Musashi vs Cthulhu
Musashi vs Cthulhu
Game
Game2023
Madshot
Developer Overflow
Madshot is a fast-paced, acrobatic, rogue-lite shooter. Survive the ever-changing road through Cthulhu and beyond. Equip endless upgrade combinations as you fight your way through horrific monsters and multi-phased boss battles. From the Steam store page
123 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 3, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
95 positive · 20 negative
95% range 75–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 95 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
110 of 131 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 98 yes, 20 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 118 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (240 of 286 positive).
Players praise the polished, fluid combat and Lovecraftian aesthetic. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note a lack of weapon and upgrade variety. [1][4][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [11]
Madshot adopts all the quality of life features and good practices of modern roguelites games, but it falls short in the gameplay aspect. I was expecting this to be an early access and got very surprised when i noticed it isn't. I will go into details: -The double jump feels very janky and sometimes it doesnt work, especially in the corners. -Enemies get very spongy in later stages of the games. -The core gameplay …
- [1]
Well, the combat feels very polished which is the most important thing, but it's a bit low on the weapon and the upgrade variety, even for an early access rogue-lite. You might want to add some generic +20% to enemy stats for each completed loop with the ability to lower and increase it, that way people can replay the game while you work on content, just make sure you make the rewards proportional (good alternative …
- [4]
At first glance Madshot appears like a standard fast-paced rogue-lite shooter. Don’t let its simple design fool you, however. The action orientated gameplay will have you hooked from the get-go! Category Rating Description 🎮 Gameplay 10 Super Smash Bros meets rogue-lite, with an additional Vampire Survivors like game mode 📷 Graphics 8 Seeing bullet casings laying on the floor surrounded by monster parts was a joy …
- [3]
Madshot is a competent roguelike platformer, with great art, good action, heavy soundtrack and a compelling meta-progressions system. The visuals and art are the best part of the game, just insane aesthetics! The scenario variety is pretty great, the effects are fantastic, the artwork is enchanting, the designs are out of this world (literally), and how the blood from killed enemies runs to the portal in order to …
- [2]
R'lyeh good combat feel in a cthulhu theme down right imo. Darn good timewaste :D Thx for this devs
Summarised from 34 of the 128 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Madshot sits at 83% positive across 115 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 123 · most liked firstWell, the combat feels very polished which is the most important thing, but it's a bit low on the weapon and the upgrade variety, even for an early access rogue-lite. You might want to add some generic +20% to enemy stats for each completed loop with the ability to lower and increase it, that way people can replay the game while you work on content, just make sure you make the rewards proportional (good alternative for temporary content). I will challenge you on some of the features you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Madshot adopts all the quality of life features and good practices of modern roguelites games, but it falls short in the gameplay aspect. I was expecting this to be an early access and got very surprised when i noticed it isn't. I will go into details: -The double jump feels very janky and sometimes it doesnt work, especially in the corners. -Enemies get very spongy in later stages of the games. -The core gameplay is run away shooting until enemies get clooser to you, then roll away. rinse and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great rogue-lite game that builds up the suspense well as you get more and more difficult enemies in your sights. Watch a short gameplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5cg50ZgZcY I believe the game advised me to use a mouse and keyboard, yet I raise my finger to secretly admit that I used a gamepad, despite ignoring the recommendation I still found that using a gamepad doesn't feel that uncomfortable, I guess it depends a bit from gamer to gamer. I do believe that a mouse and keyboard…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? The devs recommend to play with mouse and keyboard. Actually, a controller is recognized, but the crosshair is not centered, so it is basically unplayable that way. No idea why they do that. I know, the PC master race player only uses m + kb, and it certainly is a good way to control many games. Still, many…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is yet another fun game that gets bogged down by trying to be a roguelite, which only ends up being a way to pad out the game. The moment-to-moment gameplay is fun, albeit simplistic. Most of the game is just you moving and shooting. The pool of upgrades is very small, and you'll end up picking the same things as you did from your previous runs. The upgrades themselves also don't change how you play the game; the only difference is how much damage you deal and how they're dealt. For…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like this game. I do. However, I find it extremely frustrating in multiple ways that makes me unable to recommend it right now. Pros: Shooting, jumping, flipping all feel cool and fun to do. Combat overall feels pretty nice. Different weapons add a little variety to the game. Throwables are an awesome addition and add a lot of depth to the game. Cons: Random slowdown can sometimes mess up the flow of what you're doing, and wind up with you getting hit. Enemies completely ignore all…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am disappointed to be honest. I played the demo and really enjoyed the mechanics of the game, so I was looking forward to it. First couple of runs on a roguelite always feel good. When you start repeating them dozens of times the flaws start to appear. The upgrades are some of the worst I have seen in any roguelite. Instead of going the usual route with fire, ice, lightning etc, you have Cursed bullets (which I am still not sure what they actually do), then you have bullets that mind…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →R'lyeh good combat feel in a cthulhu theme down right imo. Darn good timewaste :D Thx for this devs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first glance Madshot appears like a standard fast-paced rogue-lite shooter. Don’t let its simple design fool you, however. The action orientated gameplay will have you hooked from the get-go! Category Rating Description 🎮 Gameplay 10 Super Smash Bros meets rogue-lite, with an additional Vampire Survivors like game mode 📷 Graphics 8 Seeing bullet casings laying on the floor surrounded by monster parts was a joy 🎧 Audio 7 Rock provides an adrenaline rush, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fast-paced and addictive :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Having played the full release it took me a minute to get used to the controls. After that it was smooth sailing. The combat feels fast and fluid while heavily rewarding. Each weapon has a unique style to it ensuring that there's something for everyone. The ultimates all serve their purpose well. The game features 6 zones, hundreds of upgrades and plenty of free cosmetic options. You get plenty of hours worth of content making it a decent bang for buck deal as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Roguelite shooter + mechanics + fast paced = Lovecraftian action and addictive gameplay. Survive and eliminate monsters on each mini level. Choose the rewards/path to take. Buy upgrades/relics. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/] Follow our curator for similar games
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a buggy mess The first time i received the nick, it didn't work until I reloaded my game. If you upgrade transmutations while you have them equipped, more times than not it will just outright not work/upgrade won't do anything. Sometimes when I clear a mini boss, the portal doesn't open so I have to reload the game and fight the boss again. If you have something you can pick up, the UI shows right? But if you still have that UI when you press the portal, it sticks with you even if the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Within a mere 20 minutes, I've experienced not one, but TWO different bugs that have forced a hard reboot of the game, one leading to a softlock and the other being a straight-up freeze. After this happened, I took a quick perusal of the Discussions forum and saw that there's also a persistent bug that renders the entire game unable to launch for some players, with no fix in sight. By all accounts, this game is borderline-unplayable abandonware. Don't be fooled by the nice discount. Avoid.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played a lot of rogue-likes, and they typically boil down to 3 different types: 1. As long as you get some powerful items, you'll likely win with minimal skill (e.g. The Binding of Isaac) 2. While the items that you find can help, the only way to win is with high skill with the game (e.g. Dead Cells) 3. No matter the items nor your skill, you're only going to win by grinding runs and getting a certain amount of permanent upgrades I would say Madshot falls in the #2 category, with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smooth game-play with a nice art style and a lot of potential. I am excited to see what they do next and when it comes out of Early Access I'm quite anxious to see what this game becomes. The auto aim does seem broken right now so using a controller is more difficult but i prefer it with these type of games even though a mouse works much better.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the combat, and also like the developers activity in the comment section and responding to constructive criticism in a respectable way. I can't wait for more things to be added.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My favorite John Woo movie is Hard Boiled. Coincidentally, my favorite Xbox 360 title is Stranglehold. For those who do not know these titles (shame!), you play as Inspector Tequila, a role reprised by Chow Yun Fat in this video game sequel to the movie. Anytime you would enter combat, time slowed to a crawl when Tequila dove, jumped, slid, or vaulted with his dual pistols at the ready. Before bullet time, there was Tequila Time. Show me a game that is a 2D platformer with dual-wielded handguns…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i dont know the game has autoaim but that needs work i dont like it it aims on enemies even when they about to die and you need to correct it ♥♥♥♥♥♥ dodge is the worst i rather have non than this waste of a button with lots of enemies around you, you dont want to move but a dash from the start would you let play more freely. and does the roll even have i frames?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even though the developers are not very active here on steam - they mostly reply instantly on discord. The game is still very much in development and another update is on the way. Beside some small issues i immediately encountered the game itself is really fun and makes you feel like a Bad-A... well u know what i mean :-) Performance is really good and content seems already plenty (well its nearly complete). Hope for improved controller support (being able to see descriptions for future…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First saw this on retromation's channel and honestly this game doesnt disappoint the setting being a lovecraftian coastal town is absolutely brilliant to truely get across how difficult of a rougelite its supposed to be
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For an early access game, this really isn't bad. The combat is silky smooth and fun, with a playstyle that's like DMC 2 but 2D and actually good. The acrobatics are a delight to watch as you dance and weave blasting out flurries of gunfire. Only thing I'd add to the gameplay is a solid-meaty kick that could push back against enemies or kick objects into them. The grab and throw is alright, but a solid kick could do wonders. The game is still a bit unpolished, but nothing too bad. One of the Bat…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get to know me: Game Edition! First Game: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis) Last Game: Deathloop (currently playing!) Favorite: Sonia Mania Games I've played most: Sonic Mania, Civilization VI, Doom 2, FE Awakening Most Surprising: Odallus: The Dark Call Next Game: either Cathedral or Madshot
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly, the game is just repetitive. Adictive but repetitive. Don't waste your time on it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pressing the reload key with full ammo spins your guns, thus, 10/10 game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sloppy game pad controls. Character feels disjointed from the players movements.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First of all, I want to thank the developers for letting me be able to play this game! It's been a blast and the systems of the game honestly remind me of Hades with how the random traits can be. Graphics I love the Lovecraftian theme that the game has! Personally, I really liked the look of graphics that has dark black outlines. It just makes it that much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Music / OST's The music serves well in helping with ambiance for the game. However, nothing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very good game !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is definitely worth the asking price especially if you like the Action Rouge-like genre. Its fun, addicting, and has nonstop action but there are some negatives. The negatives in my opinion can be fixed or added hopefully in a future update. There isn't a variety of weapons and I don't like that the sword breaks after a couple of hits and only randomly generated after its unlocked. It would be dope if once you unlocked the sword it would be permanent with unlimited swings. Its bad…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For other game reviews, please [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40640212/]follow us at What The Game? Madshot is an acrobatic, fast-paced platformer shooter with rogue-lite elements that will have you battle against eldritch monsters from another dimension as you traverse through the ranks of increasingly difficult monstrosities of ever-changing lovecraftian landscape towards Cthulhu. It Goes Deeper Every stage (Encounter) is random together with the pathway/route of the map on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really looking forward to this game, frothing at the mouth when it released into early access. However, I play on controller and controller is just beyond awful. I would not buy this game if you play on controller until they fix it with some updates.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty good tbh. Like a mix of My Friend Pedro and Hades.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Madshot is a competent roguelike platformer, with great art, good action, heavy soundtrack and a compelling meta-progressions system. The visuals and art are the best part of the game, just insane aesthetics! The scenario variety is pretty great, the effects are fantastic, the artwork is enchanting, the designs are out of this world (literally), and how the blood from killed enemies runs to the portal in order to open it really portrays the madness, and I have nothing but compliments for the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm pretty sure I have played every single game on that list. My ordering would be WAYYYYYY different. May I interest you in these roguelites not on the list: Beyond the Long Night Haste Hellclock Madshot Oblivion Override OTXO Ovis Loop Realm of Ink Tape to Tape Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade
neutral · AI labelView post →50k enemies? That’s not an achievement, that’s cardio training. 🏃♂️💀 I was done at 20k already, grinding the rest is a bit painful… But the game is super fun and worth it – definitely recommend!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's great! If you like roguelikes....this is great. It doesn't really have an introductions or storyline though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game doesn't quite work for me. It's just a repetitive fight-to-stay-alive-in-an-arena game without much variation, just different enemies that chase you down. The enemies are bullet-sponges for your weapon, and you may get a secondary that takes a while to reload after shooting. Upgrades are very meh, meta-progression only has like 3 options in the beginning and you need to grind quite a bit. The map is not fully visible which is just frustrating, and the bosses are not exciting. It's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pew pew explosion big octopus magic man lots of content and always a different run. get it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Boot game --> See logo --> Black Screen --> Crash to desktop --> Refund
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is one of the better roguelites ive played, theres still some glitches like boss health bar staying on the screen after the fight or respawning in the manor with little health. nothing game breaking though, not a fan of some of the later quests bc they rely more on luck than skill but the gameplay is addicting once you get the hang of it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →kill eldritch horrors with gun what more could you want
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →another boring rogue like trash game...progression gets repetetive after few runs...why this trash genre was even made is beyound me....hades still the best probably....buy only at 50% discount...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like Madshot. I recorded some of my progress in Madshot. Please take a look if you value a more Audio / Visual experience, as I discuss the game as I jump, dash, and blast my way through it; in some semblance of style perhaps! https://youtu.be/XFgZ5sFDZD0 Madshot is an Indie, Side Scroller Action Roguelike / Action RogueLite Lovecraftian Horde Survival Shoot em up, a Twin Stick shooter where you are what the elder things fear! Your Man Can Move! 💨 In Madshot, your character is very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Insanely fun game ! Recommend ! <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is decently fun! I think it has a lot of potential. I like the way the general combat feels. I think the game makes enemies a little too tanky as you get further along, but overall the game feels adequately challenging and enjoyable. The secondary weapons are neat, I think there should be like 'downgraded' versions you can choose to start with, because never getting them feels like you're missing out on a core game component, especially if you're using the sword or the charge gun. I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am very impressed! Love the visuals, effects but also the surprising amount of variety in each run :D. Very fun and would recommend buying if you like fast paced and skill > planning. Mechanics alone gets you very far here which is something a lot of games lack these days. Looking forward for more updates for more awesomeness! <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Madshot is quite the excellent game, ive been looking for roguelites that have a lot of the elements presented in the game. the game reminds me at least movement wise a lot of my friend pedro. aside from being able to double jump. you can slide off walls, roll through enemy attacks and fire, and throw items at enemies. the combat in the game is very snappy and feels great when you get into a flow. while the game is not entirely finished and is in early access i would still recommend this game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nothing beats killing eldrich horrors well blasting punk rock late at night
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cant wait for full version
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Madshot rarely inspires the strange awe that Lovecraft is famous for: there are elements of randomness, of the undecipherable, the out-of-control (in the map of each region or in those dark rooms where odd figures appears), but the focus of the game is elsewhere. For the visuals of both the enemies and the environment, the work is massive. They manage to be colourful and grim at the same time. Regarding the boss encounters, they are not often a struggle, but offer the occasions to recognize…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am mad at Madshot... no, it would be more appropriate to say that I'm mad at the devs behind Madshot, because what is on offer is pretty good... as a foundation, which is never built upon further. Five weapons, multiple subweapons, a nice roster of enemies, some 8 grand bosses and 6 mini-bosses, all this spread across 8 biomes sounds like great fun, right? Well, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you by saying that ALL this content, 100% of it (sans grinding for cosmetics) can be done in as…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pretty polished not a huge fan of the art came for lovecraft, stayed for the gameplay wish there was more weapons putrid abyss/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its fun until its not. Replay value gets tedious because easy levels cant be breezed by because damage you give is so low. You are unable to sprint to the later more challenging stages
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun yet short parkour shooter set in a lovecraftian theme. Jump around platforms, dodge roll attacks, throw chunks of the recently blown apart monster for quick damage, swing around ropes, its all very fast and very stylish. My only real gripe with the game is how little you need to actually win, and the price point its at. I beat every boss in almost 2 hours, proven with the achievement i unlocked for it. All i had was the base guns and some minor upgrades for the starting skills, i didnt…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a big fan of the control scheme, as this would do far better with a controller lay out. However, after a bit, you can get acclimated to the keyboard/mouse set up with enough runs through. The structure of the game is fun, and hectic. It never feels unfair, but it definitely throws a lot at you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →annoying is crushing but gameplay is decent.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun game to waste time
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Madshot has been in Early Access for PC players, but it’s now gearing up for its proper launch and Switch is being brought into the mix. #Madshot https://gamesense.co/game/madshot/news/discuss/madshot-fast-paced-rogue-lite-shooter-coming-to-switch/
neutral · AI labelView post →Bland, mediocre rougelite. A bunch of the upgrades are just pure trash for this format, not weighty enough to mean anything. The hitboxes are off as well, getting hit by things that weren't touching my character model. The dodge window is also VERY small without upgrades. Progression seemed bland too. Few runs in and im bored with it. Also bored with the "Bullet Heaven" mode they threw together. All in all seems poorly thought out gameplay loops for both of them. I wish steam had a neutral…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Meh. You're at a constant disadvantage no matter how much meta-progress you have for several reasons. 1. Much like Mortal Sin, enemy stacking guarantees you taking damage as avoiding one hit will lead you into several others that are at other angles. 2. You have to reload and deal with ♥♥♥♥♥♥ firerate while enemies will jump and shoot through terrain from anywhere on the map, this is a complex issue but let me keep it simple: You cannot fire through walls without a random perk that rarely…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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