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Jupiter Hell

Jupiter Hell

ChaosForge · released Aug 5, 2021

IndieRPGStrategy

True Roguelike. Turn-based shooter. Permadeath. Tribute to the sci-fi classics of the Golden VHS era. Successor to DRL. Just you and your gun against hordes of horrors and monstrosities. Give them hell to the rhythm of heavy metal.

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗
85
VGC Score
▼Declininghigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Jupiter Hell 1.9 - Heavy!” (3mo ago)

85%
At launch
92%
Steam all-time
79%
Press
91%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–7917
All-time Steam reviews92%861000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)91%8538
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 3, 2026) · 38 reviews sampled · 36 total reviews in window · weighted 26.3 up / 2.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (22)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 85
    Gaming ProfessorsGaming Professors
    trust 76Sep 8, 2021

    “Jupiter Hell is a great Doom-style roguelike game that offers action and fun. It is clearly one of the best roguelike titles in its genre, both in terms of gameplay and sophistication. The game is a must-have for strategy fans and curious Doom fans alike. The unique pacing brings something new, fresh and definitely action-packed to the turn-based genre. Someone just really put a lot of thought into this game.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    SECTOR.skSECTOR.sk
    trust 66Oct 12, 2021

    “Doom meets turn-based strategy in this brief but enjoyable indie game.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    TheSixthAxisTheSixthAxis
    trust 65Sep 7, 2021

    “Jupiter Hell is a tactical roguelike that is sure to find its fans, but will turn others away with its high difficulty and overly random reeling to each run. The lack of iterative improvements between runs made every failure feel overly punishing, though that's common in the with roguelikes. The end result is a game that I can appreciate, but didn't really enjoy. Your mileage may vary of course, and if the idea of a fusion of Doom and XCOM appeals, then this may well be the game for you.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    Metro GameCentralMetro GameCentral
    trust 64Aug 9, 2021

    “A turn-based roguelike set in a universe that's similar to but legally distinct from Doom, and where every choice you make has immediate and long term consequences.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    Turn Based LoversTurn Based Lovers
    trust 64Dec 28, 2021

    “Jupiter Hell is fine for what it offers: a nostalgic 90s violent shooter with turn based design. Unfortunately, the limited amount of content and the generic overall experience, both in graphics and sounds, end up making it feel quite repetitive.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Bloody DisgustingBloody Disgusting
    trust 64Aug 6, 2021

    “Jupiter Hell will be a refreshing spin on a classic for some, and the best of a bad situation for those mourning the loss of DOOM: The Roguelike. Some technical grumbles aside, its straightforward, no-nonsense approach to turn-based roguelike shoot n’ loot works well, and provides a compelling game to either dip into for an hour here and there, or lose a few days to.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    DarkZeroDarkZero
    trust 63Aug 30, 2021

    “I will hold my hand up and say I have not played many roguelike titles, as it is a genre I am not all that great at.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GamefaGamefa
    trust 62Aug 24, 2021

    “The game is fun for gamers and has no other big problem except for the low variety of enemies that become repetitive early. Be sure to experience Jupiter Hell. It's worth it.”

    read full review ↗
  • 76
    GideonsGamingGideonsGaming
    trust 62Aug 12, 2021

    “The fast-paced nature makes Jupiter Hell stand out from the crowd alongside a retro-style interface that’s nostalgic while incorporating all the modern conveniences we have come to expect. The shallowness and repetition hit faster than I would like, but there’s no denying that Jupiter Hell’s combination of rip and tear with chess-like flair is a mixture Doomed to succeed.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Geeks Under GraceGeeks Under Grace
    trust 61Sep 24, 2021

    “Jupiter Hell is the first roguelike I have played that manages to trick the player into a false sense of security.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GameOnAUSGameOnAUS
    trust 61Aug 5, 2021

    “I didn’t expect to like Jupiter Hell as much as I did with a good mix of nostalgia and fun, yet challenging gun-play. Being a roguelike with permadeath, planning your moves was key and I enjoyed exploring the procedurally generated levels, clearing as much as I could before eventually being overwhelmed. The permadeath was an opportunity to learn for the next run and it’s a game I can come back to with alternate modes to change up the gameplay.”

    read full review ↗
  • 81
    IGNIGN
    trust 61Aug 5, 2021

    “Doom meets the roguelike genre and the result is a very fine game, proving that the demonic invasions and sci-fi atmosphere of id Software's masterpiece can work wonders even with a totally different gameplay.”

    read full review ↗

…and 10 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Jupiter Hell 1.9c - hotfix!
    Jun 16, 2026
  2. Jupiter Hell 1.9b - hotfix!
    Jun 10, 2026
  3. Jupiter Hell 1.9a - hotfix!
    Jun 5, 2026
  4. Jupiter Hell 1.9 - Heavy!
    Jun 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  5. Jupiter Hell 1.8 - Abattoir!
    Mar 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  6. Jupiter Hell 1.7 - Creation!
    Aug 3, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  7. Jupiter Hell 1.6 - Watcher!
    Dec 21, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  8. Jupiter Hell 1.5a - hotfix live!
    Aug 15, 2022
  9. Jupiter Hell 1.5 - Ancient!
    Aug 15, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  10. Jupiter Hell 1.4.0 - Chaos!
    Jun 13, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  11. Jupiter Hell 1.3.0 - Valhalla!
    Mar 14, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  12. Jupiter Hell 1.2.0 - Varia!
    Dec 13, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  13. Jupiter Hell 1.1a (hotfix)
    Nov 3, 2021
  14. Jupiter Hell 1.1.0 - Exordium! + Week-long promo
    Oct 11, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  15. Jupiter Hell 1.0c (hotfix)
    Aug 31, 2021
  16. Jupiter Hell 1.0b (hotfix)
    Aug 19, 2021
  17. Jupiter Hell 1.0a (hotfix)
    Aug 10, 2021
  18. Jupiter Hell 1.0 - the Full Release
    Aug 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  19. FULL RELEASE imminent; Final Early Access update: Jupiter Hell 0.9.12 - Trials!
    Jul 21, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  20. Jupiter Hell 0.9.11 - Curio!
    Jun 28, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  21. Jupiter Hell 0.9.10 - Medusa!
    Jun 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  22. Jupiter Hell 0.9.9 - More!
    May 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  23. Jupiter Hell 0.9.8 - Message!
    Apr 12, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  24. Jupiter Hell 0.9.7c - more fixes and balance!
    Mar 9, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  25. Jupiter Hell 0.9.7b - fixes, balance, QOL!
    Mar 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  26. Jupiter Hell 0.9.7 - Expanse! + full release date announcement!
    Feb 22, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  27. Jupiter Hell 0.9.6 - Terminal!
    Dec 22, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  28. Jupiter Hell 0.9.5 - Advance!
    Oct 29, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  29. Jupiter Hell 0.9.4 - Europa!
    Sep 28, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  30. Jupiter Hell 0.9.3 - Nightmare!
    Sep 7, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  31. Jupiter Hell 0.9.2 - Vision!
    Jul 27, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  32. Jupiter Hell 0.9.1 - Callisto!
    Jun 2, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  33. Jupiter Hell 0.9.0 - Masters!
    Apr 27, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  34. Jupiter Hell 0.8.11 - Berserker!
    Mar 31, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  35. Jupiter Hell 0.8.10 - Explorer!
    Mar 9, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  36. Jupiter Hell 0.8.9 - Protocol!
    Feb 24, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  37. Jupiter Hell 0.8.8 - Gunslinger!
    Feb 3, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  38. Jupiter Hell 0.8.7 - Hellhack!
    Jan 13, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  39. Jupiter Hell 0.8.6 - Fury, Energy, Power!
    Dec 23, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  40. Jupiter Hell 0.8.5a!
    Nov 19, 2019significant · resets scoring window

…and 28 earlier patch announcements.