Mike’s Favorite Bullet Heavens of 2023

Without a doubt, my most-played genre of games this year was the Bullet Heaven. This is thanks to the surge in popularity brought about by Vampire Survivors in 2022, which I not only couldn’t shake, but fell headfirst into as 2023 progressed. There’s just something about the consistent Rogue-lite progression, the high skill ceiling, and the frenetic last few minutes that make this a perfect kind of game to absorb in short playthroughs. Of all the Bullet Heaven games that came out in 2023, allow me to share the best of the bunch that stood out from the crowd.

Soulstone Survivors

The best bullet heaven and one of the best roguelites I’ve ever played Soulstone Survivors is the whole package – and it’s not even done with its content. An unreal amount of depth, huge upgrade trees, massively-different characters to level up dozens of times, and one of the most rewarding grinds I’ve ever willingly and happily gone through gave me 61 hours of playtime. All on Steam Deck with no crashes and a bearable framerate considering everything happening on screen at once. I can’t wait for more characters to be released so I can keep coming back to this excellent game.

Halls of Torment

Take one glance at Halls of Torment and it’s easy to compare it to Diablo. While it honors that art style magnificently, it’s also a stellar bullet heaven that has quite varied gameplay and a treasure trove of unlockables. Many playstyles can be experimented with in this title, and just about every run, you’ll be getting more and more content to engage in thanks to tons of specific quests that encourage you to try everything out. I got 28 hours out of Halls of Torment in 2023 and more will come with the fifth map, which should be released in 2024.

Nebula

Some bullet heavens are going to fly under the radar, just because there are so many to sift through. One that came in January of 2023 was Nebula, which sets the stage for a space battle as you pilot a spaceship against immeasurable odds. I kept pushing through Nebula thanks to its vibrant visuals, an array of upgrades, and feeling as powerful as can be late in the runs. This one stalled to single-digits at times on a Steam Deck, but otherwise ran acceptably as I felt comfortable 100 percenting the game with 14 hours well spent.

Primal Survivors

In a recent Steam sale, I purchased a $30 bundle that contained 10+ Bullet Heaven games. I knew some would be stinkers, but held out for even a few good ones. Luckily, I came across Primal Survivors, and I’m currently enjoying its unique aesthetic, its high level of difficulty, and its ease of upgrade paths. The bosses are no pushover and I’ve yet to beat the hardest difficulty, but will tackle it in no time after a few more upgrade-centric runs. This is likely developer Old School Vibes’ early work, so I’d be thrilled to see what comes in the future from the savvy devs that cranked out an impressive Bullet Heaven like this.