Earn to Die Rogue is a 2D reverse bullet hell roguelike platformer set in the Earn to Die universe.

The gameplay has us jump around small platforming levels to shoot zombies and turrets before they kill us. Our character attacks automatically, so our job is to navigate the maps and avoid taking damage.

It’s actually not too unlike Pickle Pete or Vampire Survivors – except we view our character from a side-view perspective instead of top-down.

When all enemies are killed, we can move on to the next area. The goal is to complete 30 areas and defeat the final boss so we can play the next chapter. And every time we level up, we get to pick one of three random upgrades that last until we die, which makes the gameplay more chaotically fun the longer we survive.

Between these runs, we spend cash on permanent stat boosts and equipment upgrades. We also gradually collect parts for our vehicles, which eventually unlocks a game mode that is more akin to the old Earn to Die games.

Unfortunately, this mode is very limited and you’d have a better experience just playing the old games. The mode feels almost forcefully added just to appease old players, but it just doesn’t work.

Thankfully, the platforming in the primary game mode feels great – especially when unlocking the jetpack and upgrading movement speed. And the permanent progression is rewarding.

Earn to Die Rogue monetizes via a few incentivized ads, and iAPs for monthly subscriptions and loot boxes with better gear. However, I have not seen any paywalls, and I appreciate that there’s no energy system or forced ads.

If you enjoy reverse bullet hell games and platformers, this is good fun. Just don’t expect an old-school Earn to Die game.