The surge of games like Vampire Survivors is continuing on, as a lot of these titles entered Early Access shortly after that game took gamers by storm. It’s refreshing to see these titles keep getting free updates at their already-low price point and is even better to see them reach the 1.0 status and exit the stress of development. One such title is 20 Minutes Till Dawn, a Survivors-like with a 20-minute time limit and a ton of monsters to slay. How does it fare in the sea of competitors?

What makes 20 Minutes Till Dawn special in the pack is that in a genre where 30 minutes tends to be the time for runs, you only have to survive for 20 minutes. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, 20 Minutes Till Dawn absolutely consumes your screen with enemies that you’ll have to conquer as they grow and expand in the usual one-minute increments. Luckily, you’ll have a lot at your disposal to quell these foes. You’re able to select between 12 different characters as well as weapons to fine-tune your playstyle and figure out what works best to make it through the last few tough minutes.

Don’t get it twisted: 20 Minutes Till Dawn is VERY hard, especially for a bullet heaven. Most characters only have three or four hits to spare before the run is over, so I opted to spend my first few hours learning movement patterns with the character that has seven hearts. In addition, I spent a lot of time experimenting with the available powerups and discovered that there are a lot of synergies that can really pay off. For example, mixing a power-up that triggers a lightning strike on nearby enemies every four shots is a breeze with the dual SMG that fires four shots a couple of times a second, resulting in a huge damage output.

The best feeling within 20 Minutes Till Dawn is that you can succeed in battles both with the use of summons and with a keen trigger finger. Loading up on summons can get you strong enough to not fire a single bullet for dozens of seconds, whereas a strong firearm can clear out waves of foes if the fire rate and reload speed can be managed. I leaned towards the former strategy of having tons of summons so that I gave myself wiggle room to fire only when I needed to, but all players will be sure to have fun finding what playstyle works best for them.

I should mention that I did feel some pain points when my screen got too busy and couldn’t sort out what was going on due to the limited color palette. However, 20 Minutes Till Dawn plays like a champ and is a grind worth grinding as you see what each gun does and who you love to main. Matching the super-low price point of $4.99, it’s a no-brainer for those who love to sink tons of hours into games where they can feel themselves getting stronger, earning that next upgrade they’re yearning for, and enjoying it all the while.

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20 Minutes Till Dawn

4.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Can Truly Feel Progression
• Great Hybrids in Powerups
• Well-balanced Difficulty

Cons

• Cluttered Screen at Times
• Dull Art Style