GRUEL

About

GRUEL is a single player action game. It was developed by Cheesebaron and was released on March 5, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to the endless temple of GRUEL. Get wacky weapons, destroy freaky creatures and collect massive amounts of gold! In this first-person boomer-shooter its time to say goodbye to your basic ways of tactical gunman-ship and embrace the CHAOS! In the temple of GRUEL, nothing is certain. Who knows what room comes next? On top of that, the temple is ENDLESS! That means you can get ∞ amounts of…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

The game features a fun and charming art style, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
Gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, with a satisfying loop that encourages replayability and competition for high scores.
The developer shows a strong commitment to the game, regularly fixing bugs and adding new content, which enhances the overall experience.

Some players find the game too simplistic and lacking in depth, with limited content that can lead to repetitive gameplay.
Weapon durability and ammo management can be frustrating, as it forces players to frequently switch weapons and limits their options.
The game may not justify its price for some, as it lacks enough variety in levels and challenges to keep players engaged long-term.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
The gameplay is characterized by a fast-paced, addictive loop that combines elements of boomer shooters and roguelikes, offering intense action and a satisfying experience. Players appreciate the cartoonish art style and the engaging mechanics, including a unique "comeback" feature and score-modifying "sauces" that enhance replayability. While some users noted issues with weapon durability and menu navigation, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is fun, rewarding, and encourages repeated play sessions.
- “The cartoonish art style is fun, its gameplay is addicting and enemies are intense.”
- “Gruel is a small but really fun dungeon crawler with a great art style and satisfying gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is unique and exciting; I have been addicted to it since I played the demo.”
- “It also doesn't help that the weapon durability mechanic is god awful.”
- “I'm not expecting dozens and dozens of hours of unique gameplay here-- I'd love to see more enemy types, more arenas, more weapons/upgrades... but you've got to be reasonable with a small team's labor of love, and what we do have goes down smooth and is filling enough.”
- “Sauces are basically your score mods that you can activate before doing a run that boosts your score accumulation in return for some challenge or gameplay change.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
27%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and fun cartoonish art style, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the creativity in weapon and enemy designs, as well as the quality of animations, although some express a desire for more diverse environments. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable and visually engaging.
- “The graphics and animations are really well done.”
- “I absolutely love the art and craftsmanship that went into the weapon design, enemy design, and the overall cartoonish aesthetic of the game.”
- “Really fun game with super cool graphics and the game is very cheap for the amount of replayability you get from it.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players highlight the game's high replayability, praising its engaging fast-paced gameplay and roguelike elements that encourage repeated playthroughs. The combination of enjoyable mechanics and appealing graphics, all at a low price, enhances the overall experience, making it a standout choice for those seeking lasting fun.
- “Fun game, lots of replayability, and quite enjoyable!”
- “Crazy amount of replayability for the low price; it's basically a fast-paced boomer shooter roguelike about getting the highest score you can, with gameplay that will make you feel like a badass.”
- “Really fun game with super cool graphics, and the game is very cheap for the amount of replayability you get from it.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by its charming visual design and amusing character designs, featuring quirky critters and a diverse array of weapons, including a fish launcher. While the gameplay is straightforward and repetitive, the entertaining elements and whimsical aesthetics contribute to its overall appeal.
- “The game is entertaining and charming, featuring a great visual design with its funny-looking critters and characters.”
- “The humor shines through in the surprisingly variable repertoire of weapons, from handguns and shotguns to a chromatic bow and even a fish launcher.”
- “It's a simple roguelike shooter, but the humor in the design and characters keeps the gameplay engaging and fun.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users highlighting its quality and complementing the overall art style. While some find it exceptionally good, others consider it simply nice.
- “The music is nice enough.”
- “Extremely good art style and music.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the optimization mechanics, noting that early choices in the game do not significantly impact performance for those who have already mastered score optimization, which adds depth to gameplay strategy.
- “I tried to optimize my score a lot during the demo and I realized the first few sauces you pick up actually don't change what you're doing much if you have already optimized your play-to-earn score, and that is brilliant.”