CRUEL

About

CRUEL is a single player action game. It was developed by James Dornan and was released on January 9, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

CRUEL drops you into a twisted world. Disoriented and trapped in a bizarre hotel, you find a lifeless body in the elevator. Without hesitation, you grab the weapon from its cold grip, bracing yourself for the horrors ahead. Survive a Living Nightmare: Battle through 10 dynamic, ever-changing levels filled with bloodthirsty enemies who won’t stop until you’re dead. The building itself is your en…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,218 reviews

gameplay73 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Fast-paced and addictive run-and-gun gameplay with tight, satisfying controls and gunplay.
Excellent art style and visuals reminiscent of classic shooters like Blood and Doom.
Outstanding soundtrack that enhances the adrenaline-fueled atmosphere and keeps players engaged.

Limited content and variety leading to repetition after short playtime; lacks enough levels, weapons, and enemies for long-term engagement.
Melee mechanics and hitboxes can be inconsistent and frustrating, with unreliable kicks and headshot detection.
High difficulty and permadeath resetting progress may deter some players; lack of deeper progression and meta upgrades reduces replay incentive.

gameplay
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The gameplay is widely praised for its fast-paced, smooth, and addictive run-and-gun mechanics that require quick reflexes, smart resource management, and strategic positioning. It features satisfying gunplay, diverse enemies, and rewarding skill-based systems like headshots, perks, and parrying, creating an engaging and challenging roguelike loop reminiscent of games like Post Void and Hotline Miami. While some note repetitive elements and limited content, the core gameplay is considered tight, polished, and highly enjoyable, supported by a fitting soundtrack and active developer support.
- “Very satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay requiring fast target prioritization, quick reflexes, solid aim, and good positioning.”
- “The perk mechanics allow for some real variety in gameplay with wacky perks and useful perks to suit most gameplay styles.”
- “A deceptively simple, endlessly addictive gameplay loop that never stops feeling satisfying as all hell.”
- “I wanted to like this game but it's simply boring after less than 4 hours of gameplay.”
- “I get it's a gameplay mechanic for the crosshair to be sliding everywhere but it's not fun in the slightest.”
- “Just a bad Anger Foot clone with bad game balance and mediocre gameplay.”
music
145 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
44%
2%
The game's music is widely praised for its fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, and energetic soundtrack that perfectly complements the intense arcade-style, run-and-gun gameplay. The soundtrack, often compared to Hotline Miami with techno, industrial, and darkwave influences, is considered a major highlight that enhances immersion, motivation, and overall fun. Players frequently describe it as a "banger," "insanely good," and "the MVP," contributing significantly to the game's addictive and thrilling experience.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, a banger with satisfying gunplay—just buy it already!”
- “The music is legitimately great and does a lot of heavy lifting—it keeps the energy up even when the loop starts repeating.”
- “Weapons feel punchy and satisfying to use, the OST is an absolute banger filled with darkwave, industrial techno, and drum & bass, just like Hotline Miami!”
- “Music is a bit lacking in comparison to the banger of that game, but at least it has variety.”
- “Dustborn: has ugly and hateful characters, a story that contradicts its own message 'against' bullying, stale combat with a mechanic that uses the 'power of words' and music that murders your brain cells.”
- “The soundtrack? (implying the music is lacking or non-existent)”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their distinctive low-poly, PS1-era inspired art style that combines dark, grimy horror with vibrant, chunky visuals reminiscent of classic 90s shooters like Blood and Hotline Miami. Reviewers highlight the aesthetic’s strong atmospheric tone, smooth animations, and blend of 2D and 3D elements, which together create an adrenaline-fueled, stylish experience without requiring high-end hardware. While simple and retro in appearance, the graphics effectively support the fast-paced gameplay and contribute significantly to the game’s addictive and immersive feel.
- “The graphics are extremely authentic to the early 2000's style and everything animates great.”
- “Looks amazing, might be my favourite 3D low-res art style out there.”
- “The art style is awesome and the gameplay is a lot of fun; it's like a first-person horror Hotline Miami with an Evil Dead vibe.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
The game offers excellent replayability driven by its roguelike perk system, varied modes, and cosmetic rewards, encouraging repeated playthroughs. While the visual style, smooth gameplay, and short length enhance its appeal, some users desire additional features, more perks, and new game modes to further boost replay value. Overall, it provides a solid, engaging experience with strong potential for extended replay.
- “The roguelike perk system makes for excellent replayability.”
- “The replayability is very good; there are different modes and cosmetics for beating the game and getting other achievements.”
- “The sheer amount of replay value in this will have me coming back time and time again.”
- “But it also comes at the expense of mechanics that could have heavily improved on the core aspects of the game and give it more replay value.”
- “Solid foundation but needs some more content/replayability.”
- “But both also leave you wishing that the devs added just a few more features to increase replayability.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated for its dark, gory, and delightfully twisted tone, blending hilarity with a cruel, fast-paced gameplay loop. Players enjoy the funny and original presentation, infused with witty moments and amusing mechanics that keep the experience entertaining and engaging. Overall, the humor enhances the addictive gameplay and creates a unique, enjoyable atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is perfect and the presentation has a good sense of humor.”
- “Soundtrack is banging, gameplay is tight, game loop is addictive, and humor is delightful.”
- “Very fun game, dark and humorous.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The game largely lacks a traditional story, focusing instead on fast-paced run-and-gun rogue-like gameplay. While some players express curiosity about potential lore, the narrative is minimal and not central to the experience. Overall, the game's appeal lies more in its action and style rather than story depth.
- “Feels like Ultrakill if you dropped v1 in a horror game; genuinely interested in what the lore could be (haven't made it past floor 4 :/). We need a wiki on this, I wanna know Erik's story.”
- “Conclusion: For $10 this game is a gem and I can't wait to see if we get further updates like more maps, more guns, more modes, and maybe more story if there's even a need for it.”
- “Loved the plot twist at the end too, lmao.”
- “No story here, just run and gun.”
- “If you're looking for a long in-depth roguelike game with a story or extensive character building, this game isn't for you.”
- “But overall, for how short this is I very much enjoyed cruel, it's got a great art style, fun gameplay, the soundtrack kicks ass, but not really much going on with the story, but that doesn't really matter.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some users experiencing frequent stuttering, crashes, and performance issues that hinder playability, while others report smooth and well-optimized gameplay. Overall, performance problems need addressing to improve the experience for a broader audience.
- “It's also insanely well optimized.”
- “Pretty good in almost every aspect; game design, aesthetics, pace, gameplay and optimization.”
- “Chainsaw aside, I didn't see any variance in the performance of any given one, though there's plenty of room for me to be wrong there.”
- “Game seems fun but until this random stuttering is fixed it's virtually unplayable.”
- “Although I do love this game's gameplay and soundtrack, I cannot recommend it due to its constant crashing and poor performance at times. I will definitely be buying this game and changing my rating once these issues are fixed.”
- “I don't know if it's a PC problem or something, but I've noticed some stuttering after the update.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Grinding in the game is time-consuming, often requiring extended play sessions, but it remains engaging and enjoyable once players adapt to the controls and flow.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Took me six hours of grinding to beat it once, but I was having a blast the entire time.”
- “It took me a little bit to get used to its flow and controls, but once I was in, I was in, and spent a solid couple hours grinding it whenever I got the chance.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The atmosphere is consistently praised for its strong retro occult vibe, effectively enhanced by the music and level design. It creates an engaging and immersive experience that complements the simple gameplay, resulting in a fun and captivating overall feel.
- “The atmosphere, simple gameplay, and music blend very well together and it has a solid foundation.”
- “It nails a retro-aux occult atmosphere.”
- “Amazing fun, great tunes, funny, awesome atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, music, and level design all scream: “run!””
- “It nails a retrox occult atmosphere.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with some users experiencing severe freezes and stutters during subsequent playthroughs, while others report smooth and enjoyable performance.
- “Runs great and feels great.”
- “Runs great”
- “Running the game a second time has introduced some of the most atrocious freezes and stutters.”