Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
HellForged is a loop-based bullet heaven with a pretty clear pitch: take the chaos and constant enemy pressure of Vampire Survivors, then bolt on Diablo-style loot, gear upgrades, character progression, and build chasing.
That is a very dangerous combination for my free time.
This was my first time jumping into the HellForged playtest, and it took me a few runs to stop being stupid. The game does a good job of giving you that “one more run” feeling almost immediately. You start weak, scrape together upgrades, find a few abilities, get overconfident, then die because you thought you could squeeze out a little more score instead of just leaving with your loot like a normal person.
The ARPG side is what makes this interesting. You are not just picking random level-up upgrades and calling it a build. There is gear, salvage, a blacksmith, unlocks, a progression tree, difficulty modifiers, and new abilities tied to achievements. It feels like there is enough long-term progression here to keep the loop from burning out too quickly, assuming the full game keeps adding variety.
I do think the early ability pool feels a little thin right now. After a few runs, I was already seeing the same handful of options more than I wanted to. That may just be a playtest thing, and the unlock system does seem built around opening up more tools over time, but more starting variety would help a lot.
The actual gameplay feels good, though. It is simple in the right way. You kill things, grab loot, make bad decisions, and slowly turn into a lawn mower. The loot goblins stealing my experience can go straight to hell, which probably means they are doing their job.
Overall, HellForged seems solid. It has some rough edges, and I need to see more of the later progression before making a bigger call, but I liked what I played. If the full game keeps this level of quality and has enough depth behind the unlocks, I could see this being an easy recommend in the $20-$30 range.
#HellForged #IndieGames #BulletHeaven
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🕹️ store.steampowered.com/app/4554250/Hellforged
If there's a game you'd like me to check out, feel free to contact me below.
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HellForged is a loop-based bullet heaven with a pretty clear pitch: take the chaos and constant enemy pressure of Vampire Survivors, then bolt on Diablo-style loot, gear upgrades, character progression, and build chasing.
That is a very dangerous combination for my free time.
This was my first time jumping into the HellForged playtest, and it took me a few runs to stop being stupid. The game does a good job of giving you that “one more run” feeling almost immediately. You start weak, scrape together upgrades, find a few abilities, get overconfident, then die because you thought you could squeeze out a little more score instead of just leaving with your loot like a normal person.
The ARPG side is what makes this interesting. You are not just picking random level-up upgrades and calling it a build. There is gear, salvage, a blacksmith, unlocks, a progression tree, difficulty modifiers, and new abilities tied to achievements. It feels like there is enough long-term progression here to keep the loop from burning out too quickly, assuming the full game keeps adding variety.
I do think the early ability pool feels a little thin right now. After a few runs, I was already seeing the same handful of options more than I wanted to. That may just be a playtest thing, and the unlock system does seem built around opening up more tools over time, but more starting variety would help a lot.
The actual gameplay feels good, though. It is simple in the right way. You kill things, grab loot, make bad decisions, and slowly turn into a lawn mower. The loot goblins stealing my experience can go straight to hell, which probably means they are doing their job.
Overall, HellForged seems solid. It has some rough edges, and I need to see more of the later progression before making a bigger call, but I liked what I played. If the full game keeps this level of quality and has enough depth behind the unlocks, I could see this being an easy recommend in the $20-$30 range.
#HellForged #IndieGames #BulletHeaven
👍 Don't forget to Like, Sub and Share! Thank you.
🕹️ store.steampowered.com/app/4554250/Hellforged
If there's a game you'd like me to check out, feel free to contact me below.
MasterGamingVR@Gmail.com
discord.gg/rmc8YFX
twitch.tv/shadowsthoughts
twitter.com/mastergamingvr
youtube.com/c/MasterGamingVR/join
patreon.com/MasterGamingVR
Sign up for a free Audible Subscription and get 2 free books!
📚 amzn.to/2E2yGyz
Index bundle
🥽 amzn.to/4cGdf4o
