Dead Estate

Starting at $4.77Buy now

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,018 reviews

gameplay292 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

gameplay
710 mentions
41 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Dead Estate" is widely praised for its addictive and engaging mechanics, combining elements of roguelikes with a unique art style and a variety of characters, each offering distinct playstyles. Players appreciate the balance of challenge and fun, with many noting the satisfying combat and the enjoyable loop of killing enemies, collecting items, and unlocking new characters. However, some critiques highlight issues with the jump mechanic and the game's reliance on certain mechanics that can feel frustrating or unbalanced at times. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy titles like "The Binding of Isaac" and "Enter the Gungeon."
- “The art was charming, gameplay was fun, and it was just difficult enough to be challenging without being too frustrating.”
- “The gameplay starts off challenging but once you get the hang of it, you feel pretty powerful.”
- “Dead Estate is a phenomenal and stylish roguelite with fun mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is slow and a bit boring for a bullet hell game.”
- “But I just can't seem to mesh with the gameplay at all; I've tried controller and keyboard/mouse thinking that the controls were my problem, but I think that the isometric nature of the game and its imprecise shooting makes for a frustrating experience overall.”
- “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
304 mentions
56 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, which effectively complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the unique blend of horror and humor in the visuals, along with detailed character designs and vibrant environments that contribute to the game's personality. While some players note minor issues with clutter and perspective, the overall aesthetic is considered a significant draw, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre.
- “The art style is gorgeous.”
- “The visuals in Dead Estate are beautifully crafted, with detailed character models, atmospheric lighting, and stunning environmental design.”
- “The art style, as you may already see, is the Newgrounds brand of Egon Schiele meets Cartoon Network, which is pretty neat.”
- “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
260 mentions
62 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players describing it as catchy, engaging, and perfectly suited to the game's atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the variety of tracks, noting that they enhance the gameplay experience and often find themselves listening to the soundtrack outside of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and replayability.
- “The music is fantastic and I find myself listening to the tracks even when I’m not playing.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, containing several earworms that will get you hyped up, mellowed out, or send an eerie chill up your spine.”
- “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 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.”
- “I tend to like the 'faux retro' style of music, but the synth used to make the music is very grating.”
- “I really disliked the music; this item made it worse.”
story
203 mentions
43 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story in "Dead Estate" is described as surprisingly engaging, with a mix of humor and depth that unfolds through character backstories and animated cutscenes. While the narrative isn't the primary focus, players appreciate the lore and character interactions that add layers to the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable and replayable. Overall, the game combines a lighthearted horror theme with charming art and music, creating a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested in the unfolding story.
- “Each character has their own backstory and reasons for being in the mansion, and even the returning characters from Milkbar Lads games (like Digby and Mumba) feel like they fit perfectly into the world.”
- “The game's storyline is expertly woven together, gradually revealing the secrets of the estate and the fates of its former inhabitants.”
- “The story is pretty cute and also changes depending on who you play with and how you finish the game, which makes it fun to replay multiple times.”
- “The trailer led me to believe there would be more story and dialogue than I experienced.”
- “The plot of Dead Estate is thematically lighthearted and very much engaging.”
- “The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procgen algorithms as a substitute for adding such content to the game, to avoid doing the important job of level/map design.”
replayability
132 mentions
52 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, attributed to its diverse cast of unique characters, a vast array of items and weapons, and randomly generated levels that ensure each run feels fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the numerous unlockables, achievements, and challenges that encourage repeated play, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre. While some mention a potential decline in replay value after completing the main content, the ongoing updates and additional content from developers keep the experience lively and rewarding.
- “It's a fantastic roguelike with plenty of replayability; it has multiple unique characters, a wide variety of items and weapons.”
- “The immense amounts of achievements and extra unlockables (like costumes for the characters) give Dead Estate amazing replayability.”
- “Dead Estate is one of those games that has massive replayability, as each of your runs will be different as the floors, perks, weapons, and enemies are randomized in every single game.”
- “It's fun for some hours, but as you can see, replayability is lacking.”
- “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.”
- “Would buy on sale though because it doesn't have that much replayability after you finish the main story.”
humor
87 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and creativity, with players enjoying the quirky character interactions, funny item descriptions, and absurd scenarios that blend comedy with gameplay. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to balance humor with engaging mechanics, making it both entertaining and addictive. Overall, the humor resonates well with players, contributing significantly to their enjoyment and the game's replayability.
- “Once you get past the 'initially clicked because lady,' you've happened on a game with an addicting gameplay loop, well-designed enemies and items, interesting unlockable characters, a crazy difficulty curve, a great sense of humor, and a mountain of content hidden behind what looks like a simple tiny shoot 'em up.”
- “The perfect mix of crazy, funny, and horrible with plenty of secrets and treasures to find, all wrapped up in fast-paced gameplay that respects your time.”
- “The art style has a lot of charm, the soundtrack is great, and the pop culture references are hilarious.”
character development
51 mentions
61 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the stunning and diverse character designs that enhance the overall experience. Many players appreciate the unique backstories and gameplay mechanics associated with different characters, contributing to a rich and engaging narrative. The art style, combined with memorable character aesthetics, creates a visually appealing and enjoyable atmosphere that keeps players invested in the game.
- “One of my favorite games, with an amazing art style, amazing character designs and backstory, a fun tone, and a catchy soundtrack and gameplay.”
- “The character designs are stunning and the somewhat blocky models of the gameplay side of things help to make those more art-focused pieces really pop.”
- “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.”
- “Boring character design, looks like there's only 3 characters: Fuji, parody of Y.V.”
- “Well, except for some *ehem* character design choices...”
- “Everybody shut the fuck up about the witch and weird character designs, it's cringe.”
grinding
34 mentions
3 % positive mentions
9 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it engaging and enjoyable, others describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly when pursuing achievements or completing challenges. Many reviews highlight that the combat can become monotonous due to spongy enemies and the need for extensive grinding, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the variety and fun elements that keep them hooked, suggesting that the enjoyment of grinding largely depends on personal preference and playstyle.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Dude, I might as well play Risk of Rain 2 if I want to spend that much time in a run, because looping in this game is kind of laughable, almost boring too. When I was grinding achievements for this game, I remember the last few curse runs I had to do were pretty boring. I just feel so disengaged with the game after playing multiple characters and doing their challenges. Now I have to do that again with the highest difficulty and visit all the floors again because they added like 6 more floors. No thank you, I think I'm done doing that for a lifetime.”
- “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.”
- “The only real critique I have with the game is the challenges due to almost all of them feeling tedious rather than challenging or interesting.”
stability
21 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with players reporting a range of bugs and glitches that can occasionally disrupt gameplay, including crashes and softlocks. While some glitches are humorous and do not significantly detract from the experience, others can be frustrating and unfair, particularly at higher difficulties. 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 the game can sometimes be frustrating or even downright unfair at certain points.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
emotional
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of wholesome and heartwarming elements, with memorable characters and a charming story that resonates with players. While some users found certain moments uncomfortable, the overall sentiment leans towards positivity, highlighting the game's ability to evoke feelings of joy and nostalgia through its engaging gameplay and narrative.
- “The characters are memorable, the progression is fun, and the story is both heartwarming and spooky.”
- “Came for witch, stayed for wholesomeness.”
- “Charming characters, great music, simple yet fun gameplay, fun little wholesome story.”
atmosphere
13 mentions
46 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised for its retro and horror film influences, featuring catchy music, punchy sound effects, and detailed visuals that create an immersive experience. Players appreciate the varied stage atmospheres that prevent visual monotony, alongside well-developed characters enhanced by voice acting. Overall, the combination of stunning environmental design, compelling narrative, and a mix of haunting and whimsical elements contributes to a captivating and engaging atmosphere.
- “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 world and atmosphere is both scary and haunting and at the same time astonishingly silly in a way that is truly endearing.”
- “These characters all have voice actors which really adds to the atmosphere and fleshes them all out, making them feel more real.”
- “It's nice; like most plots for roguelikes, it's really about the feeling and atmosphere the story provides.”
optimization
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as long loading times, stuttering, and crashes, particularly during intense moments. While some users appreciate the art style and initial performance, recent updates have exacerbated these problems, leading to inconsistent gameplay experiences.
- “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.”
- “My only complaint now is that it is not well optimized unlike before.”
- “Also, if you run the game for too long, it starts loading much longer between floors and stuttering between rooms.”
- “Game is good, but it's poorly optimized. Lots of crashes due to big explosions or many bullets on the screen, but hopefully that will 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.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for prioritizing aggressive cash grabs, often leveraging effective advertising to promote gameplay that some consider retro and low-quality. While the gameplay itself may be enjoyable, the overall impression is that the monetization approach detracts from the experience.
- “Gamemaker Studio is often used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
- “Seems like you're definitely rewarded for being as thorough in your cash grabbing as possible.”