Dead Estate

About

Dead Estate is a single player arcade shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Milkbar Lads and was released on October 19, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Dead Estate" is a roguelite top-down shooter set in a 1970s rural town overrun by the undead. Armed with a variety of weapons, players must survive increasingly difficult levels, battling hordes of zombies and other monstrosities. With procedurally generated levels, randomized loot, and multiple characters to choose from, each playthrough offers a new and challenging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+12

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,916 reviews

gameplay420 positive mentions

grinding38 negative mentions

gameplay
1,066 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The gameplay of "Dead Estate" is widely praised for its engaging and addictive mechanics, offering a solid roguelike experience with a variety of characters and items that enhance replayability. While some players find the gameplay loop simple and occasionally repetitive, many appreciate the unique character abilities and the balance of challenge and fun. However, there are criticisms regarding certain mechanics, such as the jump function and the presence of a timed monster, which some feel detract from the overall experience.
- “Like the game description suggests, Dead Estate is a very solid roguelike shooter due to its very addicting claustrophobic gameplay and its short but intriguing story. Even after repeated playthroughs on the same floors, players will find themselves very invested by the game's wide range of interesting items and weapons, ensuring a fresh experience every time you play.”
- “Dead Estate is a phenomenal and stylish roguelite with fun mechanics. The gameplay is super addictive and fun, the vast array of different items you can acquire make each run either more hilarious with how broken you can become or how fulfilling it can be when your drops aren't so lucky.”
- “The gameplay is fun and varied and always is giving me something new and keeps enough consistent so you're not alone.”
- “The gameplay can feel repetitive, which is amended by the unique playstyles and quirks of each character, which is unlocked in different ways.”
- “The gameplay is unexciting, just walk circles around zombies, the tiny inventory makes you have to walk a lot to move key items around the map, the minimap is hard to read, with seemingly little payoff.”
- “The gameplay is extremely basic and mostly revolves around players running in circles to avoid enemies while shooting at them in a confined room.”
graphics
436 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The graphics of "Dead Estate" are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, characterized by colorful pixel art and engaging character designs that evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games. While some players noted minor graphical glitches and cluttered visuals that can detract from gameplay, the overall aesthetic is considered a major highlight, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Many reviews emphasize the game's vibrant atmosphere and the effective blend of horror and humor in its visual presentation.
- “What truly hooked me was the amazing cartoony art style, featuring cool character designs, levels, and enemies, along with countless references to various pop culture icons.”
- “The visuals in Dead Estate are beautifully crafted, with detailed character models, atmospheric lighting, and stunning environmental design.”
- “The art style is gorgeous.”
- “The bad thing about graphics is that there is just soooo much clutter on the screen and everything is messy.”
- “The already crowded visuals of the game are even harder to decipher when you have to do it from a 35 degree angle.”
- “Graphics are unappealing, music is meh.”
music
350 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many users praising its catchy, engaging, and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall gameplay experience. Specific tracks, particularly those for the first and final floors, are highlighted as standout "bangers," contributing to the game's retro charm and immersive feel. While some players noted that certain tracks could become repetitive, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack significantly elevates the game's appeal and complements its vibrant art style.
- “The soundtrack is great with a neat layered effect when enemies appear on screen!”
- “The music is catchy and atmospheric, sound effects are surprisingly punchy and satisfying, and it's even got a No More Heroes reference in the form of a weapon.”
- “The music is stellar, and there are some tracks that I just can't get enough of!”
- “The trailer has a certain exciting kick to the music but the music of the game itself is just seriously missing that blood-boiling intensity, so it feels juxtaposed and fails to get me feeling the heat like Necrodancer and Gungeon do.”
- “Graphics are unappealing, music is meh.”
- “I do hope to see this game improve as time goes on, there's a lot that it has going for it, but there's just a few too many issues for me to keep playing despite the music being firmly stuck in my head.”
story
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The game's story is described as charming and engaging, with a mix of simplicity and depth that unfolds gradually through multiple playthroughs. While some players find it predictable and derivative, many appreciate the character lore and the intriguing narrative that enhances the gameplay experience. Overall, the story adds a delightful layer to the roguelike mechanics, making it a notable aspect of the game despite some criticisms regarding its originality.
- “The game's storyline is expertly woven together, gradually revealing the secrets of the estate and the fates of its former inhabitants.”
- “The characters are memorable, the progression is fun, and the story is both heartwarming and spooky.”
- “With its addicting gameplay and lovable characters plus a neat little story in the mix, I give this one-of-a-kind, amazing experience a 10/10!”
- “The trailer led me to believe there would be more story and dialogue than I experienced.”
- “Finally, the story just kind of goes nowhere.”
- “It's predictable and kind of boring, and the main 'mystery' of the plot is just another lady with big tits, but a demon this time.”
replayability
180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
44%
2%
The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, driven by a diverse array of characters, items, and randomly generated levels that keep each run fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the continuous updates and unlockable content, which enhance the experience and encourage multiple playthroughs. While some note a decline in replayability after completing the main story, the overall consensus is that the game offers a wealth of content and challenges that make it highly replayable, especially for fans of the roguelike genre.
- “The highlight of the game, of course, is its replayability; there's tons to mix and match, so it won't really be boring in the long run, especially knowing that the devs are still pushing for new updates.”
- “The game features insane replayability whether you're going for a new run or even going for the numerous unlockables that the game has to offer.”
- “It has enough content to warrant multiple playthroughs on each character, and that combined with the interesting item combinations gives it more than enough replay value.”
- “While the game can lack replayability once you finish everything and can get buggy at later difficulties, it still gives a very fulfilling experience before that point.”
- “I would have liked more randomness and number of bosses, a la 'Binding of Isaac', but the sheer number of items and upgrades make it a replayable gem.”
- “Would buy on sale though because it doesn't have that much replayability after you finish the main story.”
humor
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Dead Estate" is widely praised for its quirky, absurd, and often self-referential style, blending elements of comedy and horror seamlessly. Players appreciate the funny character designs, item descriptions, and pop culture references, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining gameplay experience. Overall, the game is described as a fun, addictive romp that keeps players laughing while they navigate its challenges.
- “Genuinely it was a pleasure to play this game and I got some good laughs out of the humor and enjoyed collecting all the achievements.”
- “The devs have a nice sense of humor with the items, characters, etc. and it just makes the game a bit more fun.”
- “The art style has a lot of charm, the soundtrack is great, and the pop culture references are hilarious.”
character development
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its diverse and visually striking character designs, which are often described as charming and memorable. Players appreciate the unique traits and abilities of various characters, enhancing gameplay and encouraging exploration of different playstyles. Overall, the character designs and their integration into the story and gameplay are considered a major strength, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The character designs are gorgeous and the story keeps me hooked and makes me attempt run after run trying to get the next part of the story.”
- “Absolutely incredible game, with great character design and unique takes on the genre.”
- “Character designs in this game put a grand smile on my face :)”
- “Well, except for some *ehem* character design choices...”
- “Everybody shut the fuck up about the witch and weird character designs, it's cringe.”
- “= very exaggerated character designs.”
grinding
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
12%
86%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find it enjoyable and engaging, particularly for collecting costumes and achievements, others describe it as tedious and repetitive, especially in higher difficulty modes where enemies become damage sponges. The overall sentiment suggests that while grinding can be fun, it often leads to frustration due to unrefined combat mechanics and a lack of variety, making some encounters feel drawn out and mundane.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “But the worst addition to v1.6 has to be the other 11 challenges; it's just an RNG feast, tedious and unenjoyable.”
- “The higher difficulty modes inconsistently turn enemies into damage sponges, which makes combat more tedious; meanwhile, it seemingly causes players to get less money, which means there's less players can do to upgrade and customize themselves.”
- “I also think collecting the items needed for the secret ending via the hidden floors was a very tedious process and boring once you get to know how each floor's gimmick works.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes and hitbox issues. While some glitches are seen as humorous and non-disruptive, others can lead to frustrating experiences, particularly at higher difficulty levels. However, the developers are noted for their responsiveness in addressing these issues through regular updates and patches.
- “However, the game is very buggy for me and can sometimes be frustrating or even downright unfair at certain points.”
- “A terribly buggy game that doesn't bring anything new to the table, and by 'buggy' I don't mean 'huh that's weird'; I mean regular softlocks or even game crashes.”
- “Ok, good game with one big bug that burns me to the core: it crashes my whole machine quite often. It will be like I'm in the middle of the run, then bam, the game freezes and kills the PC. I don't know how or why it just does that.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
45%
22%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and longer loading times after extended play sessions. While some appreciate the art style and overall performance, the frequent crashes and inconsistent performance detract from the experience, leading to hopes for future improvements. Overall, the game is seen as poorly optimized, especially during intense action sequences.
- “The art style is amazing, and the performance is really good.”
- “Also, the game is well optimized, not being a large install which few folks seem to care about these days.”
- “Game is good but it's poorly optimized; lots of crashes due to big explosions or many bullets on the screen, but hopefully that would be fixed later.”
- “It's worth noting the game has some performance issues, not limited to frame drops - 'NES slowdown' and stuttering every new floor.”
- “I experienced random hiccups in performance throughout my play sessions but couldn't figure out what was causing them.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mix of discomfort and warmth, with players noting a heartwarming yet spooky story that unfolds over multiple runs. While some find the gameplay progression and character unlocking confusing, the overall experience is enriched by memorable characters, charming music, and a wholesome conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.
- “The characters are memorable, the progression is fun, and the story is both heartwarming and spooky.”
- “Also surprisingly very wholesome world.”
- “Add to all that a wholesome and strange story that you will continue to discover through multiple runs and you have the recipe for one of the best twin-stick roguelikes in the genre.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The atmosphere in Dead Estate is widely praised for its outstanding quality, featuring beautifully crafted visuals, atmospheric lighting, and engaging sound design that includes catchy music and satisfying sound effects. The game effectively creates a haunting and immersive experience, with varied stage atmospheres that keep players visually engaged and enhance the overall narrative. This combination of elements contributes to a compelling and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “First and foremost, the atmosphere in Dead Estate is simply outstanding.”
- “The visuals in Dead Estate are beautifully crafted, with detailed character models, atmospheric lighting, and stunning environmental design.”
- “Its haunting atmosphere, gripping gameplay, compelling narrative, and stunning visuals all contribute to a truly immersive and enjoyable experience.”
- “The stage atmosphere is always different depending on the floor you're at, which is nice because that prevents the player from becoming visually bored.”
- “It's nice; like most plots for roguelikes, it's really about the feeling and atmosphere the story provides.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is characterized by effective advertising and rewarding gameplay, but it also raises concerns about aggressive cash-grabbing tactics that may detract from the overall experience.
- “Seems like you're definitely rewarded for being as thorough in your cash grabbing as possible.”