This indie game pits you against a car dealer who wields a shotgun

There are some games that are so unusual and incredible that I wish I could wipe my memory and replay them for the first time. While I haven’t found a way to achieve that goal yet, there is a fun alternative: find projects inspired by those games and appreciate them. Buckshot roulettea game created by Mike Klubnika, is a perfect example of this.

Buckshot roulette is a stark and simple horror game that lasts about 15-20 minutes. Despite being very small, I was immediately impressed by how similar it felt Encryption, Polygon’s favorite game in 2021. It’s not a 1:1 copy; while Encryption is rustic and mythical in tone, Buckshot roulette is rough and industrial. However, they both lock you into a looping scenario where you are forced into a game of life or death against a nerve-wracking opponent.

Unlike Leshy, your opponent is inside Encryption‘s early game, into the nefarious dealer Buckshot roulette plays fair. For example, there is a handcuffs item that you can use to skip the dealer’s turn. A cheater can simply refuse to use the handcuffs, but the dealer flips them over and accepts the chance of being shot in the head. I can appreciate that level of sportsmanship.

It will be a while before we see it Pony Island 2the next match of Encryption developer Daniel Mullins Games. In the meantime, Buckshot roulette serves well as a nice, short diversion. The game is available on Itch for the minimum price of $1.20.