gun-slinging glory.”
- “Movement is also clunky and you'll occasionally find yourself getting stuck on a small branch or rock as you are fighting 10-15 enemies and trying to dodge a flurry of bullets coming your way. Due to the art style, it makes it really hard to differentiate small objects in the terrain that can impact your movement further, leading to more frustrations with the gameplay.”
- “The pixel graphics are really bland and sometimes, it's hard to determine what you're looking at.”
- “The gameplay is unremarkable, the top-down visuals are a poor fit for a western setting, the music is irritating, and the graphics might charitably be described as doing much with little, but for me they do little with little.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
30%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, featuring a dynamic soundtrack that shifts with the action and effectively captures the western theme. While many players appreciate the haunting melodies and immersive sound design, some find the music to be somewhat generic or repetitive at times. Overall, the combination of evocative tunes and solid sound effects contributes significantly to the game's engaging experience.
- “The soundtrack mixes western-inspired tunes with tense, adrenaline-pumping rhythms that perfectly underscore the high-stakes gunfights.”
- “The experience is so visceral, and the adrenaline-fueled bursts of bullet-filled action are complemented by a frantic and pulsing soundtrack, a stark contrast to the usual atmospheric and unobtrusive soundscape heard before combat.”
- “Terrific music that organically swells into exciting 'fight scene' music as you engage large groups of enemies.”
- “Soundtrack is also quite boring.”
- “The gameplay is unremarkable, the top-down visuals are a poor fit for a western setting, the music is irritating, and the graphics might charitably be described as doing much with little, but for me they do little with little.”
- “On a less stellar note, the sound effects are solid and well done, but the music was rather generic… which it’s a total shame because it’s exactly what the game is not.”
replayability
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of characters, weapons, and playstyles that encourage multiple runs, others feel that the lack of significant changes in bosses and environments diminishes long-term replay value. Many enjoy the challenge and randomness of each run, but some express a desire for more content to enhance replayability after completing the game. Overall, it offers a fun experience with decent replay potential, especially for those who enjoy experimenting with different strategies and characters.
- “It's action-packed, replayable, supports many playstyles and customized experience.”
- “The game has tons of replayability and experimenting with different characters, weapon combos, and perk upgrades keeps the fun alive run after run.”
- “The end result is an extremely polished experience that has a high skill ceiling with tons of replayability and incentive to keep you coming back for more.”
- “In terms of replay value, it doesn’t change much after you conclude a single run; the bosses, the biomes, and the enemies are always the same. The replay value is given by how arduous it is to complete the game; currently, only 5.5% of players have obtained an achievement for finishing a run without dying.”
- “I completed my first full run last night and can say that it was satisfying, but it would be nice to see more variety added to the game in the form of different bosses or zones to increase replayability.”
- “The lack of meta-progression outside of each run hurts the replayability for me, making each run very similar to the last.”
story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
71%
19%
The game's story is minimalistic, revolving around a straightforward premise of a hero attempting to rescue a partner from bandits, which some players appreciate for its simplicity. While the narrative lacks depth and character development, it serves its purpose in supporting the gameplay, which is the primary focus. Overall, players seeking a rich story may find it lacking, but those who prefer action-oriented gameplay may enjoy the experience.
- “The story was good, the gameplay and mechanics were great.”
- “True to the nature of westerns, the story is simple and urgent.”
- “Colt Canyon is a 2D pixel art shooter where you control a cowboy, or one of the many other unlockable characters, whose mission is to save his kidnapped partner from the ruthless bandits.”
- “Additionally, those seeking a strong narrative or deep storytelling might find Colt Canyon lacking, as the focus is firmly on gameplay and atmosphere rather than plot or character development.”
- “The game is not as extensive as the best representatives of the genre; there is no engaging story or modifiers that make each gameplay completely different.”
- “There isn’t much in terms of the story.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
10%
15%
The atmosphere of Colt Canyon is characterized by its gritty pixel art, evocative sound design, and immersive wild west setting, creating a raw and moody experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to convey tension through its detailed environments, echoing gunshots, and a pulsing soundtrack that enhances the visceral nature of gameplay. While the focus is primarily on atmosphere and gameplay mechanics rather than narrative depth, the overall presentation effectively captures the essence of a desert-roaming adventure.
- “Don’t let the simple graphics fool you, the presentation of Colt Canyon is truly the star of the show with excellent lighting and atmosphere that is helped a ton by the excellent sound design.”
- “The gameplay and atmosphere are incredible - the way the game handles makes me feel like I'm really in this sharpshooting wild west adventure.”
- “Instead of flashy graphics, it leans on gritty pixel art and atmosphere: the dusty colors, echoing gunshots, and tense silences between firefights give it a raw, moody feel.”
- “Additionally, those seeking a strong narrative or deep storytelling might find Colt Canyon lacking, as the focus is firmly on gameplay and atmosphere rather than plot or character development.”
- “It does more than add a visual twist to the familiar indie, top-down, pixel-art, roguelike shooter with its sense of desert-roaming atmosphere and no-nonsense gunplay.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
15%
75%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to foraging for ammunition and breaking boxes for loot. While the gunplay and combat are enjoyable, the need to constantly search for resources can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during repeated runs. Many reviewers express a desire for better balancing to minimize the grind and enhance the fun elements of gameplay.
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's tedious and boring.”
- “It felt really repetitive and grindy.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding it both amusing and frustrating, particularly when encountering traps or making mistakes. Many reviewers highlight the comedic elements of local co-op play and the humorous sound effects, while some feel the humor can be overshadowed by gameplay frustrations. Overall, the game offers a blend of funny moments, especially in multiplayer settings, but may not consistently deliver a standout comedic experience.
- “It can be very funny or very frustrating when you run into a trap and you realize you've been looking at the wrong character... for the 20th time in a run.”
- “Overall, horses felt meaningless and the best use of them was being kicked by one, losing a run because of it and laughing at it.”
- “Absolutely hilarious to play in local co-op (1 = controller, 2 = keyboard/mouse) - I think that is actually the best way to play it.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and tight controls, making it accessible even on lower-end systems. However, some users have reported occasional frame rate drops and expressed a desire for further improvements, particularly regarding weapon performance. Despite these minor issues, the game's design and style receive high marks.
- “Performance is smooth, controls are tight, and the minimalistic presentation actually works in its favor.”
- “Extremely great game design followed up by great optimization, as even a low-end PC can easily run it.”
- “Performance and style are 10/10.”
- “I did notice a bit of dropped frame rates here and there, and I hope it'll eventually get optimized, but otherwise, I highly recommend.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting smooth performance on the Steam Deck and no significant bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its high quality and immersive experience, which evokes feelings typically associated with premium titles.
- “My heartfelt recommendation!”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in Colt Canyon is minimal, as the game prioritizes gameplay and atmosphere over a strong narrative or deep storytelling, which may disappoint players looking for rich character arcs.
- “Additionally, those seeking a strong narrative or deep storytelling might find Colt Canyon lacking, as the focus is firmly on gameplay and atmosphere rather than plot or character development.”