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High Hell

Short but sweet, High Hell could benefit from a bit more variety in player abilities and weapons, but nonetheless makes the most of what it has to create a chaotic, challenging and gratifying few hours of vulgar, hilarious mayhem.
High Hell Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, character development
85% User Score Based on 884 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

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High Hell Game Cover

About

High Hell is a single player shooter game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Devolver Digital and was released on October 23, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

High Hell is a neon-soaked, arcade-action first-person shooter from Terri Vellmann (Heavy Bullets) and Doseone (Enter the Gungeon, Gang Beasts). Descend upon the criminal underground with an absurdly large gun and bring lethal salvation to those that have fallen from the light. Righteous fury and fancy footwork are crucial to survive an escalating, absurd series of outlandish missions. Pop brainw…

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High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
High Hell screenshot
+4
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85%
Audience ScoreBased on 884 reviews
gameplay66 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Fast-paced and challenging gameplay with tight controls and satisfying gunplay.
  • Unique and stylish cel-shaded graphics paired with an energetic and high-quality soundtrack.
  • Engaging level design with multiple routes, collectibles, and the best interactive loading screens in gaming.
  • Very short game length; the main campaign can be completed in about 1-2 hours.
  • Limited content featuring only one weapon and repetitive enemy types.
  • Some boss fights are frustrating, poorly designed, or require memorization rather than skill.
  • gameplay
    207 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of High Hell is a fast-paced, twitch shooter experience focused on speed, agility, and precision, often compared to a first-person Hotline Miami with simple mechanics distilled to basics—one weapon, no reload, and door-kicking. While players praise its stylish visuals, smooth controls, and intense combat rhythm amplified by an energetic soundtrack, many note that it can feel repetitive due to limited enemy variety, minimal narrative, lack of weapon or mechanic diversity, and a short campaign length, making it most appealing to fans of speedrunning and high-score chasing. Overall, the gameplay is thrilling and addictive for those seeking pure, reflex-driven action but may disappoint players looking for depth or varied content.

    • “Released in 2017, the game stands out for its unique blend of arcade-style gameplay and exaggerated, almost cartoonish visuals, creating an experience that feels both chaotic and exhilarating.”
    • “You dance and shoot to the beat of the music, memorize paths and shortcuts, and then execute them all in a gratifying display of mechanical prowess.”
    • “Frenetic, arcady, super fun fps set in a ridiculous world with spot-on gameplay mechanics and fresh ideas.”
    • “The gameplay, while fast-paced and fluid, got very repetitive with little to no changes in enemy AI or player weaponry; you just click until they die.”
    • “The game looks like it's a run and gun game, allowing you to dodge incoming fire and skillfully taking out enemies with quick reflexes and cunning finesse but gameplay is much more frustrating than that as movement feels quite stiff, not nearly as fluid as other games like Strafe or Heavy Bullets and you're not as nimble as you might think.”
    • “The mechanics are completely barebones and the combat isn't particularly engaging or fun.”
  • graphics
    191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    High Hell features a distinctive, stylized art style characterized by cel-shaded, cartoonish, and surreal visuals that blend neon and minimalist aesthetics reminiscent of 80s/90s themes and titles like Sludge Life. The graphics are praised for their uniqueness, energetic presentation, and how well they complement the game's fast-paced, chaotic action and offbeat humor, though some find the repetitive environments and a 60 FPS cap detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visual design effectively supports the game's atmosphere, making it a standout aspect despite simple graphics and occasional critiques of repetitiveness.

    • “High Hell, developed by Terri Vellmann and Doseone and published by Devolver Digital, is a frenetic and stylish first-person shooter that merges fast-paced action with a bold, surreal aesthetic.”
    • “Visually, High Hell employs a cel-shaded, high-contrast art style with exaggerated character designs and surreal environments.”
    • “The graphics are beautifully simple and ironic and run extremely well even on integrated graphics (AMD 5600G).”
    • “Locking this game's framerate at 60 fps might be an aesthetic choice but it is a bad one.”
    • “And the more I had to repeat a level the more the aesthetic just wore off and became an eyesore.”
    • “The cartoony low-detail cel-shaded graphics fall in with the theme of "this game is barebones".”
  • music
    147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music, composed by Doseone, is widely praised as an energetic, intense, and stylish soundtrack that perfectly complements the fast-paced, frenetic gameplay and unique art style. Reviews often highlight the soundtrack as a key highlight, enhancing immersion and replayability, with many considering it one of the best aspects of the experience. While a few note repetitiveness or varying taste in music, overall it is regarded as a memorable and essential element that amplifies the game's arcade-like, high-octane atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack of this beautiful game is an absolute banger, a set of funky, wubby, and colorful synth goodness, handcrafted and full length, so every single level has different and unique music.”
    • “The music aesthetically fits the vibe and the style of the game perfectly and could hardly be any better made; it's absolutely beautiful what they did with the music.”
    • “Doesone, the guy responsible for the Enter the Gungeon soundtrack, also made the soundtrack for this game and it's absolutely fantastic.”
    • “The sounds are repetitive and the music is this kind of unending clamor with no rhythm to it.”
    • “1 gun, repetitive levels, droning music.”
    • “The game play loop is too repetitive and I don't think the other aspects (soundtrack, visuals, etc.) pull their weight enough to keep you engaged.”
  • story
    113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is minimal, serving mainly as a loose framework to support the fast-paced, run-and-gun gameplay rather than offering a deep narrative experience. With around 20 short missions, the plot is ambiguous, quirky, and largely delivered through environmental details and loading screens, making it suitable for players seeking style and action over story depth. While its simplicity allows focus on speedrunning and replayability, those looking for a rich or coherent storyline may find it lacking.

    • “The story in High Hell is deliberately minimal, allowing the gameplay to take center stage.”
    • “The visuals and overall weird theme (including the interactive cutscenes) are great, and actually deliver more environmental storytelling (or at least world-building) than I was expecting.”
    • “If you’re looking for a simple fast paced run and gun game with a great as hell soundtrack, subtle crude humor, door breaking action and an interesting under the radar storyline; this is your game right here.”
    • “Confusing as hell and pretty short, and every mission was basically the same just with different level design.”
    • “I won't go into details due to the fact that it's a rather 'straight the point' story and I can easily spoil the entire thing but I will say this: do not jump into this game for the story else you'll be disappointed.”
    • “At only 20 missions, it's easy to complete in an afternoon, and there's not much else to it.”
  • humor
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is consistently praised for its quirky, absurd, and often darkly comedic tone, featuring clever visual gags, interactive loading screens, and creative mission objectives that add charm and personality. While some find the humor a bit weird or crude, it generally enhances the fast-paced, stylish gameplay and unique art style, making the experience entertaining despite its short length and occasional frustration. Overall, the humor is regarded as a strong, memorable aspect that complements the game's offbeat aesthetic and lively atmosphere.

    • “The humor is great, with the funny loading screens between levels (that are all different from each other!) and the absurd mission goals.”
    • “It's loaded with personality (lighting the bundles of cash on fire is so satisfying), funny side objectives (saving monkeys, puppies, destroying statues and paintings, sabotaging... wifi...) and immensely satisfying loading screens between levels.”
    • “A fun little touch in "high hell" is the loading screens, which are always interactive in a trippy way that often made me laugh out loud.”
  • replayability
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability primarily through speedrunning, high-score chasing, and secondary objectives like collectibles, appealing especially to players who enjoy mastering fast-paced, precision gameplay. While the short length limits narrative depth, the well-crafted levels and arcade-style challenges provide a compact yet rewarding experience for those invested in improving their performance. However, some players may find replay value limited if they are not drawn to perfectionist or speedrunning playstyles.

    • “Despite minor drawbacks, the game’s replayability is bolstered by its dynamic combat encounters and the challenge of mastering movement and attack strategies.”
    • “The game has 20 (or 21, including the tutorial mission?) levels, which can be finished in one to two hours max, but the game has huge replay value, as speedrunning the levels is a true feast of pleasure.”
    • “I really enjoyed replaying levels for collectibles, high scores, and fast speeds, so I got plenty of replay value out of the levels.”
    • “It's a very short game with no replay value outside of maybe speedrunning.”
    • “I beat it in one sitting in a little over an hour and though there are plenty of opportunities for achievement hunting, that is the only replay value you are going to get from this game.”
    • “I beat the game in under 90 minutes and the whole 'replayability through high score hunting' thing just does not work for me when I never met a real challenge in the first place.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game offers an enjoyable and rewarding experience for completionists and speedrunners, especially with its arcade-style gameplay and motivating soundtrack. However, some players find the process tedious and repetitive, with moments of frustration that diminish enjoyment over time. Overall, grinding suits both casual sessions and dedicated runs but may feel grindy or monotonous to some.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “There really was a lot to like for most of my first playthrough (bear in mind I have now completed it in 10 minutes, so it's quite sad that the frustration started even during the first run of what is essentially a 30 minute game), but the enjoyment doesn't last when the game just becomes tedious and annoying.”
    • “It's a shooter with movement that doesn't feel great and a combat loop that gets tedious even with its short runtime.”
    • “Very tedious product with very boring gameplay.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is minimal and serves the fast-paced gameplay but may disappoint players seeking a deeper narrative. The exaggerated, cel-shaded character designs contribute to a unique, surreal visual style that complements the game’s quirky tone and lore. However, some character designs, like Beezlebot, can impact gameplay difficulty due to their awkward layouts.

    • “It has its own special visual style that makes it stand out most of the game at first sight, and it just screams something that's published by Devolver Digital; the minimalist and bizarre style that predominates in all the levels of the game in its character design and levels and all the funny little lore that the game builds is quite attractive and entertaining.”
    • “Additionally, the minimal narrative and character development, while suitable for the game’s fast pace, may not satisfy those looking for a deeper story-driven experience.”
    • “As another reviewer pointed out, Beezlebot is an awkward fight due to the layout and character design.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from various bugs and glitches that become more noticeable during replay for collectibles or speedrunning, affecting overall stability. Additionally, some options, like mouse sensitivity settings, are buggy, detracting from the user experience.

    • “It really was quite enjoyable at first, but as with most games, when you start going back for collectibles or speedrunning, the bad mechanics and glitches become blatant and obvious.”
    • “Setting options is buggy; I had specific issues with setting up mouse sensitivity.”
    • “The game feels glitchy sometimes and never glitches in your favor.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization receives mixed feedback, with some users experiencing occasional performance issues despite high-end hardware, while others report smooth gameplay with no problems. The game is well-optimized for speedrunners and high score chasers, featuring performance scoring, leaderboards, and timers that enhance replayability.

    • “I can very easily see myself playing this multiple times too, as each level lends itself to optimized routes if you're into speed running and that sort of thing.”
    • “+No performance issues.”
    • “I also had random performance issues on some levels which is weird because I have an i9 9000 and an Nvidia 2060 Super, which well exceeds the requirements.”
    • “If you're a speedrunner or high score chaser, this game will last you for its price: what few systems it has outside its gameplay are oriented toward those two crowds, with your performance each level scored, Steam leaderboard integration, and a built-in playthrough timer.”
    • “+ No performance issues.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere received mixed feedback, with some users finding it dull, short, and lacking depth, while others praised the distinctive, energetic vibe created by creative visuals and great music.

    • “The graphics and sound create a very distinctive atmosphere.”
    • “Energetic atmosphere due to creative visuals and great music.”
    • “Pointless, boring, short, ugly, lacks atmosphere... pointless!”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users view the monetization of the game as a quick cash grab, criticizing it for relying on misleading retro-style ads and appearing to capitalize on its superficial resemblance to more popular titles like Superhot.

    • “As it is, High Hell appears to be a quick cash grab to capitalize on the screenshots looking mildly similar to Superhot.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes strong emotional responses, often making players feel deeply moved or even bringing them to tears. Its storytelling and atmosphere create a powerful, heartfelt experience.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
2-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

High Hell is a shooter game with comedy theme.

High Hell is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing High Hell.

High Hell was released on October 23, 2017.

High Hell was developed by Devolver Digital.

High Hell has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

High Hell is a single player game.

Similar games include My Friend Pedro, Mr. Shifty, Ruiner, Anger Foot, High On Life and others.