| Serious Sam: The Random Encounter | |
|---|---|
 Cover artwork by Roy Nathan de Groot | |
| Developer(s) | Vlambeer |
| Publisher(s) | Devolver Digital |
| Designer(s) | |
| Artist(s) |
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| Composer(s) | Alex Mauer |
| Series | Serious Sam |
| Engine | |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | 24 October 2011 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing, bullet hell |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Serious Sam: The Random Encounter is a 2011 role-playing and bullet hell game developed by Vlambeer and published by Devolver Digital. It follows Sam "Serious" Stone travelling to the future in search of his nemesis, Mental, teaming up with mercenaries on the way. The player controls Sam and his accomplices through confined levels, engaging in battles through random encounters. These pit the player characters against large waves of enemies, and the player controls the weapons and items each character uses against them in five-second turns.
Announced in March 2011, The Random Encounter was created as part of the Serious Sam Indie Series to promote the release of Serious Sam 3: BFE. Devolver Digital initially envisioned a clone of Vlambeer's Super Crate Box. The studio disliked this idea, drafting a pitch for a turn-based role-playing game instead. The Random Encounter was released for Windows in October 2011 to a mixed reception. The combat system was given a varied response, with some critics calling it innovative. The game's tone, visuals, and sound were well received. Conflicting opinions were expressed regarding the game's arsenal and short duration.