There is no other game quite like Devil Daggers. Created by Sorath and originally launched in 2016, Devil Daggers is a contest of skill and perseverance, its steadily increasing difficulty calling to mind Gears of War’s horde mode, its bullet hell design offering an FPS game spin on shmups like Ikaruga or Battle Garegga, and its infernal visuals taking notes from Doom or Quake. It’s a tremendous work, endlessly compelling and, best of all, available for just under $3 USD right now.
The comparisons listed above might help to give an idea of what to expect from Devil Daggers, but they can’t entirely capture exactly what it’s like to play the FPS game. Set in a lo fi abyss, the player character’s hand extends forward, shooting daggers at the enemies that come floating or slithering out of the black to kill them. The goal of the game is simply to survive for as long as possible, gathering crystals to upgrade the daggers, and learning how to maneuver around the arena.
Its visuals and sound design make playing Devil Daggers feel like falling into a terrible nightmare, while its scoring system encourages returning over and over again to see how long you can survive its oppressive and dangerous world. Sorath followed up Devil Daggers with 2022’s Hyper Demon, which is also great but, in our opinion, loses some of the refined simplicity of this first project.
Devil Daggers is discounted by 70% on GOG right now, making it just $2.20 USD / £2.09. You can grab a copy right here.
Or, if you’d rather check out other games like Devil Daggers, take a look at our picks for the top horror games and indie games on PC.
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