Enter the Gungeon

Enter the Gungeon is a 2016 bullet hell roguelike video game developed by American studio Dodge Roll and published by Devolver Digital. Set in the firearms-themed Gungeon, gameplay follows several player characters called Gungeoneers as they traverse procedurally generated rooms to find a gun that can “kill the past”. The Gungeoneers fight against bullet-shaped enemies, which are fought using both conventional and exotic weapons. Enter the Gungeon features a permadeath system, causing the Gungeoneers to lose all obtained items and start again from the first level upon death.

Between playthroughs, players can travel to an area called the Breach, where they can converse with non-player characters and unlock new items randomly encountered while playing. Enter the Gungeon is a top-down bullet hell shooter with roguelike elements. The player takes control of one of four player characters, the Marine, Convict, Hunter, or Pilot (collectively called the “Gungeoneers”), who must reach the bottom of the Gungeon to find a magical gun that can “kill the past”. The player can later complete in-game tasks to unlock more characters, which includes the Bullet, Robot, Paradox, and Gunslinger. 

Although each Gungeoneer starts out with items and weapons that are unique to the character, they can all shoot guns, knock over tables to provide cover, and dodge attacks by performing a “dodge roll” that allows them to be temporarily incapable of losing health. The player also has a limited number of “Blanks” which can be used to delete all enemy projectiles in a room and push enemies away. Combat is heavily reliant upon memorizing patterns of enemy behavior, and using both cover and dodge rolls to avoid bullets. The Gungeon is made up of five different floors, each having roughly twenty rooms inside. The layout and rewards of each level are procedurally generated from a number of pre-created rooms, and are inhabited by bullet-shaped enemies called Gundead. 

To defeat Gundead, the player must use a wide variety of guns and items; they can be obtained by unlocking chests with keys or through shops and boss fights. As players slay enemies, they obtain in-game currencies (Contextualized in the form of bullet casings) and keys; the former can be spent at shops in exchange for guns and items, and the latter can be used to unlock chests. Obtained guns can range from conventional pistols and rifles, to more exotic firearms such as a unicorn horn that fires rainbows or a mailbox that shoots envelopes. Each level ends with a random boss that must be slain to advance to the next floor. 

Similar to other roguelikes, Enter the Gungeon has a permadeath system; If the player dies, they lose all items and guns obtained on a playthrough and must start again at the first floor. As the player progresses through multiple playthroughs, they may encounter non-player characters (NPCs) inside the Gungeon. Once encountered, NPCs either set up shop inside the Gungeon, or travel to the Breach, a hub world. At the Breach, the player can unlock new items that randomly generate inside the Gungeon, or can talk with NPCs to accept services and quests. Both actions involve spending an in-game currency acquired from defeating bosses, with unlocked guns increasing the weapon options available on a playthrough.