Gunboat God Review

Gunboat God is a striking addition to the bullet hell genre, adding a unique artstyle and interesting mechanics to keep it fresh and new. I was surprised to learn this is developer Janson RAD’s first game, as the game feels polished and oozes personality.

Publisher: Fireshine Games

Developer: Janson RAD

Platform: Played on PC

Availability: Released Apr 13, 2026 for PC.

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Being a gullet hell game, Gunboat God does follow some standard formulas. The map has multiple zones that are each full of interconnected “micro-missions” that create a path to the end. Taking the shortest path to the end or doubling back to cover every alternate route and offshoot are both options. Although levels do reward upgrade currencies and sometimes unlock alternate weapons, not covering at least some optional levels will create a disadvantage. With five different areas, I could see the potential for things to feel repetitive, but I have yet to find two missions that feel similar enough to feel repetitive.

The biggest standout while surviving the onslaught is the division of the screen space. Being in a boat does not protect you from below, as some enemies come from underneath to create the classic 360-degree threat of danger that most bullet hells have. Instead, what sets this game’s enemies and patterns apart is what happens at the water’s surface. This dividing line is ever-present and, due to being in a boat, is the character’s neutral state. Enemies are therefore divided into three groups depending on where they spawn: sky, water, or surface. From there, they split into where they can move. Some enemies might start in one zone and move to another, some die when they touch an opposing zone, and some switch between zones constantly — leaving no place safe from their attacks.

There are many enemy types, with each level typically having a completely different enemy pool from the levels near it, so that no single enemy or combination becomes stale or overused. The boat can also jump into the air or go underwater, but for only a brief time before returning to the surface to help evade or navigate terrain. This surface interaction is a big part of playing around enemies and staying alive, which keeps this mechanic at the center of gameplay and player strategy.

Gunboat God is visually striking and makes for an exciting experience.

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Upgrading weapons and skills is also a core part of progression. There are many weapons to choose from, and each has a different selection of upgradable attributes. Damage is a general upgrade that uses a separate currency, only shared with upgrading your ultimate meter, which is spent on increasing weapon damage or a selected special skill like flying. Excluding damage from individual weapons’ upgrade options is a welcome choice, as that leaves each weapon’s upgradables to be things like projectile speed, size, or range; removing the need to specialize in only a few weapons so as not to become outscaled. Upgrade points are also reversible, encouraging experimentation and different play styles. The only upgrades not capable of resetting are the more general character and movement upgrades. The currency for the general upgrades is a bit different, being received only when completing special challenges on select levels.

The artstyle is a deceptively simple white and black that creates stark outlines of enemies to make each unique and easily identifiable, even in an overwhelming horde. The only color breaking up the dual-tone foreground is the background art, depicting the area of the current map or level, with each area having its own single-color theme. All of this while Yeti, the owner of your new boat, runs around your screen in excitement when a new part or upgrade is found, or yells whatever he is thinking during cutscenes.

Gunboat God is a game I will be coming back to for 100% completion. Quick, focused levels, an upgrade system that does not force specialization, fun and chaotic movement, a striking art style, and a boatload of charm will, without a doubt, keep this high on my list for the bullet hell genre.

Verdict

Gunboat God is a worthy addition to the crowded bullet hell genre. With clear, identifiable action and varying levels keeping the game fresh and easy to understand, this game does not let its style get in the way of readability in horde combat. Balance fighting threats from the air, sea, and anything in between! Now go get Yeti those boat parts and hone your skills to become the true Gunboat God!

Image Credits: Fireshine Games

Disclaimer: We received a copy of this game from the publisher.