Shell Runner

About

Shell Runner is a multiplayer action game. It was developed by Reija and was released on April 11, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

Welcome to 2045. The long struggle between people and corporations left the megacorps as overlords, ruling over the broken remnants of humanity huddled together in vast urban sprawls. But with no law or government beyond corporate boards, the underworld thrives. You are a Shell Runner using lifelike Shells to carry out wet work for anyone willing to pay. Shell Runner is a top-down tactical sho…

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

music6 positive mentions

gameplay5 negative mentions

The game has a solid foundation with fun gameplay mechanics and a unique cyberpunk aesthetic.
Players appreciate the potential for engaging combat and character progression, with a variety of shells and weapons to choose from.
The soundtrack and art style are well-received, contributing to an immersive experience.

The game suffers from a lack of content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and slow progression.
Numerous bugs and AI issues detract from the experience, including enemies shooting from off-screen and mission rewards not registering.
The controls and camera mechanics are clunky, making gameplay frustrating at times, especially during inventory management.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting a lack of narrative depth and variety in mission types, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience. Many reviewers express frustration over the generic nature of quests and the absence of engaging story elements, which diminishes the overall enjoyment and progression in the game. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels incomplete in terms of storytelling, leaving players wanting more substance and variety.
- “It's hard to actually say that I don't recommend Shell Runners because it has a solid foundation; it is just missing the flavor that a little bit of story can offer.”
- “I haven't gotten much of a chance to check out the fresh content, but now seeing that you have to get these keycards to try to fight the boss of the area is a pretty big incentive over just getting quests to fight them directly every other selection like before.”
- “You have a lot of early access promise here for a game as simple as this one, but it's just not fun because of the numerous faults with the AI where you will often be taking a lot of damage offscreen while dodging around the map trying to complete your missions.”
- “There isn't really any story to speak of.”
- “A lack of story, a lack of variety to the play.”
- “It's hard to actually say that I don't recommend Shell Runners because it has a solid foundation; it is just missing the flavor a little bit of story can offer.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
65%
22%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its lack of variety, progression, and engaging mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience. While some appreciate the aesthetic and potential for future improvements, issues such as bugs, poor shooting mechanics, and a need for more content and depth have left many feeling underwhelmed. Overall, the gameplay is seen as needing significant enhancements to reach its full potential.
- “The mix of cyberpunk look and game mechanics from 'Escape from Tarkov' really makes me want to play more.”
- “At first, I needed to get used to the mechanics of the game, but now I feel quite comfortable.”
- “The gameplay was neat, and I'm interested in seeing what new gadgets and weapons show up over time; I'm still pretty early in the game so far, so I'm hoping the similar drops I keep getting are due to not enough playtime.”
- “A roguelite with no variety or progression and bad core gameplay.”
- “Filled with bugs, multiplayer missions barely work half of the time, and the gameplay loop gets boring after the first district clear because it's just the same thing over and over.”
- “Shooting mechanics are lackluster and not very fun.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it annoying and lacking variety, while others praise it as fitting and enjoyable, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many appreciate the unique art style and smooth gameplay, noting that the soundtrack complements the game's aesthetic well. Overall, the music is described as engaging, though it may take some time to fully appreciate.
- “The soundtrack is fitting, and the art style feels unique.”
- “Good music, and it seems that the gameplay loop will be fun once it has more depth.”
- “Game already has really fun gameplay, great art, and music.”
- “The music is a bit annoying (cyberpunk 2077 type stuff without much variety...).”
- “The music.”
- “Takes a while to get used to the panning camera movement and manual reloading your weapons, but the gameplay is smooth and the music is fire.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique cyberpunk aesthetic, featuring vibrant neon chrome visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere. While some players appreciate the art style and immersive soundtrack, others feel that the graphical fidelity and sound design could be improved, indicating a mix of strong visuals and untapped potential. Overall, the game's graphics contribute significantly to its engaging gameplay experience.
- “I dig the extraction shooter cyberpunk aesthetics and have enjoyed it in single player.”
- “The soundtrack is fitting, and the art style feels unique.”
- “The PvE action is intense, the graphics are stunning and the atmosphere is pure cyberpunk gold.”
- “Visuals - 1 point”
- “Currently plays like Alien Breed; the aesthetic neon chrome combined with the loot/extraction mechanics of The Division.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game repetitive and tedious, as it involves repeatedly completing the same mission types to upgrade items and shells. The risk of losing equipped gear and resources upon death adds to the frustration, while the rarity tiers seem designed to prolong the grinding experience. Overall, many feel that the game can be fully experienced within a short time, leading to a lack of motivation for continued grinding.
- “You keep repeating the same mission types while grinding to upgrade your preferred items and shells.”
- “Oh and if you die you lose everything you have equipped, including any persistent loot you've dumped time into farming and resources into upgrading.”
- “Missions can take about 10-15 minutes so you could theoretically clear them all within 2 hours and decide if it's something you want to keep doing as you'll need to do these types of missions again and again as leveling/ranking up is a tedious task.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by frequent bugs and glitches, particularly during missions, which can result in incomplete rewards even after successful completions. Players also report a lack of meaningful progression and variety, with minor upgrades that fail to enhance gameplay, contributing to an overall frustrating experience.
- “Generic samey weapons, no in-mission upgrades, annoying loot/crafting system, bad gunplay, no real progression, no variety from unlocks, all 'upgrades' are minor stat boosts that do nothing to change how the game plays, buggy missions that frequently reward only partial or zero loot even on successful completion.”
- “Picked it up with my friend, did the solo tutorial mission then grouped up and that's when glitches started in.”
- “Buggy - updates often.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is largely dependent on the player's enjoyment of grinding; those who appreciate repetitive tasks may find significant value in replaying the game, while others may not feel the same incentive.
- “If you enjoy the grind, you might find more replay value here than I did.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices that make each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With multiple endings and different character builds, there's always a reason to jump back in.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting the amusingly small inventory and the protagonist's feisty sense of humor, which adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
- “The inventory is hilariously small.”
- “And her feisty sense of humor!”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, as players appreciate the absence of ads, although some feel that the overall experience, including gun mechanics and audio, could be improved.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its intense PvE action and stunning graphics, creating an immersive experience that embodies the essence of cyberpunk.
- “The PvE action is intense, the graphics are stunning, and the atmosphere is pure cyberpunk gold.”