As games grow in popularity, so will the self-coined terms players create, especially when the phrase instantly resonates with the community.
Bullet heaven and bullet hell are no different.
My first introduction to the bullet heaven genre was a backhanded mistake when I discovered Vampire Survivors (one of my all-time favorites).
Then later on, as I explored other games, I saw bullet hell and heaven circulating.
But what places a game into one of these genres?
To help others (like you) quickly and easily understand the nuances of each, I figured a fun little guide would do the job.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
- Bullet Hell Games: Players dodge wave after wave of projectiles, squeezing through tiny gaps of enemies, and rely on sharp reflexes to survive.
- Bullet Hell Examples: Touhou Project, Ikaruga, Enter the Gungeon.
- Bullet Heaven Games: You’re still required to dodge enemies and their projectiles, but at some point, you’re the one causing the chaos and doing the most damage.
- Bullet Heaven Examples: Vampire Survivors, 20 Minutes Till Dawn, and games like Brotato
- The Difference: Bullet hell, you survive the storm, and bullet heaven, you create it.
- The Overlap: Both lean on roguelike and roguelite design with random runs, permadeath, and upgrades.
- Player Preference: If you’re someone who likes pain and misery, roguelike bullet hell games are for you. But if you’re looking for a laid-back, satisfying climb to a god-like state of dominance, roguelite bullet heaven is the way to go.
What is a Bullet Hell Game?
Bullet hell video games, also known as maniac shooters, originate from the Japanese term “Danmaku,” meaning “barrage” or “bullet curtain.”
I’ll admit, this was new to me, and something I learned while doing research for this article.
Very interesting.
Ok, back at it.
In simple terms, a bullet hell game is one where the player is surrounded by an overwhelming amount of projectiles, forcing them to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. Perfect for those itching for hyper-fast reflex gameplay.
Key Features of Bullet Hell Games
- Bullet swarms: Your screen is packed with projectiles.
- Play pattern: You need to learn enemy attacks and react fast.
- Tight dodging: Players must slip through tiny gaps to stay alive.
- Brutal challenge: These games demand sharp reflexes and focus.
- Examples: Touhou Project, Ikaruga, Enter the Gungeon.
Types of Bullet Hell Games and Examples
Below are the various types of bullet hell games and some examples:
| Type | Examples | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet Hell Browser Games | Realm of the Mad God, Frantic 3, Death vs. Monstars, Flash Flash Revolution: R2 | Browser/PC |
| 3D Bullet Hell | Returnal, Rez Infinite, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor | PS5, PC (Returnal, Rez), Wii/Wii U (Sin & Punishment), VR (Rez) |
| Best Bullet Hell on Steam | Crimzon Clover WORLD EXplosion, ZeroRanger, BLUE REVOLVER, Danmaku Unlimited 3 | PC (Steam) |
| Popular Bullet Hell Games | Mushihimesama, Touhou Project, Ikaruga, DoDonPachi Resurrection | Switch/PC (Mushihimesama, DoDonPachi), PC (Touhou), Switch/PC/Xbox (Ikaruga) |
| Top-Down Bullet Hell | Enter the Gungeon, Assault Android Cactus, Nuclear Throne | PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Famous Bullet Hell Classics | Radiant Silvergun, Touhou Project, DoDonPachi Resurrection, Mushihimesama | Switch/PC (DoDonPachi, Mushihimesama), Switch/Xbox 360 (Radiant Silvergun), PC (Touhou) |
| Bullet Hell Spaceship Games | Ikaruga, Crimzon Clover, Jamestown+, Gunvein, Rolling Gunner, Eschatos | PC, Switch, PlayStation (Jamestown+), Xbox (Eschatos) |
| Indie Bullet Hell | ZeroRanger, BLUE REVOLVER, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, Monolith | PC (Steam/itch.io) |
| 2D Bullet Hell | Touhou Project, Danmaku Unlimited 3, Mushihimesama, Crimzon Clover | PC, Switch |
| Boss-Rush Bullet Hell | Cuphead (bullet hell-inspired), Furi, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart | PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Hybrid Bullet Hell (Non-Shmup) | Undertale, NieR: Automata, Deltarune | PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox |
What Was The First Bullet Hell Game?
Developed and published by Toaplan from Japan, Batsugun was released in 1993 and (accidentally) kicked off the bullet hell genre.
This vertical-style arcade game puts players in the seat of a fighter pilot as they defeat enemies in a satisfying spray-and-pray fashion.
What is a Bullet Heaven Game?
On the other hand, bullet heaven, also known as reverse bullet hell, flips the script.
Instead of players dodging swarms of bullets from enemies or a singular boss, the player becomes the reign of terror. Some dodging and strategic maneuvers are still required, but less so late-game.
To me (and many), these games are much easier and more satisfying.
When a build comes together, you feel invincible and god-like. In some cases, you find yourself standing still for minutes, killing hundreds or thousands of enemies with ease.
Key Features of Bullet Heaven Games
- Endless hordes: Enemies flood the screen alongside your bullets.
- You fire the storm: Players’ builds unleash nonstop projectiles.
- Power scaling: Upgrades snowball into screen-clearing attacks.
- Survival runs: The goal is to outlast waves and chase longer runs.
- Fan favorites: Vampire Survivors, HoloCure, 20 Minutes Till Dawn.
Types of Bullet Heaven Games and Examples
Below are the various types of bullet heaven games and some examples:
| Type | Examples | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Popular Bullet Heaven Games | Vampire Survivors, Brotato, 20 Minutes Till Dawn | PC (Steam), Switch, Xbox, iOS, Android |
| Mobile Bullet Heaven Games | Survivor.io, 20 Minutes Till Dawn, Brotato, Vampire Survivors | iOS, Android |
| Free Bullet Heaven Games | HoloCure, Magic Survival | PC (HoloCure), Mobile (Magic Survival) |
| Underrated Indie Bullet Heaven Games | Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde, Nomad Survival, Otherworld Legends | PC (Steam), Switch (Spirit Hunters), PC/Mobile (others) |
| Bullet Heaven with RPG Elements | Warm Snow, Scarlet Tower, Army of Ruin | PC (Steam), Switch/PlayStation/Xbox (Warm Snow), PC (others) |
| Bullet Heaven Roguelikes | Brotato, Spirit Hunters, Halls of Torment | PC (Steam), Switch (Brotato/Spirit Hunters), PC (Halls of Torment) |
| Bullet Heaven with Co-Op | Spirit Hunters (couch co-op), Soulstone Survivors (planned), Bounty of One | PC (Steam), Switch (Spirit Hunters), PC (others) |
| Console Bullet Heaven Games | Vampire Survivors, Brotato, Spirit Hunters | Switch, Xbox, PlayStation (titles vary) |
What Was The First Bullet Heaven Game?
This one is up for debate, but many recognize Magic Survival as the first bullet heaven game. If you would like to learn more, here is a link to its Google Play page and the Magic Survival Wiki.
The reason I say this is slightly up for debate is because, although Magic Survival is still a cult classic to many, the growth and virality of Vampire Survivors was the launch pad for many of the bullet heaven games we now know and love today.
Similarities and Differences: Bullet Hell vs. Bullet Heaven
I really like the way lexington_89 said it in this Reddit post:
“Try looking at it this way: bullet hells are, well, hells, because the player is showered in bullets from enemies. So bullet heaven is the other way around. You are no longer in bullet hell; you are not suffering from a shower of bullets. Now, it’s bullet heaven for you because you are not suffering anymore; rather, you are making everything else suffer, putting the enemy in a bullet hell.”
To help summarize everything, here’s a quick overview of the two:
| Aspect | Bullet Hell Games | Bullet Heaven Games | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Gameplay | Dodge dense, screen-filling bullet patterns. | Fire endless projectiles to clear swarms of enemies. | Direct opposites in focus. |
| Viewpoint | Typically, 2D, vertical, horizontal, or top-down shooters. | Typically, a 2D, top-down, arena survival style. | Both genres lean heavily on 2D top-downs, but not always. |
| Player Role | Don’t die. Dodge intricate attacks. | Attack and scale damage toward an ‘unkillable’ state. | Inverse mechanics. |
| Challenge | Precision dodging and memorization. | Requires smart build choices and crowd control. | Both test survival skills and gameplay strategy in different ways. |
| Difficulty Curve | Steep and punishing from the start. | Gradual, with power spikes mid-run. | Different pacing of difficulty. |
| Progression | Structured stages and bosses with set patterns. | Endless waves with upgrades. | Different approaches to progression. |
| Community Buzz | Rose to prominence in the 90s–2000s arcades and PC. | Exploded in 2021 after Vampire Survivors. | Different eras of popularity. |
| Notable Examples | Touhou Project, Ikaruga, Enter the Gungeon. | Vampire Survivors, Brotato, 20 Minutes Till Dawn. | Both genres are fun 🙂 |
What About Roguelikes and Roguelites?
Depending on where you are in your bullet hell or heaven journey, you might have seen roguelike and roguelite cycle into the conversation.
I won’t spend a lot of time here since we have a great guide on What is the Difference Between Roguelikes vs. Roguelites, but in general, here’s a quick overview of how they fit into the discussion.
How they fit here: Bullet hell and bullet heaven games borrow a ton from roguelike design. The roguelike side gives you that “one mistake and it’s over” feeling with randomized runs, while roguelites give us meta progression to ease the pain of dying.
Roguelikes: Think strict permadeath, no shortcuts, and every run starting from zero. Pure skill decides how far you get.
Roguelites: These are a little more forgiving. You keep progressing, unlocking new gear and characters, and slowly acquire power across runs, regardless of how often you die.
Where they overlap: Both thrive on replayability and randomization, which is precisely why bullet hell and bullet heaven games hook us.
If you’re someone who likes pain and misery, roguelike bullet hell games are for you.
But if you’re looking for a laid-back, satisfying climb to a god-like state of dominance, roguelite bullet heaven is the way to go.
Wrapping Things Up
Well, I hope that if you made it this far, you have a better understanding of the bullet heaven vs. bullet hell genres.
To quickly recap before we go:
- Bullet hell games require intense focus and dexterity to dodge bullets and projectiles from bosses and other enemies on screen.
- Bullet heaven games are the opposite. At some point, you put the enemies in a hell-like state, while you spray projectiles and clear waves with ease.
Both are fun and come with their own unique nuances. What matters most is that you play each and get a feel for them.
I hope you enjoyed reading. This one was fun to write.
See you next time.