Bullet heaven games are everywhere nowadays. A lot of indie studios really want to make that next Vampire Survivors. Deadly Days: Roadtrip is a game like that, but it also goes one step further by throwing a literal backpack at you that you have to organize while the zombies swarm. It’s an Early Access title, and we were really curious if the concept actually works. Brace yourselves for a weird mix of auto-shooting and Inventory Tetris.
Shooting and Sorting
Deadly Days: Roadtrip is a game with simple gameplay mechanics. We pick a character and drive a bus, then we stop to shoot zombies. But the shooting is entirely automatic. When you see what happens in the actual menu, you realize that’s where the real game takes place.
Every time we level up or find an airdrop, we get loot. Weapons, passive items, weird trinkets—you name it, the devs have included it. We don’t just equip these things, though; we have to fit them into a grid-based backpack. Every item has a specific shape, like Tetris blocks. But it isn’t just about making them fit. Items have adjacency bonuses. If we put a shotgun block next to a fire-rate block, the shotgun shoots faster. Yes, it is exactly as cool as it sounds!
The combat requires dodging massive hordes in 2.5D pixel art, but to survive, we constantly pause to play a puzzle game. We spend just as much time staring at our backpack as we do watching the horde explode. This is not a bad thing, as managing the backpack is as fun as the horde shooting. When we get a combo right—oh, the euphoria! It feels great to watch the screen melt. We can also combine items to craft legendary-tier gear.
The game forces a tough choice on every map, asking us if we should push deeper into the horde for better loot, or secure enough fuel to get our yellow school bus moving. We need fuel to advance, and space is extremely limited. We found ourselves constantly throwing away decent gear just to make room for a single piece of scrap that might complete a synergy. This is the only frustrating part of the experience. But, then again, it’s the exact kind of frustration that makes us want to try one more run.
There are over 10 characters to find and rescue during runs. They aren’t just skins; they have unique starting weapons and talents.
Tetris with Zombies
If you hate inventory management, then this game will most likely make you miserable. But if you like the idea of pausing an apocalypse to meticulously organize a backpack for a 5% damage boost, it works. Flawlessly.
The character variety is already good, and the key mechanics are well executed. So, if you liked what you read above, go ahead and treat yourself—those zombies aren’t going to blow themselves up!
ID Card
- Developer: Pixelsplit
- Publisher: Sidekick Publishing
- Platforms: PC (Steam Early Access)
- Release Date: September 22, 2025 (Early Access)
- Genre: Action Roguelite / Bullet Heaven / Inventory Management
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