Buckshot Roulette

Buckshot Roulette is a 2023 indie digital tabletop horror game from Estonian developer Mike Klubnika. Originally released on itch.io, it later hit Steam on April 4, 2024, published by Critical Reflex alongside a major content update. The game pits you against a dealer in a twisted version of Russian roulette, but instead of a revolver, you use a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with a mix of live and blank shells. Your goal: survive longer than your opponent by strategically using items like hand saws (which double shell damage), cigarettes (to restore health), and beer (to eject a shell without firing). Each round, you decide whether to shoot the dealer or yourself, but the odds shift as you track shell types in the chamber. The minimalist neon-and-dark aesthetic, paired with Klubnika's own eerie electronic soundtrack, creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. Built with the Godot engine, the game draws comparisons to 2021's Inscryption for its tabletop-meets-horror vibe, though its visual style is far more raw and industrial. Since its December 2023 debut, Buckshot Roulette has become a breakout hit. Critics praised its high-stakes strategy and replayability, while players drove its Steam release to a million sales in just two weeks. By December 2024, that number hit 4 million copies sold, cementing its status as a standout indie success.[edit]

Buckshot Roulette reimagines Russian roulette with a 12-gauge shotgun magazine. At the start of each round, a random number of shells, live and blank, are loaded. You can see the count of each type but not their order. On your turn, you aim the shotgun at the dealer or yourself and pull the trigger. A live shell deals one damage; a blank does nothing. If you shoot yourself with a blank, you get another turn. The dealer, a masked figure, follows the same rules.

Items add a layer of strategy. Up to four can be used per round, drawn from a rotating selection of three. The hand saw doubles the next live shell's damage against the dealer, removing two health points. Cigarettes restore one health. Beer ejects the current shell without firing, revealing its type. The magnifying glass lets you peek at the shell without ejecting it. Handcuffs skip the dealer's next turn. Expired medicine restores two health but triggers a random side effect, maybe the dealer gains health, or the magazine gets shuffled. Adrenaline steals an item from the dealer. The inverter flips the current shell to its opposite type. The burner phone, available only in the final round, reveals the entire shell order. The remote detonates a bomb on the dealer's chair at round's end, but you must first plant it with a separate item.

The game unfolds over three rounds. Round one uses 2–8 shells; round two, 4–8; round three, 3–8. The player has four health points throughout. The dealer's health increases: four in round one, five in round two, six in round three. The dealer also gains new abilities in later rounds, like shuffling the magazine or using items against you. After the third round, a "Double or Nothing" mode unlocks, offering a single, high-stakes round with all items available.[edit]

You wake up in an abandoned nightclub, disoriented, a shotgun on the table across from you. A dealer in a gas mask sits opposite, his voice crackling through a speaker. He explains the rules: you'll play rounds of shotgun roulette until one of you dies. There's no escape, the exits are sealed, the windows boarded. The dealer's taunts are cryptic, hinting at a larger game at play.

Defeat the dealer across all three rounds, and the nightclub's back door swings open. You stumble into a dark alley, the city skyline flickering with neon. A shadow looms behind you. A massive figure, taller than any person, steps into the light. It wears a similar gas mask but with a single, glowing eye. The screen cuts to black. The dealer's voice returns: "The game never ends."[edit]