Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel

Game has potential but as of current version (0.4) it's a clear no from me, it's just not fun. And I'm saying this ater spending hundreds of hours in similar games such as Hall of Torment, Rogue Genesia, Soulstone Survivors, Conquest Dark, Vampire Survivor, Brotato, Deeprock Survivor, Yet Another Zombie Survivors, etc. If you're looking for a VS-like game to play next, any of the games I've named is worth it (YATS is mid though). The Good: - Art design - Animations The Meh: - Having objectives popping up during a stage is an interesting feature, it gives something to work toward to. I like the fact that I can pick what vent will be next. However those objectives are mandatory and should be made optional instead. Some of them are pretty boring as well: "collect 30 mushrooms" and each mushrooms requires standing on top of it for 1sec... Bro, it's a bullet hell / heaven, locking players movements to a tiny area, even for a short amount of time, feels like shit. Just let the mushrooms be picked up magnet style like gold / xp crystals. Another example of an event was "survive 1min with a debuff that reduces your movement speed", which feels really, really bad. The Bad: - It's boring. The skills feel un-impactful, the talents upgrades feel un-impactful, leveling up feels un-impactful, the loots feel un-impactful, the buffs feel un-impactful... I see lots of skills being cast by my character on my screen but everything is taking ages to die, and I was only in easy/normal. There's zero feeling of power in the difficulties where we should be oneshotting mobs with just auto-attacks for FUN. Like I said, HoH has potential, so wait & see.

This is another great top down shooter. It is not the hardest that I have played, although I have died plenty of times. This game manged to pull me away from Yet Another Zombie Survivors, which I have played loads. This also works really well on the Steam Deck. This type of game is my favorite on the Steam Deck. I like the characters, the bosses, the gods, and the weapons. I think that I will be losing a lot of hours to this game. I purchased this game in the sale and it was a great buy.

I got Hordes of Hel thinking it’d be a little roguelite throwaway—y’know, something to crack open on the Steamdeck while I decompose on the porcelain throne. A couple of runs, a couple of wipes, call it a day. I was wrong. This game is NOT poop-tier. It is poop-enhanced. What started as a casual “lemme see what this is” has turned into “babe I’ll be out in a bit, I’m… uh… busy.” I have completely restructured my digestive rhythm to maximize time spent playing this chaotic, crunchy, violently satisfying gem of a game. You like roguelites? Good. You like fast runs that make you say “ok one more” fifty-seven times? Good. You want a game that feels like Diablo but strips out the spreadsheet crap and leaves you with just the good slashy-slashy dopamine? HEL yes. The controls are tight, the upgrades feel meaningful, and the combat absolutely slaps. You want a game where every run feels like a punk rock Viking fever dream and somehow never gets old? This is it. It's like the devs put actual effort into it or something, which is suspicious, but appreciated. Plus they keep updating it. Like… more than they should? It's getting new features, polish, love—hell, even the bugs feel charming. I’ve played AAA games with less soul than this. If you’re into: Tight combat and buttery movement Dying stupidly and immediately doing it again Supporting devs who give a damn Sitting way too long and realizing your legs are asleep Roguelites that don’t waste your damn time Then Hordes of Hel isn’t just worth it—it’s a lifestyle choice. This isn’t bathroom gaming. This is throne-based domination. 10/10 would ruin my lower back again.

I got this game on a whim and wound up really liking it. The art style is good, mechanics are interesting and considering I sunk roughly 10 hours into it the first day I played it, would recommend.

core mechanics. turned up to 10. +amazing graphics,framerates +polished missions: objectives, monster types, monster waves, time constraints,traps +difficulty just right. +music -long loadtimes.

Coming from games like Soul Stone Survivors, Deep Rock Galactic Survivors, and Risk of Rain 2, this game feels right at home. I especially enjoy its unique twist on the genre of an epic nordic theme. It is a solid beginning, and I am excited to see how this game evolves over time. Give it a chance, you will enjoy it!

It's not terrible, it has potential, but in it's current state, it's just not very exciting. Gameplay feels slow and basic, I feel it simply doesn't get exciting, your build doesn't really go anywhere. You have such a limited amount of skills/passives, of which most feel unimpactful. Most skills are just a trade off, level a skill, to improve one stat, but nerf another. Most "Evolves" (It's just level 4 a skill, instead of level 3), are the same, slightly more damage, but lose all AoE capabilities, or something like that. Passive pool is bloated with useless garbage, many of which can't even be leveled. Meta talent tree, is also pretty boring, kinda small, with few options, but with ramping costs, progression is slow and grindy. And it's all just for mostly very tiny, passive improvements, or unlocking "Evolves" (Level 4 of a skill, instead of level 3).

Fun game with nice visuals, nothing groundbreaking but a decent take on the action rougelike.

Fun survivor like, lots of meta progression and characters to unlock. Check it out if you like the genre

After 2 hours play this game, i feel this game's not terrible, it has potential, but im not excited in the system. - Art design -> Beautiful! - Animations -> Better than many games in same Roguelike genre! But the big problem is when the countdown timer ends if you don't summon the boss you will be considered a loser. -> If so why doesn't the system automatically summon when the time is about to run out? The design of the skill tree feels unapproachable and sketchy to me personally. It is a bit disappointing compared to other games in the Rouguelike genre because the cost is higher but perhaps it is just used to invest more in the game's graphics. Hope the game gets more updates, also have some expectations in the future, I'm willing to pay extra for any DLC if the system is improved more.

I'm posting a review because I'm tired of seeing this get review bombed by people with 1 or 2 hours played saying its hard, not much content, and skills/upgrades do nothing. This game can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. Read the multipliers on the maps and modifiers. Yes it can scale up quickly and catch you off guard if you're not paying attention. Skill points are essential to gaining power; giving new abilities, upgrades to current ones, and tons of passive buffs. Also, if you actually pay attention to what you're upgrading, both in game and in the skill tree, your decisions have huge affects on your abilities. Every point actually matters. Build variety is plentiful, I tried each character a couple times, but I've mained one character most of my time playing and I've never played them the same each time. You can reset the skill trees for free, allowing you switch up your style at any time. I have a certain path I take when doing easier maps, for grinding out skill points. Another for pushing max damage to get access to a higher difficulty/map. Different damage builds for AoE burst, DoTs, CC focused, auto attack focused, you get the point. The skill tree expands a decent bit as you play, it affects the game, and your play style, greatly. You also unlock different weapons that can change the way you want to build your character. Maps looks great, enemies look great, graphics are amazing and well optimized. This is a great game as it is, and I hope the devs continue adding to it because it has potential to be the best in it's genre.

I didn't want to give a negative assessment, but I have to. The game has a good art design. It's an average soundtrack (but there's very little of it yet). But there is no main feature of games of this genre - the variability of the passage. Skills are boring, locations are boring, bosses are boring. It's a pity, but 3 out of 10.

The game is ok, but feels unreallistically difficult. Compared to Deeprock Survivor or Brotato, I feel like the curve on this one is just too much.

While the visuals and theme are all very well done including the bosses, the core of the game lacks a lot at this time. Leveling is quite slow compared to most bullet heavens, so build variety lacks because of that. There's also no combos or fusions of skills which lead to even less variety because you're locked into the same basic skills over and over again. If they were to improve upon this, it would make a big difference in my opinion. Right now, it doesn't really stand out compared to most bullet heavens.

IMHO, with Yet Another Zombie Survivors, these two games are easily can be placed among the top 5 of Vimpire Survivors-like games. If you like the genre, and I like it A LOT, give the game a chance.

It is a really good game of it's type. Controls well. looks good. Only complaint is that some terms and game systems are not explained at all. edit 6 hrs in. Just a grind on same 2 maps. Yawn. Nope.

Honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. It's just pure fun if you like hack and slash with a Norse mythology vibe. Combat feels really solid, hits have weight, and clearing out huge groups of enemies never gets old. It gets pretty intense at times, but in a good way. The atmosphere is dark and gritty, which fits perfectly. Boss fights are also a nice challenge without being unfair. There's no story or anything, but it doesn’t really need one. You're here to wreck Hel’s minions, and the game lets you do that in the most satisfying way possible. If you're into fast-paced melee combat and Norse settings, definitely give it a try. Totally worth it.

Great game, and i like the viking style of it. Makes it fun and interesting. Its a slower pace then others in the genre but thats not a negative. It can have a slower pace then one wrong move and it gets frantic as Hel.

I pirated this game and then decided to support the developer. It is a great game. I prefer this approach to bullet hell than any other. The thing that I hated the most about Soulstone Survivor is that it becomes a thing of "numbers go brr". That won't happen here. You can't just melt things, kill them fast sure, with the right build but nothing braindead. It has a nice mix of rpg, and the missions or sub-objectives keep things entertaining, in some cases it just gives you the need to walk around with purpose -like with the pick up mushrooms-, which I think it's lazy but at least it's something, you don't get bore while waiting for the countdown, which is something that happened to me a lot while playing vampire survivors. The other thing is the pacing, I really enjoy the slow, more strategic pace of the game. And if you think it's too slow, just pick up the modifier and things get more dynamic and rewarding. The game also looks gorgeous, and the maps are quite diverse in the challenges and scenery they present. Same with the effects and all that. In terms of builds and balance, each character has their own play-style and they're all fun and balanced with their own focus. The class skills are all interesting and worth trying, and you can mix things a bit with any character. Now, the issue comes with build diversity, which is very poor. Because each character has an specific focus, only a few gods work well with each character. There only a few skills available for each god and they do not synergise with each other, only with their specific god's passives. Maybe this will change in the future. Finally, the game is challenging but not hard, just distribute your skill points wisely and that's it, you can beat any map in insane difficulty with any character. This game could easily become the best in the genre, if enhanced appropriately. Hopefully it won't take soulstone survivors path.

game crashed twice now during loading screen all within 30 minutes and i absolutely despise the skill selection/god system. The choices are so bloated with random things, individual skill upgrades feel very weak like they do next to nothing. The game looks pretty cool and the idea is nice but that´s about it. I cannot force myself to play this game in its current state but I will definitely come back at some point.

Seems all right to be fair. Revenant was easy game after other characters.

The best horde survivor I've played so far. Incredible aesthetic and great gameplay. Absolute steal for the price it's sold.

Great Game !. Each character is unique and the extra challenges /difficulties make this game a lot of fun .

Awesome game! Could only get better with multi-player imo. Love swarm survivor games!

Jotunnslayer is a visually impressive and engaging roguelike with strong potential—but as an early access title, it still needs more content, technical polish, and meta depth. If that aligns with what you're looking for, it’s a solid pick—just be prepared for some rough edges.

From the moment I stepped into the frostbitten world of Jotunnslayer, I was hooked. This game is a thrilling blend of intense action, atmospheric storytelling, and jaw-dropping visuals that immerse you in a brutal Norse mythology-inspired landscape. Every moment feels purposeful, from the haunting soundtrack to the gritty, satisfying combat mechanics. The combat is a standout—fast-paced and brutal, yet deeply strategic. Each encounter with the towering Jotunn feels epic, demanding precision, patience, and skill. I loved how each boss had a unique personality and fighting style, making every battle feel like a meaningful achievement. The worldbuilding is equally impressive. The environments are stunning—frozen wastelands, ancient ruins, and mystical forests that beg to be explored. The lore is rich, woven seamlessly into the world through runes, NPCs, and subtle environmental storytelling. What really elevates Jotunnslayer is its polish and attention to detail. The game runs smoothly, the controls are tight, and the UI never gets in the way. The upgrade system and character progression are rewarding without feeling grindy, and there's a real sense of growth as you carve your way through the mythic foes. Whether you're a fan of Norse mythology, action RPGs, or simply love a beautifully crafted challenge, Jotunnslayer is an unforgettable experience. It’s one of those rare games that sticks with you long after you’ve put down the controller. 9.5/10 – A must-play for action fans and mythology lovers alike.

Very uninspired. The evolved weapons don't really pack a punch and in the meta trees there is little to look forward to, it's just very incremental slow progression.

I really like this game. I think it is a nice evolution on the vampire survivors mechanics. Enough of an original spin with good optics and very satisfying sound design and effects.

Addicting and fun! So worth the price tag.... hours will go by without you noticing it! And its still in early access which means it will just keep improving!

Controls and animations feel janky. Refunded here. might come back later.

Not bad at all, needs more content but very entertaining, music is great and the artistic style is sweet.

A really fantastic Diablo meets Vampire Survivors, plays great, depth, art is beautiful, can't really think of a negative. It's 10 bucks! I mean for the cost to time playing is quite good ratio IMO, support an indy developer and have a good time while doing it!

Challenging survivors, both in terms of enemies/mechanics and how you will never be able to grab all the abilities you want. I think this is an overall great package but seeing it sit at current score makes me think there are areas that people have problems with. I could understand where complaints of builds and progression arise for builds and experimental runs. Subclasses should restrict or unlock abilities aside from just being stat changes. They feel more like a powerful passive than a new playstyle. Far too many passive abilities with how low level a run will normally be compared to others in the genre. These need to be broken up in more obtainable ways such as pickups for a run, in the talent tree or interwoven into abilities. Perks are encouraged to be refunded each time you run with a new hero, but you are restricted to 2 class and 3 God abilities, and non-evolved skills with no perk points in them are not worth your time. This means tunnel focusing on skills and no flexibility in builds. Hopefully down the line they introduce divergent abilities paths or more complex sub-classes to address such issues.

The game is good but why everytime I reset points of one character to put on another one, it's stuck on match loading screen.

lots of updates keeps thing interesting and changes what skills are awesome.

Being a norse fan, I had to buy this one. - so far, so good. - could see lots of areas for potential improvement but yeh. atm - 8/10 for this game. Looks proper gritty and the exact aesthetic I love. Need to add midguard.. Potentially valhalla.. Other fighting arenas.. odins house This game could end up being very good indeed

As long as you expect this game to be what it is, something akin to vampire survivors but with its own distinct feel and approach then you'll enjoy yourself. I like this cause it's far more respecting of my time vs alot of other similar titles and the continued updates for content leave me looking forward to seeing the future of this game so I definitely recommend this as a small investment of time for quick fun.

Need a lot of balancing and work on systems and the UI before I play it again, build-crafting is not fun and beating normal difficulty most players will need to research a build. EASY is not challenging at all and there is there is zero reason to repeat it after you clear it one time, while NORMAL feels like its balanced for people with 20-30 hours into the game with extensive knowledge of all the systems, most players will not beat NORMAL without looking up a build or getting lucky.

I love this game, I don't care what anyone else says. Its got the best graphics out of any other in the genre but more importantly its just so relaxing. I look forward to more content and updates and I hope it doesn't end up being one of those EA games that gets abandoned. I never write reviews, but I just had to get this off my chest. I love this game, I love this game, I love this game.

worst update possible. the game is now so freaking annoying. every time I play the latest map I'm like " stop f* shitting on me". and who thought that 2 min curse in a 20min match is a good idea? 10% of the total time. the reverse controls, the "rack your brain" new boss with it's weird ass geometry. you tried too hard to make it hard. as a result you made it stupidly annoying. annoyance does not equal difficulty. oh, and you forgot that you have melee characters when you designed your "kill x mobs" challenges. it sucks on melee, but even on range often I have to wait for mobs to spawn, very exciting gameplay

Encountered a showstopper bug causing the game to freeze on map load. This is after having played it for a couple of hours without incident. None of the recommended fixes had any effect.

I'd like to make a positive review for this game, but the way this game is build right now is really bugged. Unbalanced damage and HP progression of the enemies by quest and getting stuck with a enemy while moving makes you die A LOT. Niflheim map is TOO white that you can't see the ice blocks in the middle of the map, what makes you lose get stuck and lose a lot of health. Please devs, fix this issues.

It’s like dating a stunning Instagram model who never texts back. Gorgeous to look at, but hollow inside. I wanted to love it—they even plan more heroes/realms —but right now it feels more like Early Access purgatory. If you crave a shiny bullet-hell with minimal brain activity, go ahead. But if you want depth, choices, and a sense of growth? You might want to wait until they patch in some actual content… or save your gold for the full release.

got this in a bundle. does it really only launch on 2 specific graphics cards? tons of people online also get stuck on loading screen, game never goes up. this isn't even early access, feels more like pre alpha

You can save 50-80 hours of grind by spawning in gold coins to upgrade everything, and then go do the hard levels without cheating. Thanks, WeMod.

its fun and really really HARD on Normal Dificulty

If you like Diablo 3 or 4, and you like Halls of Torment, then you're probably going to enjoy Hordes of Hel. Excellent as an early access with plenty of content. Graphics are great, animations smooth (though I had to turn down some settings on my machine), and audio is solid. Gameplay loop is fun and challenging. I would like to see more talent trees to help with diversity - like being able to use other classes' skills.

Meh, nothing special. It looks good, but still plays like any other horde survivor game. Kind of boring when it comes to skills and evolutions. * Wanna make mobs explode on kill? 10% change only, on a single character, with 1sec cooldown, with little means of boosting the damage output. * Wanna chain lightning all over the place? 15% chance on main attack hits. * Everything is on a cooldown 3-5sec, so you'll just walk around and hope your skills trigger as enemies move closer. Like so many other games in the genre, the meta is getting 5 skills as quickly as possible for maximum damage, no room for creative or cohesive builds, just whatever AoE spam you get from your first 5-8 levels and you're good. If you try to build for something a bit more specific with synergy, you'll be weaker.

excellent roguelike highly recommend. easily worth the cost. works great on steamdeck

Was not expecting the gameplay to be so bad! All attacks and skills are automated and you just have to run around and let it auto hit everything... the main attack and attack direction can be switched to manual but even then all skills are on auto and it just feels like there is nothing to really play but just run around the map... just horrible gameplay... felt more like a ripoff android game, not a PC RPG! Requested refund after 30 min of playing!