Rank 01Games like CRUEL
- 33 games
- Updated Nov 3, 2026
Players who liked CRUEL also play
The closest matches to CRUEL: ODDCORE, Bloodshed, MULLET MADJACK, Tower of Guns, and Soulslinger: Envoy of Death. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02- Trending
- 52 new reviews this week
Rank 03Why this
Shares weapon upgrades and roguelite progression with CRUEL.
- $12.99 (Price checked Nov 3)
- Deck Verified
- 2024
Rank 04 
Tower of Guns
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Perma Death, like CRUEL.
Rank 05 
Rank 06 
KILL KNIGHT
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and wave based survival with CRUEL.
Rank 07 
Anger Foot
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Gore, like CRUEL.
Rank 08 
Immortal Redneck
Why this: Shares procedural generation with CRUEL.
The full ranked list: top 24 games like CRUEL
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
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Shares loadout customization and checkpoint based progression with CRUEL.
- 97% of 1,673 reviews
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- Released: 2025
- Developer: James Dornan
- Price: $9.99checked Nov 3
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 95% of 1,223 reviews
- Genres: Action, Indie
- Platforms: Windows
Players highlight
- Bullet parry mechanic with a bat
- Combat feels satisfyingly precise
- Combo system rewarding aggressive play
- Dark
- Funny
- Hypnotic
More games like CRUEL, sliced differently
Reviewers mention these as similar to CRUEL
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below CRUEL at current Steam store prices.
SATAN
Why this: Shares checkpoint based progression and real time combat with CRUEL.
POSTAL: Brain Damaged
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Shoot 'Em Up, like CRUEL.
Kill The Crows
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and loadout customization with CRUEL.
Deformed
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and checkpoint based progression with CRUEL.
Scrappage
Why this: Shares combo based combat and roguelite progression with CRUEL.
DEAD TRASH
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Gore, like CRUEL.
Turbo Overkill
Why this: Shares procedural generation with CRUEL.
DOGENSTEIN
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and wave based survival with CRUEL.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to CRUEL, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
PAPERHEAD EP.0
Why this: Shares combo based combat and real time combat with CRUEL.
STRAFTAT
Why this: Shares real time combat with CRUEL.
Darkenstein 3D
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Perma Death, like CRUEL.
Evil Egg
Why this: Shares combo based combat and roguelite progression with CRUEL.
10 Minutes Till Dawn
Why this: Also Rogue-like and Shoot 'Em Up, like CRUEL.
Hellbound: Survival Mode
Why this: Shares wave based survival with CRUEL.
I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1
Why this: Also Shoot 'Em Up and Post-apocalyptic, like CRUEL.
Intravenous 2: Mercenarism
Why this: Shares loadout customization and real time combat with CRUEL.
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
ODDCORE
Why this: Shares checkpoint based progression and real time combat with CRUEL.
- 52 new reviews this week
- Trending
Bloodshed
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and loadout customization with CRUEL.
MULLET MADJACK
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and roguelite progression with CRUEL.
KILL KNIGHT
Why this: Shares weapon upgrades and wave based survival with CRUEL.
Anger Foot
Why this: Also Boomer Shooter and Gore, like CRUEL.
About CRUEL
The closest matches to CRUEL: ODDCORE, Bloodshed, MULLET MADJACK, Tower of Guns, and Soulslinger: Envoy of Death. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If CRUEL is your kind of game, the closest matches are ODDCORE, Bloodshed and MULLET MADJACK — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as dark, funny and hypnotic, and single out its boss fights and checkpoint based progression. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
CRUEL is a 2025 action indie boomer shooter from solo developer James Dornan that tasks players with surviving procedurally generated runs through challenging combat encounters and boss fights. The game centers on a bullet-parry combat system using a bat that rewards aggressive play with combo-based progression and gambling mechanics that layer risk onto already punishing runs. Checkpoint-based progression and loadout customization provide structure across arcade-style action-adventure sessions, while defenestration mechanics add verticality to the fast-paced combat. Players describe the dark humor and hidden Easter eggs as standing out among the experience. Available for $9.99, the game runs playable on Steam Deck and holds a 95% positive rating from over 1,200 Steam reviews.
About CRUEL: A fast run and gun horror shooter with roguelike elements
Is CRUEL worth buying?
Players recommend it
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 94% of 1,223 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- Price: $9.99 (checked Nov 8).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 5 h when they wrote their review.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Bullet parry mechanic with a bat
- Combat feels satisfyingly precise
- Combo system rewarding aggressive play
- Dark humor and easter eggs shine
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“The gameplay mechanic and shooting is very fun, and the game's style is very appealing (to me), however, I ended up refunding it. Mainly because the gameplay loop didn't appeal to me. And I'm not talking about rouge-like in general because…”
People who play it also play: ODDCORE, Bloodshed, MULLET MADJACK
Frequently asked about CRUEL
Can I run it?
Does CRUEL run on Steam Deck?
CRUEL is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
How much does CRUEL cost?
CRUEL is listed on Steam at 9.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
What games are most similar to CRUEL?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside CRUEL are ODDCORE, Bloodshed, MULLET MADJACK.
Who developed CRUEL?
CRUEL was developed by James Dornan.