Brotato is a roguelike game in a top-down arena shooter style. The game sees the player take on the role of an armed potato and fight off waves of enemy aliens coming their way. The art style of the game is cartoonish and reminiscent of Hollow Knight, albeit a bit more simplistic.

The gameplay itself may appeal to fans of games like Streets of Rogue 2, as it features similar quirky humor and cartoonish violence to that game. The game features frantic, fast-paced action that borders on bullet-hell gameplay at times. Dozens of characters are available to customize and hundreds of items and weapons to choose from.

Become a violent potato

The premise of the game sees the player take on the role of the sole survivor of a crashed spaceship. That spaceship came from Potato World, and the survivor is Brotato, a sentient potato who can wield up to six weapons at the same time. Brotato must survive attacks from hordes of hostile aliens long enough to be rescued.

The gameplay is relatively simple. You can choose from a variety of customizations and fight with a range of weapons and must move around the game arena to avoid attacks while taking out the attackers with their weapons. Waves last between 20 and 90 seconds while collecting materials grants experience and help the player earn new weapons. Dodge the bullets as you try to eliminate all enemies. However take note, it will not be an easy task as you will retry many times.

What’s in the new update?

Brotato’s fresh-out-of-the-oven update, version 1.3.9, takes the game to a whole new level with a few tweaks and additions. It introduces an endless mode, which is essentially a relentless arcade mode for players who want a nonstop thrill. There are also new weapons and quality-of-life improvements for a smoother, more exciting gameplay experience. Finally, accessibility options in the form of sliders are added, as well, allowing the player to customize the game according to their preference and comfort levels, especially if things get harder.

Despite the clear learning curve needed to master the gameplay with its ruthless enemies and quick-time movements, it is one enjoyable game. Each level also has a randomized pattern of attacks, making it unpredictable to you, and forcing you to strategize each level. Reloading and memorizing enemy patterns isn’t enough to save you from the brutality of it. However, while the violence leans on the cartoony side of things, some graphic violence is expected, making it unsuitable for younger players who wish to try this.

From November 28 to December 5, 2024, until 10:00 am CT — Epic Games Store gives you the chance to add this game to your collection for free on Windows. 

Fast-paced action

Fans of top-down shooting games and fast-paced action will likely find a lot to enjoy about Brotato. On top of that, the wealth of customization options and hundreds of items and weapons to choose from gives the game a good deal of replayability, which goes a long way toward explaining how this game has such a strong following.