Tower of Guns

About

"Tower of Guns" is a fast-paced, lunch-break compatible FPS with randomized elements for added replayability. Encounter random enemies, powerups, and bosses across unique levels, with tons of unlockable items and weapons at your disposal. Experience unexpected challenges and power-ups, such as controlling time or becoming a giant bouncing bullet. The game provides a full experience in single sittings, with the challenge of winning within a few hours.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,046 reviews

gameplay46 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Fast-paced and chaotic gameplay that keeps players engaged.
Unique art style and humorous randomized storylines add charm to the experience.
High replayability due to randomly generated levels and a variety of weapons and upgrades.

Some players find the gunplay unsatisfying and lacking impact.
Limited variety in enemies and repetitive level design can lead to boredom.
The game can feel unbalanced, with some bosses being disproportionately difficult compared to regular enemies.

gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
9%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its fast-paced, bullet-hell mechanics reminiscent of classic FPS games like Quake, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. The gun leveling system adds a unique twist, but many find the overall experience clunky and unpolished, leading to frustration rather than satisfaction. Despite its charming aesthetic and humor, the gameplay often feels one-dimensional and can become tedious over time, making it a hit or miss depending on player preferences.
- “Definitely fun and worthwhile for a quick blasting now and then without tying you down with a story or complicated game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is fast and incredibly challenging, the overall design from enemies, to weapons, to the huge rooms is creative and amazing, the dialogue in this game is diverse and funny.”
- “Fast, fun, comfortable, has a gorgeous aesthetic and clean mechanics.”
- “Boring and repetitive, the mechanics are very clunky and the whole experience feels very slapped together and unpolished.”
- “This game is boring, and the gameplay gets repetitive very quickly.”
- “Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it for everybody, due to the repetitive nature of its gameplay loop.”
story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The story in "Tower of Guns" is largely minimal and serves primarily as a humorous backdrop to the gameplay, with players experiencing randomly generated narratives that vary with each run. While some players appreciate the quirky and light-hearted dialogue, many feel that the story lacks depth and is often forgettable, with gameplay taking precedence over narrative. Overall, the game offers a fun, fast-paced shooting experience, but those seeking a rich storyline may find it lacking.
- “The different injected storylines add a good bit of humor to the game and for the most part keep you focused on what the end goal is.”
- “Each playthrough takes place in a randomly chosen series of maps with a randomly chosen story, and you just have to get to the boss and move on to the next floor.”
- “Just the right amount of humor in the form of ridiculous 'backstory' for your character each run - e.g. you're the grocery delivery boy for an elderly lady who lives on the top floor of the tower, but the neighbor owns all the murderous robots.”
- “The stories are, by necessity, surface-level; losing a run means the plot gets cut short, so it makes sense for the developer to have ~20 small stories instead of a few big ones.”
- “If you're looking for a game with story and deep things, you will be dearly disappointed.”
- “There isn't much of a story to speak of.”
graphics
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The graphics of "Tower of Guns" are characterized by a stylized, cel-shaded aesthetic reminiscent of the "Borderlands" series, which some players find charming and fitting for the game's fast-paced, chaotic gameplay. However, many reviews note that the visuals are basic and dated, with low-resolution models and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. While the art style has its fans, it often feels more like a nostalgic throwback than a modern graphical achievement, leading to mixed opinions on its quality.
- “Graphically, everything is heavily stylized, almost like a cartoon or comic book.”
- “The graphics are good, gameplay smooth and mechanics balanced.”
- “The art style is amazing, gameplay is fluent, and the music is perfect.”
- “The graphics and GUI leave a lot to be desired, but that's part of its charm, and the simpler graphics often make it easier to play.”
- “I thought I was buying an FPS bullet-hell action platformer, but what I got felt more like a graphic design student's final project for the semester.”
- “However, pretty crap graphics for Unreal 3 standards and mediocre gunplay turn a great concept into a forgettable experience.”
music
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
40%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its charm, catchiness, and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and irritating. Many appreciate the unique soundtracks that fit the game's tone, but a significant number of users note that the music can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, it may not appeal to everyone and can detract from the experience for some players.
- “The music is charming and weird, threatening when it needs to be.”
- “The very best roguelite FPS you'll ever play -- containing a memorable soundtrack that still pops in my head to this day even though I picked up this game three years ago.”
- “The music is excellent; you need to listen to it for yourself to believe it, but it fits perfectly with the game.”
- “The music is repetitive and annoying.”
- “The soundtrack is flat out bad - replace it with anything else that's pleasant, but not too energizing, because the game is far from being fast-paced and is more about paying attention to your surroundings and prioritizing your targets.”
- “The music, as well, might start to grate on you as some of the tracks are particularly repetitive (and the options menu is severely lacking in volume control).”
humor
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
4%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, random storylines and witty dialogue, which add a light-hearted charm to the gameplay. Players appreciate the funny and often absurd narratives that accompany each run, enhancing the overall experience despite the game's challenging nature. While some find the humor inconsistent or fleeting, the general consensus is that it effectively complements the fast-paced action and engaging mechanics.
- “The game has a very goofy sense of humor, which mostly comes across in the variety of possible randomly selected stories each game can have.”
- “The dialogue is hilariously goofy and changes every playthrough.”
- “It's fun, fast-paced, challenging, funny, and it's got hug bots.”
- “It is supposed to be funny, but the jokes fall flat.”
- “The humor feels forced and often misses the mark.”
- “I expected a lot of laughs, but the comedic elements are disappointing.”
replayability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
46%
6%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its procedural generation, diverse weaponry, and unlockable content that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some reviewers note limitations due to repetitive room designs and a lack of meaningful randomization, which can diminish the overall replay value. Overall, while many find it highly replayable, others feel it falls short of expectations, particularly for roguelike enthusiasts.
- “Very short and insane game, probably one of the few single-player games that's actually replayable because for every time you start a new game, even if it's the same level, the design on the level changes.”
- “It's got infinite replayability, a wide variety of guns, perks, abilities, and levels to play with.”
- “Simply put, Tower of Guns is an incredibly refreshing, infinitely replayable tribute to both roguelikes and the fast-paced shooters of yesteryear.”
- “Overall, I'd strongly recommend this game to fast-paced shooter fans, but roguelike fans might be dissatisfied with the lack of meaningful randomization and thus, replayability.”
- “There isn't enough replayability to justify the price tag, even on sale, much less at full price.”
- “But it has limited replayability due to the relatively small selection of items, low variety in enemies, short length, and semi-procedural level design, which means that you will, after just a few runs, start seeing the same rooms again and again.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its engaging and varied environments, complemented by a mix of beautiful art style and atmospheric music. While some reviews note that the sound effects could be improved, the overall ambiance is described as immersive, with dynamic difficulty and a wealth of secrets enhancing the experience. The combination of humor, unique enemy designs, and a nostalgic old-school vibe contributes to a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested.
- “The atmosphere is engrossing, the enemies are varied and interesting, the difficulty is dynamic, every encounter feels different, and perhaps best of all, the game is absolutely chock full of secrets and easter eggs.”
- “Beautiful art style, simple and familiar mechanics, logical gameplay, witty engaging plot(s), atmospheric music, and of course plenty of action.”
- “Most of the sound effects are fine, but it could have really elevated the atmosphere with some better audio.”
- “Comedy attempts as an excuse for no atmosphere, and nonsensical everything.”
- “This game submerges you in a classic old-school atmosphere of all-metal levels that represent the highly individualized stories of a ridiculously humongous and purposeless tower full of concealed areas with perks existing for no reason.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling bogged down by the slow navigation and the need to repeatedly clear similar rooms filled with the same enemies. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of engaging content, as well as the feeling that essential weapons and features are locked behind monotonous grinding, detracting from the overall experience.
- “It's too clunky, too much stuff is going on and navigating the levels feels too slow and tedious.”
- “It feels tedious clearing similar rooms with the same enemies over and over again.”
- “There's just not much to do in this game, and it quickly feels like you are grinding and doing the same things over and over.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance and high frame rates on capable hardware. However, some users experience significant performance issues, including low frame rates and the inability to adjust settings mid-game, which detracts from the experience. Despite these mixed reviews, the game's use of Unreal Engine is noted for its potential to deliver good performance.
- “No performance issues running on: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 3070.”
- “The performance is pretty good; the game runs smoothly at all times.”
- “This is the only game I have ever played where dropping down to 20 FPS or below made me say 'that was awesome' rather than 'this game is an unoptimized piece of junk.'”
- “- poor performance, even with all settings disabled.”
- “- can't change control or performance settings without aborting the game in progress.”
- “I get smooth frames, well over 60, no stuttering or anything to that effect, and yet after usually about 20 minutes or so, I become nauseated to the point that I have to stop.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The game exhibits several stability issues, including glitches that can cause players to become stuck or experience freezes, particularly on lower-end hardware like laptops. While it runs smoothly on platforms like the Steam Deck and desktops, users have noted that experimenting with different modes can lead to game-breaking bugs. Overall, while the game is somewhat buggy, many still find it enjoyable.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck as well.”
- “Runs great on my desktop.”
- “I encountered a couple of glitches where I couldn't move.”
- “The game freezes and crashes routinely.”
- “I've come across a few glitches, such as undying enemies and getting stuck in walls, which isn't too much of an issue since they have a character reset option.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find "Tower of Guns" to be a wholesome and fun experience, enhanced by its unique, randomly generated narrative that can be humorous, touching, or thought-provoking. The game is noted for its emotional depth, with developers embedding personal insights that reflect the creative process behind the game, giving it a distinct human touch.
- “Tower of Guns, however, stands out as a game with a human soul to it; from the 'randomly generated' plot every time you play (mostly humorous, but in a few cases touching, or in a few rarer cases thought-provoking) to the little hints and insights the developer has left in the game to tell you about not just the game itself but the process that went into it.”