Tony Hawk meets Vampire Survivors was 2023’s most underrated Steam Next Fest roguelike

Steam Next Fest bought us endless demos this year and highlighted the coolest indie games we would otherwise be clueless about. But one game that slipped by my radar has an absolutely irresistible pitch: what if Tony Hawk’s gnarly tricks were inserted into Vampire Survivors' roguelike structure?

That’s the basic setup for Motordoom, a game that just exudes an ultra-cool hellish style and plays great too. The storefront describes it as a “horde shooter that combines high octane, visceral combat with fluid movement and trick mechanics.” Nose grinding and blasting the underworld’s spawn then rewards you with demonic offerings, also known as character upgrades. 

Motordoom features the expected ten-minute runs that have you becoming evermore powerful, before facing a grotesque boss at the end, but there’s also a meta-progression to sink your bony jaw into, as you can mod your death bike over time with, say, chainsaws attached to the sides or a “death container” to increase your maximum health.

That all sounds quite tough, doesn’t it? Aiming at floating demons while performing tricks in pursuit of high scores. Sure, the camera can sometimes get in the way, but Motordoom also has a novel approach to shooting. In the vein of Rollerdrome, time slows down while you’re looking down sights - otherwise, the game automatically targets the nearest polygonal nightmare. 

Motordoom, overall, is a refreshing contender in bullet-hell-meets-roguelike space thanks to its novel camera angle, evocative designs, and, of course, the pro-skating. Or pro-biking, I guess. While we wait for a full release, the game’s demo is still available to download on Steam. 

Elsewhere, the Steam Winter Sale is still live with discounts on countless other hidden gems.