Gunman Clive

About

Gunman Clive is a single player arcade shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Hörberg Productions and was released on January 3, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

In the year of 18XX, the west is overrun by thugs and outlaws. A group of bandits have kidnapped Mayor Johnsons daughter and are spreading havok across the land. Only Gunman Clive can bring order to the west and save the girl! Jump and shoot your way across 16 diverse and challenging levels and fight massive bosses. Gunman Clive is an old-school sidescrolling platform game set in the old west wit…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 416 reviews

graphics86 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

Unique hand-drawn art style with a nostalgic Wild West theme, creating a visually distinct and timeless aesthetic.
Tight, responsive controls and well-designed levels that balance challenge and fun reminiscent of classic platformers like Mega Man.
Good replay value through multiple playable characters (including a pacifist 'Duck Mode'), achievements, and short, engaging levels that invite mastery.

Relatively short gameplay duration, which can be completed in about one to two hours, leaving some players wanting more content.
Some levels and enemy placements feel frustratingly difficult or unfair, compounded by the lack of checkpoints causing restarts from the beginning of levels.
Occasional technical issues such as suboptimal fullscreen/window scaling on PC, and a repetitious or polarizing soundtrack that some players found annoying.

graphics
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
Gunman Clive features a distinctive, minimalist hand-drawn art style with sepia tones that evoke a vintage, sketchbook-like Western aesthetic, praised for its charm and visual cohesion despite simplicity. While some note the graphics can feel bare or monochrome, the unique style and smooth animations set it apart from typical retro platformers. Overall, the visuals are widely regarded as the game's strongest asset, contributing significantly to its atmosphere and appeal.
- “Gunman Clive takes the essence of old-school platforming—tight controls, clever enemy design, and escalating challenge—and filters it through a minimalist, sketchbook aesthetic that makes every frame look like a hand-drawn piece of motion art.”
- “The visual design adopts a sepia-toned, hand-sketched art style that evokes the feeling of a pencil-drawn world come to life.”
- “While embracing minimalism is hardly a new trend for these retro-style indie games, Gunman Clive actually does it gracefully, foregoing rehashed 8-bit-style graphics for something more contemporary—specifically, a combination of 3D models and artful shading for a simplistic, sepia-toned storybook visual.”
- “Art style is a little too bare.”
- “Dull version of Mega Man with uninspiring and inconsistent art style.”
- “Now the graphics aren't much to write home about but they match the overall aesthetic and that's what matters.”
gameplay
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The gameplay is a straightforward, challenging 2D run-and-gun platformer reminiscent of classic Megaman and Contra titles, featuring tight controls, varied mechanics, and a distinct wild west aesthetic. While praised for its polished mechanics, clear focus on action, and enjoyable boss battles, some find the level design and gameplay elements somewhat simplistic or frustrating, with limited innovation and replayability. Overall, it offers a satisfying nostalgic experience for fans of retro platformers, though it may feel short or repetitive to others.
- “The gameplay is challenging yet satisfying, reminiscent of early console classics but with smooth controls and inventive level design.”
- “The game has a beautiful art style, great gameplay mechanics, and epic boss battles!”
- “Like similar indie title Bleed, Gunman Clive is a love letter to these games of yore, and to its credit, it executes the mechanics pretty perfectly, remixing incredibly familiar elements in comparatively new and challenging arrangements.”
- “After beating it, I realized I just went through the nostalgia of my absolute favorite mechanics from really old games; like the spikes being an insta-kill; sine-wave pattern enemies spawned in at the perfect spots (somewhat randomized, if you'd believe that, so you can't just predict where they'll be and shoot them and they take more than one hit to kill, triple tactical sins going on here), designed to shove you into aforementioned spikes; contact damage even if you're, realistically and by all rights, curb-stomping an enemy to death but nope, you take damage; appearing and disappearing blocks; and other utter trash that made me think 'if this game lasts me more than an hour, I'm just not beating it.'”
- “Unfortunately the gameplay is the same - old and stale, adding nothing to a drowning market lacking real innovation.”
- “The gameplay is very simple and also very poor; there is nothing wrong with the particulars of the controls, though they are sharply limited, but the actual level designs aren’t very interesting and the enemies are all very samey.”
music
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
39%
8%
The music in "Gunman Clive" is widely praised for its catchy, western-inspired, chiptune soundtrack that complements the game’s nostalgic and atmospheric style. While many find it soothing, fitting, and a standout element alongside the unique art style, some players note its repetitiveness and simplicity, with occasional criticism of its sound effects and overuse of reverb. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the retro platformer experience and is considered a strong, enjoyable asset of the game.
- “The soundtrack blends chiptune energy with western-inspired motifs, striking a balance between nostalgia and atmosphere.”
- “Each track feels tailored to its level’s rhythm, and the music’s upbeat tempo helps maintain focus and excitement.”
- “Clearly whoever composed the music for this game knew exactly how to set up a wonderful atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack also gets rather repetitive, and the level design is unremarkable, though I will admit that it gets better towards the end.”
- “The only thing worse than a boring OST is an annoying one, even worse a literally painful one.”
- “However, the level design and gameplay elements are uninspired and cliche, and the soundtrack is limited, misfitting, and grows obnoxious about 10 minutes in.”
story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
79%
14%
The story is a simplistic, classic wild west rescue mission with minimal depth or character development, primarily serving as a basic plot to drive gameplay. While unoriginal and straightforward, its charming, storybook presentation and occasional humorous twists add some appeal, though the narrative itself is not a main focus or highlight of the game.
- “Set in a whimsical interpretation of the wild west, it tells the straightforward story of a lone gunslinger on a mission to rescue the mayor’s kidnapped daughter.”
- “Every character, platform, and bullet looks as though it’s been scribbled onto parchment, giving the game a rustic, almost storybook atmosphere that complements its western theme beautifully.”
- “The similarly minimalist story of silent-protagonist-saves-the-girl is at best uninstructive, yet still manages to be charming, if only for the sheer ridiculousness it quickly devolves into.”
- “The story is the standard save the damsel in distress trope.”
- “There's not much story here, there's a basic set up to give you a goal you have to reach and that's about it.”
- “There is no story, no real characters, there are a few really frustrating levels and the game can be completed within an hour.”
replayability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
59%
9%
Replayability in the game is generally viewed as moderate to good, driven primarily by its multiple playable characters with distinct playstyles, challenging achievements, and additional modes like the duck mode. Though the game is short and can be completed quickly, these features, combined with its low price, encourage repeated playthroughs for those seeking extra challenge or variety. However, some consider the core gameplay largely the same across characters, limiting replay value for more casual players.
- “While the total number of levels is modest, the character variety and the scoring system add a surprising amount of replay value.”
- “The game’s replayability comes from the achievement list which involves playing all three playable characters and beating the game multiple times, including damage-free runs.”
- “For such a cheap game it is a worthwhile purchase with so much replay value (try duck mode if you’re brave).”
- “Ok graphics and music; extremely limited gameplay with no replayability.”
- “Replay value is iffy; 3 characters and another mode but it's the exact same game with a small difference in the character.”
- “Replay value lies solely in the Steam achievements and personal satisfaction if that's your thing, aimed more toward hardcore goals such as finishing stages under par-times, without dying, and under certain circumstances which can only be unlocked by completing the game once.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Gunman Clive features a quirky, charming humor that adds a fun and zany atmosphere to its Mega Man-style platforming. The inclusion of a hilarious third character—a duck with no attacks—provides comedic relief and an inventive challenge, making the short game feel fresh and entertaining. Overall, its lighthearted, unexpected humor is a standout aspect that enhances the game's appeal.
- “Gunman Clive is a charming Mega Man-style action game with a zany, unexpected sense of humor.”
- “Gunman Clive won't last you too long on a single playthrough, but there's a hilarious third character and a hard mode that lives up to its name to tackle once you beat it.”
- “Short and sweet, but for the price, it's a steal - the game provides a decent challenge, and duck mode (unlocked once you beat the game once) is a hilarious, interesting take on the game that transforms it into a different experience entirely.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game creates a unique storybook-like atmosphere with its rustic, parchment-style visuals and a soundtrack that cleverly fuses chiptune energy with western motifs. This blend crafts a charming and nostalgic setting that appeals even to those less familiar with the genre. Overall, its quirky humor and fun, slow-paced vibe make for an engaging and memorable atmosphere.
- “Every character, platform, and bullet looks as though it’s been scribbled onto parchment, giving the game a rustic, almost storybook atmosphere that complements its western theme beautifully.”
- “The soundtrack blends chiptune energy with western-inspired motifs, striking a balance between nostalgia and atmosphere.”
- “Clearly, whoever composed the music for this game knew exactly how to set up a wonderful atmosphere.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly polished and exceptionally well-optimized, delivering smooth gameplay with a consistent 60 frames per second even on low-end systems.
- “On a technical level, the game is polished and remarkably well-optimized.”
- “It runs smoothly on virtually any system, offering a fluid 60 frames per second performance even on low-end hardware.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no glitches encountered during entire playthroughs.