DEADBOLT
- March 13, 2016
- Hopoo Games
- 5h median play time
Deadbolt isn't the fairest game on the market, but it always keeps you coming back for more.
Get on Steam"DEADBOLT" is an intense stealth-action game with a gripping story, featuring stunning visuals and music. As the reaper, you must complete 25+ challenging missions, fighting over 35 enemy types with an arsenal of 30+ weapons. With high replayability, you can choose your playstyle and multiple ways to complete missions, resulting in a satisfying and dynamic gore system.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Linux
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- Incredibly satisfying gameplay that rewards strategic planning and quick reflexes.
- Outstanding soundtrack by Chris Christodoulou that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- Unique art style and engaging story that adds depth to the gameplay experience.
- Frustrating difficulty spikes and lack of checkpoints can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Inconsistent enemy AI behavior can result in unfair deaths.
- Controls can be clunky, especially with multiple actions bound to the same key.
- music844 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in "Deadbolt," composed by Chris Christodoulou, is widely praised as one of the game's standout features, with many reviewers calling it phenomenal and a perfect fit for the game's atmosphere. The soundtrack blends various genres, enhancing the gameplay experience and immersing players in its unique noir setting. Overall, the music is considered a major reason to play the game, with many players expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game itself.
“The soundtrack is one of the greatest ever composed, and the art is quite good.”
“Chris Christodoulou's music is a blessing to human ears; his work is electric.”
“The music is absolutely phenomenal and the gameplay is very clean and well made.”
“If I had one complaint, I felt like the songs were too short, and the apartment theme got stale after a bit.”
“The soundtrack is much worse than Hotline Miami.”
“The music is either too low, or just unremarkable, with game sound at half, and music at full.”
- story666 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Deadbolt" is described as intriguing and layered, often conveyed through cryptic elements like cassette tapes and poetic mission briefings. While some players appreciate the depth and world-building, others find the narrative vague and underdeveloped, with a focus on gameplay over storytelling. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of dark themes and engaging mechanics, making the story a compelling backdrop to the action.
“Intriguing story with lots to think or speculate about.”
“Came for the pixel art graphics, stayed for its incredible story and the masterpiece soundtrack.”
“The story is cool, the background's cool, everything has this 'vibe' to it, like you are a badass storming some shady underworld, then you are out of bullets, and you're in too deep.”
“The story is pretty vague and not clear.”
“If you are looking for a game with a clear and concise story, Deadbolt is not the game you want to buy.”
“The 'story' was not compelling and was 'serviceable at best.' The mission briefings really only act as a shallow way to introduce the 'main boss' of the upcoming level and the overarching narrative is largely bland and forgettable.”
- gameplay643 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Deadbolt is widely praised for its satisfying mechanics, challenging level design, and engaging stealth-action elements, drawing comparisons to titles like Hotline Miami and Gunpoint. Players appreciate the strategic depth and variety of approaches available in each level, although some express frustration with inconsistent mechanics and the game's punishing difficulty. Overall, the combination of tight controls, a captivating soundtrack, and unique gameplay features creates a compelling experience that keeps players coming back for more.
“Crisp gameplay, challenging level design, and tons of personality.”
“The gameplay is challenging but rewarding.”
“The gameplay is fun and varied, the art and music are ace, and the story is surprisingly good.”
“Unreliable/unclear mechanics: sometimes you shoot a guy with a big gun and the guys one floor above don't hear a thing, another time you kill the same guy by swinging a hammer at him and half the map hears it, also most guns have too much spread to consistently land headshots even at half a screen's width.”
“With its 1 hp mechanic it becomes extremely tedious and repetitive.”
“The gameplay is quite repetitive, boring, or frustratingly hard.”
- graphics258 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that effectively conveys its unique aesthetic and atmosphere, reminiscent of titles like "Hotline Miami" and "Risk of Rain." While some players appreciate the simplicity and nostalgic feel of the visuals, others note that they are well-crafted and enhance the overall experience, complemented by an exceptional soundtrack. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's memorable identity and engaging gameplay.
“Came for the pixel art graphics, stayed for its incredible story and the masterpiece soundtrack.”
“A genuine gem of a game with some of the most striking pixel visuals I've ever seen.”
“The art style is simple but quite nice to look at, the sounds are great, and the gameplay is very fun!”
“My biggest gripe with it are its visuals, because they are often too small or can be missed.”
“Its only real negatives are its underbaked visuals, a bit of RNG, and not being quite as long as I'd like.”
“The visuals are very stylish, though some levels can seem bland with empty dirty rooms.”
- atmosphere115 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich, immersive qualities, combining a noir aesthetic with a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of music, art style, and level design to create a unique and engaging world, often describing it as dark, gritty, and filled with character. The combination of atmospheric storytelling and gameplay elements contributes to a thrilling and memorable experience for players.
“I love the atmosphere the game has, the small poems, the desolate locations, the hopeless characters.”
“The wonderful atmosphere, the sense of a much larger world existing outside of your actions, and Chris Christodoulou's excellent soundtrack really elevate this game.”
“The atmosphere is flawless, setting its own universe into stone using snippets and pieces of imagery, and the art design is just grim enough to set the mood without taking itself overly seriously.”
“The atmosphere is unsettling, gritty, and dark.”
“I saw what style they tried to do and I just can't grasp what it was that stopped the game from achieving the atmosphere it should have had.”
“I understand that being cryptic helps the atmosphere, but I would have liked to know a bit more of the lore behind the world.”
- replayability95 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a strong replayability factor, bolstered by features such as multiple difficulty levels, a level editor, and community-created content. While some players note that the main story may feel short, the ability to experiment with different strategies, weapons, and achievements keeps the gameplay engaging. Many reviews highlight the game's fun mechanics and addictive nature, making it worthwhile for those who enjoy replaying levels or pursuing perfection.
“The game has great replayability, since creating or playing user-made levels is easy and fun.”
“So much replayability not to mention that the steam workshop is tirelessly pumping out levels for this game so there is always something new!”
“Tons of replayability value since no level has to be done one way, so you can experiment with different approaches.”
“Just twenty-seven levels and sadly not a ton of replay value, that said...”
“Considering that replayability is limited to playing the unlocked 'hard mode' and/or chasing in-game achievements, I'd recommend waiting to pick this one up on sale as the full price seems a bit steep relative to the amount of game you get.”
“Replayability: 5/10 (once you know the way to beat a level, there's not much else you can try.”
- humor22 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd elements, featuring a comical reaper character who engages in over-the-top violence against quirky enemies. Players appreciate the blend of crude humor, hilarious gameplay moments, and a unique art style, often finding themselves laughing at the game's challenging yet entertaining mechanics. The soundtrack further enhances the experience, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game's quirky and humorous atmosphere.
“That being said, I did enjoy this game and the idea of a silly little reaper in a trench coat killing funny creatures.”
“A persistent source of amusement came from the reaper's sprite; his stick legs and awkward little arm off to the side were so funny to me.”
“The fact that you die in one hit makes for some hilarious 'oh s**t' moments, without making the game too hard.”
“The humor in this game falls flat, with jokes that feel forced and unoriginal.”
“I expected a lot more laughs, but the comedic elements are stale and predictable.”
“The attempts at humor often miss the mark, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and frustrating, primarily due to a one-hit death mechanic and a lack of checkpoints that forces players to restart levels repeatedly. Many reviewers express that the slow rate of currency acquisition exacerbates the grind, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge. While some players appreciate the action-packed nature and replayability, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a significant detractor from the experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I can imagine one would blitz through the entire thing if the later levels weren't tedious grinds.”
“I'm shocked to see this have such a high score because the game just seems tediously difficult for the sake of being difficult.”
“With its 1 HP mechanic, it becomes extremely tedious and repetitive.”
“Coupled with a 'no checkpoints' system that means you play each level from scratch every time, this means that a level that starts out as a challenge moves from challenging to tedious - because you'll have worked out how to get through half of it, get killed in the second half and have to start over again.”
- stability9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 78 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a blissfully bug-free experience with solid gameplay, others encounter minor glitches, particularly with interactions like doors and actions. However, these issues are generally not game-breaking and do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment. Many users find the game to be more polished and less buggy compared to similar titles.
“Sound design is fantastic, with no glitches (other than occasionally the animation doesn't trigger to sit in the chair, but that doesn't actually affect anything).”
“Gameplay was solid, fast-paced, and bug-free.”
“A very buggy game that you have to hope works!”
“Fun and fast paced (if you want to get a high score), doors are buggy and it gets annoying trying to pick an action/weapon when they're right next to each other.”
“And while there are a few minor glitches (ex: e button used too much leading to weapon pick up instead of vent entrance... ugh...), there aren't any egregious, game-ruining problems, or even enough small problems to lessen the overall enjoyment.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartbreaking story and impactful soundtrack, which evoke strong feelings and resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the narrative can be both devastating and heartwarming, creating a memorable experience that lingers long after playing. Overall, the game successfully combines engaging gameplay with profound emotional moments, leaving players with a mix of emotions.
“The story emotionally destroyed me 10/10”
“Final boss is borderline heartbreaking.”
“This game made me feel a lot of feelings in a relatively short amount of time.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with smooth performance on most systems, including lower-end hardware. However, some players have experienced crashes and inconsistent enemy behavior that can lead to repetitive gameplay. While the Switch version offers improved aiming and exclusive content without sacrificing performance, the lack of clarity in how performance metrics affect rankings has been noted as a drawback.
“Tldr; the Switch version has, in my opinion, much more fluid aiming, along with exclusive content while not sacrificing performance at all.”
“Everything has a good aesthetic and this game should run smoothly on almost any computer.”
“The only real problem is that sometimes certain randomness in enemy behavior can make you repeat some levels a bit too many times, but overall a very solid performance.”
“The game ranks you on every mission's performance but doesn't tell you how each of the factors (time taken, kills, headshots, accuracy, etc.) contribute to the final rank.”
“[*] Performance issue: the game crashed twice during my playthrough.”
“The problems with the optimization may be true, but I personally haven't encountered any issues... and I play literally on a potato, not even joking.”
- character development7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the character development in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, with impressive design and strong visual appeal. While some reviews mention that the story may be lacking, the character design consistently receives praise for its creativity and impact on the overall experience. The combination of character design with engaging gameplay and atmosphere contributes to the game's replayability and enjoyment.
“The character design is the most impressive part about this game - and that is really saying something.”
“An interesting story paired with great character design, awesome graphics, and amazing music.”
“Amazing gameplay, amazing atmosphere and writing, amazing replayability, some great character design work and an utterly fantastic soundtrack.”
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
“I was hoping for more depth in the characters, but they all seem one-dimensional and predictable.”
“The lack of meaningful choices in character progression left me feeling detached from the narrative.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism, particularly regarding the lack of support for Linux users, suggesting that the developers should address these issues if they are promoting compatibility.
