In the current gaming landscape, indie titles are more popular than ever. However, the indie scene is stratified. The mainstream indie titles get all the attention while smaller indies fade away, lost in overstuffed marketplaces. One such title is Post Void, a tiny psychedelic shooter from 2020 that deserves far more attention.
Developed by the Swedish team Y/CJ/Y, Post Void is a bite-sized roguelike FPS. The game is split into 11 stages, with death sending the player back to very beginning. Skilled runners can blitz through the game in minutes, but that feat requires rigorous practice. It requires laser headshot accuracy and the right chain of upgrades. Between stages, much like Devolver Digital's excellent Downwell, the player can choose one of three upgrades to carry forward with them.
Choosing a buff or new weapon at the end of each stage is the only respite the player gets, as Post Void is blisteringly fast. The player's health constantly drains but can be refilled by getting kills. In this sense, it's easy to fall into a hypnotic trance while playing, chaining together kills to make it just one corridor further.
While the original DOOM is a source of obvious and heavy inspiration, the emphasis on speed and efficient kills is reminiscent of DOOM 2016's momentum-fueling glory kills. By pairing the speed imperative with the fluid, precise movement and aiming alongside the visceral pop of a headshot, Y/CJ/Y crafted a nearly immaculate shooter experience.
If the gameplay is hypnotic, the aesthetic is electrifying. There is a demented, surrealist overtone to Post Void that makes it immediately captivating. The closest touchstone is Hotline Miami, but Post Void is Hotline Miami taken to the nth degree. The game is hallucinogenic. Post Void feels like the byproduct of a joint acid trip between Dr. Seuss, artist Francisco Goya, DOOM lead John Carmack and Dennaton Games, developer of the aforementioned Hotline Miami. It must be seen in motion to be truly understood.
Getting access to Post Void is incredibly easy, too. The game is available on Steam for a ridiculously low $2.99 USD, making this stark experience as affordable as it is obscene. Between its rich aesthetic and raw gameplay, Post Void is a staggering surprise. It didn't get the attention it deserved last year, so now is the time to rectify that. Post Void is a confident, eccentric and easily digestible roguelike that should not be missed.