5 Best Bullet Heaven Games, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Scarlett Tower features procedurally generated levels & dark fantasy elements, challenging yet enjoyable.
• Bounty of One offers a Wild West theme, increasingly challenging levels, & lots of gear.
• HoloCure lets players fight as Hololive idols, save fans, & unlock new abilities throughout.

Bullet heaven games are extremely fun, as they reverse the roles of bullet hell games, putting players more in an offensive than a defensive position. In this genre, it’s players who shoot endless bullets at enemies, and it’s the enemies’ job to try to avoid them in order to survive. Enemies can fight back, of course, but at least the whole situation feels a lot more balanced.

While many great bullet heaven games have been released over the years, some have unfortunately been forgotten. Others, however, have stayed afloat as players’ favorites and are still being enjoyed to this day. Here are some of the best bullet heaven games, ranked.

5 Scarlett Tower

Powerups, Magical Abilities, And A Bunch Of Fantasy

• Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC
• Developer(s): Pyxeralia
• Released: October 31, 2022
• Genre: Role-playing game video game, Shooter video game
• Procedurally generated levels, so every playthrough feels unique
• Gothic art style that fits well with the game’s concept

In Scarlett Tower, players have to face off against hordes of supernatural forces as they defend a fantasy realm. The game’s environment, while full of fantasy elements, is also dark and cold. Players will have all sorts of magical abilities, weapons and powerups to fight against the invading threat, and they must use them wisely to ensure victory.

Like in many other similar games of the genre, especially roguelikes, each level is procedurally generated, so no two experiences are the same. Along with mastering their attack timings, players will also have to perfect their dodging skills to avoid incoming attacks and reduce the damage they take. Scarlett Tower feels challenging enough to be fun, yet remains fair most of the time, making the entire experience very enjoyable.

4 Bounty Of One

Great Level Design And Increasingly Challenging Levels

• Platform(s): PC, Linux, macOS
• Developer(s): OptizOnion
• Released: August 18, 2022
• Genre: Action game, Causal game
• The color palette fits the Wild West theme
• Increasingly difficult levels as the game progresses

While not the first bullet heaven to feature a Wild West theme and elements from that time, Bounty of One is a really fun game to play thanks to its game mechanics and fast-paced action. Players take on the role of an outlaw who has a bounty on their head. They’ll have to fight off lawmen and bounty hunters who’ve come to collect it. Like other games in its genre, Bounty of One has procedurally generated levels and tons of upgrades and gear players can collect to improve their chances of survival.

As the game progresses, the number of incoming enemies will increase dramatically, raising the challenge slowly but surely, until dealing with the bounty hunters and lawmen feels almost impossible. The game’s art style is also very fitting with the overall theme, using a color palette full of yellows and browns, a classic combination used by the media to depict the Wild West.

3 Boneraiser Minions

A Necromancer Using Their Undead To Fend Off Enemies

• Friendly unit management and strategic combat
• A unique approach to bullet heaven games

While most bullet heavens focus on shooting projectiles at incoming enemies to deal with them and try to survive, Boneraiser Minions, as its name appropriately suggests, uses undead as a form of defense. Players will take on the role of a necromancer who can raise undead from their graves and use them to fend off waves of enemies. The risen undead can serve both in offensive and defensive strategies, as they can be commanded to attack, or to simply form a wall that allows the necromancer to upgrade or recover.

The game features a very pleasing pixel art style that, when combined with aggressive incoming hordes of enemies, results in a very enjoyable experience. Players looking for a bullet heaven game that relies heavily on strategy and friendly unit control should try Boneraiser Minions at least once.

2 HoloCure – Save the Fans!

A Bullet Heaven Heavily Based On The Hololive Fandom

• A great tribute to the Hololive fandom
• Players can fight as their favorite Hololive idols throughout the game

Developed in collaboration with Japanese VTuber agency Hololive, HoloCure – Save the Fans! lets players enjoy the game as their favorite VTubers, also known as Hololive idols. Each idol has unique abilities that they can use to fend off hordes of mind-controlled fans who’ve been programmed to attack them. As the game’s name suggests, the idols’ job will be to save their fans and free their minds from the trance they’re in.

Players will have to collect powerups and upgrade their abilities to survive the swarming fans and emerge victorious. As the game progresses, new idols will be unlocked, allowing for more play styles and endless possibilities. All in all, HoloCure – Save the Fans! is a great tribute to the Hololive fandom and the idols that help keep it relevant and with a strong fanbase.

1 Brotato

Action-Packed, Fun, And Very Starchy

• Simple controls that everyone can quickly understand
• Humorous designs and incredibly fun combat

As players might expect, there’s really nothing serious about Brotato, and that’s exactly what the game’s developers were aiming for. As a top-down arena-based shooter with a comedic twist, Brotato will have players control an incredibly skilled potato who must fend off waves of alien invaders by using a variety of weapons, items, and upgrades. With many roguelike elements and a thin line between bullet heaven and bullet hell combat, this title has everything players need to have hours of action-packed fun.

While other bullet heaven games sometimes have complex controls that require a learning curve, Brotato simplifies things, allowing even newcomers to feel comfortable and get the hang of the game quickly.