| Serious Sam: Tormental | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Gungrounds |
| Publisher(s) | Devolver Digital |
| Director(s) | Kristian Macanga[1] |
| Designer(s) | Kristian Macanga[1] |
| Programmer(s) |
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| Artist(s) |
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| Writer(s) | Darkcola, MD[1] |
| Composer(s) |
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| Series | Serious Sam |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | 8 April 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Twin-stick shooter, rogue-lite |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Serious Sam: Tormental is a 2022 twin-stick shooter and rogue-lite game developed by Gungrounds and published by Devolver Digital. One or two players traverse procedurally generated levels across several stages set in the mind of Mental, the antagonist of the Serious Sam series. They use two weapons each, of which the primary weapon can be enhanced through "mods" found throughout the game. The unlockable player characters can perform dodge rolls and a unique special ability. Upon the player character's defeat, the player is reset to the start of the game. After completing all stages, the players can use black keys to unlock power-ups from a vault. The stages then loop with increasing difficulty.
Gungrounds initially developed Spitfire Inferno with inspiration from Geometry Wars. After exhibiting the game at several video game conferences, the studio became a part of Croteam Incubator, the development team expanded, and the game's theme was shifted to the Serious Sam series. Spitfire Inferno was renamed Tormental, then Serious Sam: Tormental. It was made available in early access in April 2019 and released in April 2022. The game received mixed reviews, with praise for its humour, art, and combat, with criticism towards technical issues, repetitiveness, and lack of innovation.