Mortar and Pistol

Medieval fantasy bullet heaven — magic-powered guns, alchemical weapons, elemental affinities.

A vampire-survivors-style bullet heaven where magic comes from guns, not wands. Every weapon is a purpose-built magical firearm. Pick a hero, grab weapons, attune to an element, and transmute your arsenal into something devastating.

Quick Links

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Dash
Alchemical Blink + hero variants
!
Bosses & Elites
2 bosses, 4 elite types
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Arena Features
Crates, braziers, interactables
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The Forge
Meta progression & unlocks
*
VFX Clarity
Particle budget, z-index layers
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Research
Survivor-like systems analysis

Heroes

Each hero starts with a weapon, an elemental affinity, and a unique passive.

The Wizard
Mid-range precision

Weapon: Bolt Rifle

Element: Lightning

Passive: +10% fire rate

Enchanted long-barrel rifle. Arcane formulas focus magic into a single devastating piercing bolt.

The Alchemist
AoE & debuffs

Weapon: Scatter Flask

Element: Poison

Passive: +12% AoE radius

Modified blunderbuss that fires unstable flasks. Shatters into volatile shrapnel on impact.

The Bombardier
Heavy explosions

Weapon: Powder Keg

Element: Fire

Passive: +15% damage

Massive iron mortar that drops primed explosive kegs. The fuse burns, then everything goes up.

The Assassin
Speed & burst

Weapon: Twin Barrels

Element: Wind

Passive: +15% move speed

Dual compact pistols with wind vents. Fires both barrels in rapid succession — one-two punch.

Weapons

Character Weapons

Each hero starts with a unique weapon. Exclusive — not in the level-up pool.

Bolt Rifle

Wizard · BEAM

Pulsed hitscan beam pierces enemies in a line. Long range.

20-40 dmg · 0.8-1.2/s · scales pierce + area

Scatter Flask

Alchemist · BURST

Flask shatters into 4-8 shrapnel on impact. Chaotic AoE.

14 + 4×shrapnel · 0.7-1.0/s

Powder Keg

Bombardier · MINE

Drops barrel at position. Fuse burns, then massive detonation. Extra kegs thrown in arc.

25-60 dmg · 0.5-0.7/s · 90px radius

Twin Barrels

Assassin · BURST-FIRE

2 rapid shots (0.1s apart). Fast projectiles, quick cooldown.

10-22 ×2 · 1.2-1.8 bursts/s

Pool Weapons

Available to all heroes through level-ups. Currently archived — awaiting upgrade rework.

Weapon Type Damage Rate Mechanic
Bayonet Rush MELEE 14-30 1.2-2.0/s Magic-blade. 120° cone sweep.
Mortar Burst AOE 8-20 0.5-0.7/s Potion shell detonation. 80px radius.
Arc Discharge CHAIN 12-28 0.8-1.2/s Lightning rounds arc. 2-6 chains.
Ember Shells ORBIT 7-15 — Fire rounds orbit at 180°/s.
Blight Flask DOT 5-13/tick 0.4-0.6/s Poison zone. Ticks 0.5s for 3-5s.
Seeker Rounds BARRAGE 15-27 0.4-0.6/s Homing bullets. 2-4 per volley.

Transmutations

Weapon at Lv5 + paired passive = auto-transmute.

Bayonet+Gunpowder→Reaper's Bayonet
360° sweep, 120px, 40 dmg, 2.5/s
Mortar+Clockwork→Carpet Bomber
150px, 30 dmg, 1.5/s, multi-detonation
Arc+Birdshot→Storm Conduit
8 chains, 180px hop, 25 dmg
Ember+Quicksilver→Inferno Ring
6 orbiters, 90px, 18 dmg, 270°/s
Blight+Focus Lens→Plague Barrage
120px, 12/tick, 6s, toxic trail
Seeker+Extra Powder→Bullet Storm
6 seekers, 60px splash, screen-wide

Elemental Affinities

One active at a time. Modifies ALL equipped weapons.

Fire
Dmg: -15% · Rate: +25%
Attacks apply burn DoT — 3/s for 3s
Earth
Dmg: +25% · Rate: -20%
Projectiles +30% larger, AoE +20%
Lightning
Dmg: -10% · Rate: +15%
Pierce +2, chain hop +40px
Wind
Dmg: -25% · Rate: +40%
Speed +20%. Suffocate — halves healing
Poison
Dmg: -20%
Poison DoT — 5/s for 4s, stacks
Void
Dmg: -30% · Rate: -15%
Reduces max HP instead of current. Returns after 5s
Light
Dmg: -10%
Projectiles 2x faster, reload +30%

Weapon × Element Matrix

Special interactions (stretch goals).

Fire Earth Ltn. Wind Psn. Void Light
Bolt Rifle — — fork — — — trail
Scatter Flask — slow zone — — DOT shrapnel — —
Powder Keg fire ground — — — — vacuum —
Twin Barrels — — chain shot triple-tap — — —
Bayonet burn trail — — knockback — — —
Mortar — huge radius — — — vacuum —
Arc — — 2x chains — — — instant
Ember fire trails — — — poison wake — —
Blight — slow zone — — 2x poison — —
Seeker — — chain splash — — singularity —

Passives

Passive acquisition system currently under rework.

Gunpowder
+10% dmg/lv
Max: +50%
Clockwork
+8% atk speed/lv
Max: +40%
Quicksilver
+10% proj speed/lv
Max: +50%
Birdshot
+1 pierce/lv
Max: +5
Wind Vents
+8% speed/lv
Max: +40%
Lodestone
+15% pickup/lv
Max: +75%
Focusing Lens
+8% AoE/lv
Max: +40%
Extra Powder
+1 proj/lv
Max: +5

Combat

Alchemical Blink (Dash)

Space / bumper. Brief alchemical dissolve, reappear ahead. I-frames on first 0.08s. Afterimage trail.

Stat Value Notes
Distance 100px ~2x character width
Duration 0.12s Near-instant
Cooldown 2.0s Rewards timing
I-Frames 0.08s Dash through attacks

Hero Dash Variants

Arc Step

Wizard — Lightning trail damages enemies passed through (5 dmg)

Caustic Roll

Alchemist — Drops a small poison puddle at start position

Blast Jump

Bombardier — Knockback on enemies near start position

Smoke Dash

Assassin — 30% longer distance (130px). Pure speed

Enemies (Planned)

Husks

Shambling magic-warped creatures.

Base

Ironclads

Alchemically hardened. Slow, high HP.

Tank

Wisps

Fast, fragile. Swarms of 8-10.

Swarmer

Hexborn

Ranged. Unstable magic bolts.

Ranged

Splitters

Burst into 2-3 Wisps on death.

Splitting

Bosses & Elites

Elites spawn from 3:00+. Bosses at 5:00 and 10:00.

Elite Types

5x HP, 1.5x size, 10x XP. Each adds one mechanic.

Shielded

50% DR from front. Must flank or use AoE.

Gold glow

Volatile

Explodes on death — 80px radius, 15 dmg.

Pulsing red

Spawner

Spawns 2 Wisps every 3s while alive.

Green trail

Magnetic

Pulls XP gems toward itself. Steals your experience.

Purple vortex

Boss Encounters

The Iron Warden
5:00 — Slow, armored, summons minions

HP: 800 + (kills × 0.5)

Ground Slam: 120px AoE, spawns 4 Ironclads

Shield Wall: 75% DR for 3s, minions speed +50%

Charge: Dash at 200 speed, leaves damage trail

Drop: Lodestone Pulse + 200 XP

The Storm Weaver
10:00 — Fast, erratic, area denial

HP: 1500 + (kills × 0.5)

Wisp Burst: Spawns 8 Wisps in a ring

Lightning Trail: Zigzag dash, damaging zones

Static Field: 200px pushback pulse, 15 dmg + stun

Drop: Lodestone Pulse + 400 XP + free level-up

Arena Features

Interactive elements in the arena. Reasons to move beyond dodging.

Breakable Crates

8-12 on map. 15 HP. Respawn 15-20s after destroyed.

60%

XP cluster (3-5 gems)

20%

Heal pickup

15%

Lodestone Pulse

5%

Arcane Dust (+5)

Alchemical Braziers

2 active at once. Walk into to consume. Respawn elsewhere after 45s.

Speed Brazier

+30% move speed for 8s

Power Brazier

+20% damage for 8s

Shield Brazier

Block next hit (up to 15s)

Progression

The Forge — Meta Progression

Permanent upgrades with Arcane Dust. Makes every run matter, even losses.

Source Amount
Base (per run) 10
Per minute survived 5
Per 100 enemies killed 3
Per boss defeated 25
Victory bonus 50
First victory (per hero) 100

Forge Enhancements

5 levels each. Apply to ALL future runs.

Tempered Barrels
+5% damage/lv
Max: +25%
Oiled Mechanisms
+4% fire rate/lv
Max: +20%
Alchemist's Vigor
+10 max HP/lv
Max: +50 HP
Swift Boots
+4% move speed/lv
Max: +20%
Magnetic Core
+10% pickup range/lv
Max: +50%
Lucky Loadout
+1 reroll/lv
Max: +5
XP Attunement
+5% XP gain/lv
Max: +25%

Achievement Unlocks

Pool Weapons

Complete 1 run with each hero → un-archives all 6 pool weapons

Weapon Talents

Max character weapon 3 times → talent upgrades in pool

Hard Mode

Win with any character → 1.5x difficulty, 1.5x Dust

Elemental Mastery

Win with each element → dual-element attunement

Alchemist's Journal

Kill 1000 enemies → per-weapon stats in end screen

True Ending

Beat Storm Weaver on Hard → 20-min run + third boss

End-of-Run Stats

Summary

Time, level, kills, total damage, bosses defeated.

Default tab

Weapons

Per-weapon damage bar chart. Ranked. Color-coded.

Key feature

Build

Full loadout: weapons, passives, element. Stat contribution.

Detail view

Technical

Audio Design

Pitch Ramping

XP pickups in rapid succession play at ascending pitch. +1 semitone per pickup, cap at +8. Reset after 0.5s gap.

Kill Variants

3-4 death sound variants per enemy type. Random selection prevents fatigue.

Overkill Feedback

3x+ overkill → beefier death sound. Lower pitch, louder. Transmuted weapons feel devastating.

Per-Weapon SFX

Each weapon type gets unique fire + hit sounds. No shared sfx_shoot.

VFX Clarity System

Priority Examples At Budget Cap
Critical Player, boss, HP bars, HUD Never culled
High Projectiles, dash trail, boss attacks Particle count -50%
Medium Impact effects, death bursts Skipped entirely
Low Ambient particles, orbiter trails First to cull

Budget cap: 150 active GPUParticles2D emitters. Z-index: ground(0) → pickups(5) → enemies(10) → player(15) → projectiles(20) → UI(100).

Roadmap

Survivor-Like Systems Research

Comparative analysis of upgrade, progression, and meta systems across the genre. Click to expand.

Vampire Survivors
Weapons: 6
Passives: 6
Max Lv: 8
Evo: Wep+Pas+Chest
▼

Level-up: 3-4 choices from combined weapon + passive pool. Reroll, Banish, and Skip (limited uses, upgradeable via meta).

Characters: 50+ characters, each with exclusive starting weapon + stat bonuses (e.g., Antonio: Whip + 20% Might).

Evolution: Weapon at Lv8 + specific Passive at any level + open Treasure Chest = evolved weapon. Passive is kept.

Meta (PowerUps): Gold spent on permanent stat boosts: Might, Armor, Max HP, Recovery, Cooldown, Area, Speed, Duration, Amount, MoveSpeed, Growth, Greed, Luck, Reroll/Banish/Skip uses.

Arcanas: 22 run modifiers selected at start and at 11-min intervals. Fundamentally change mechanics.

Stats: Might, Armor, Max HP, Recovery, Cooldown, Area, Speed, Duration, Amount, MoveSpeed, Luck, Growth, Greed, Curse, Magnet, Revival.

HoloCure
Weapons: 6
Stamps: 6
Max Lv: 7
Evo: Wep+Stamp+Chest
▼

Level-up: 3-4 choices (4 with meta upgrade). Same pool mechanics as VS.

Characters: 50+ with exclusive starting weapon + Special Attack (active ability on ~30-60s cooldown).

Collab: Weapon Lv7 + Stamp Lv7 + Collab Chest. Stamp is consumed, freeing a slot.

Meta: HoloCoins for stat upgrades (10 levels each), Enhanced Level-Up (4 choices), Starting Weapon Level, GachaPon (cosmetics).

Unique: Special Attacks add skill expression. Super Collabs (two collabs merge) for endgame power.

Stats: HP, ATK, SPD, CRT, Haste, Move Speed, Pickup Range, HP Regen, Knockback, Size, EXP Bonus.

Survivor.io
Weapons: ~6
Passives: ~6
Evo: Auto-merge
Platform: Mobile
▼

Level-up: 3 choices. Heavily weighted toward active skill upgrades.

Evolution: Two specific skills at max level auto-merge. No chest trigger needed.

Equipment: Permanent gear with rarity tiers (Common → Mythic). Provides persistent stat bonuses.

Meta: Equipment upgrading + Talent tree + Hero levels + Multiple currencies (gold, gems, materials).

Key differentiator: Mobile-first, auto-aim, simplified controls. Equipment is semi-permanent meta gear.

Brotato
Weapons: 6
Passives: Unlimited
Evo: None
Upgrades: Shop
▼

UNIQUE: Shop-based. Buy weapons and items from a shop between waves. No randomized level-up choices.

Can buy duplicates — stack 6 shotguns! Reroll shop costs gold (increasing).

40+ characters with unique passives that fundamentally change playstyle.

Wave-based: 20 waves of escalating enemies. Gold economy is central.

Meta: Character unlocks and Danger levels only. No permanent stat upgrades.

Stats: HP, Regen, Life Steal, Damage, Melee/Ranged/Elemental Damage, Attack Speed, Crit, Engineering, Range, Armor, Dodge, Speed, Luck, Harvesting.

20 Minutes Till Dawn
Weapons: 1
Passives: Skill tree
Evo: None
▼

Choose 1 weapon at start from ~10 options (Shotgun, Revolver, Dual SMGs, etc.).

Level-up: 3 choices from a branching skill tree. Categories: Bullet, Fire, Ice, Lightning, Dark, Summoner, General.

No passive items — everything is skill nodes. Creates deep build paths: "fire shotgun" vs "ice sniper" vs "summon army".

Meta: Character/weapon unlocks + Rune system. No permanent stat upgrades.

Halls of Torment
Abilities: 5
Traits: Unlimited
Meta: Quests + Blessings
▼

Level-up: 3 choices mixing abilities and traits. Trait dependency chains (must pick A before B unlocks).

Quest-based meta: "Kill 1000 skeletons" unlocks new abilities. Goal-oriented progression.

Blessings: Permanent stat upgrades purchased between runs, gated behind quest completion.

Risk of Rain 2
Items: Unlimited
Equipment: 1
Key: Stacking
▼

Items stack. Picking up a second Soldier's Syringe gives double the attack speed. No caps.

No level-up choices — items from chests and drops. Rarity tiers: White, Green, Red, Yellow, Lunar, Equipment.

Difficulty scales with time. Speed vs power tension — risk spending time looting vs rushing boss.

Characters: ~14 Survivors with 4 active abilities each. Alt skills unlocked via challenges.

Meta: Character unlocks, Alternate skills, Artifacts (run modifiers), Lunar Coins.

Hades
Weapons: 6×4 aspects
Boons: Slot-based
Meta: Mirror + Keepsakes
▼

Boons from Olympian gods modify specific slots (attack, special, cast, dash, call). Duo Boons require two gods.

Daedalus Hammer: 2 per run, fundamentally change weapon behavior ("your attack now fires 3 shots").

Mirror of Night: 24 dual-choice permanent passives. Meaningful meta decisions.

Keepsakes: 1 equipped passive, swappable between biomes. Upgraded by repeated use.

Room choice: Pick which reward to pursue each room. Rich narrative integration.

Cross-Game Comparison

Feature VS HC S.io Brotato 20MTD HoT RoR2 Hades
Weapon Slots 6 6 ~6 6 1 5 ∞ 1
Passive Slots 6 6 ~6 ∞ Tree ∞ ∞ 1
Weapon Max Lv 8 7 Varies Tiers Auto 5 N/A N/A
Evolution W+P+Chest W+S+Chest Auto — — — — Aspects
Level-Up Choices 3-4 3-4 3 Shop(4) 3(tree) 3 N/A Room
Reroll Yes — — Yes($) Yes — — Yes
Banish Yes — — Sell — — Scrap —
Char Weapon Excl. Excl. — — Choose Yes 4 skills Choose
Meta Stats Gold Coins Equip — — Bless — Mirror
Run Duration 30m 20m ~10m 20 waves 20m ~15m Varies ~30m

Key Patterns

6+6 Slot Model

Standard across the genre. Creates meaningful build tension: new weapon vs upgrade vs passive.

Evolution as Build Puzzle

Players plan backward from desired combos. The chest trigger adds a moment of payoff.

Three Tiers of Progression

In-Run (resets) / Meta (permanent stats) / Unlocks (one-time). Every game has all three.

Skill Expression vs RNG

Reroll, Banish, Skip, Shop. The best games give players tools to fight bad luck.

Character Identity

Exclusive weapon + stat bonus + unique ability. M&P already does exclusive weapons.

Passive Acquisition

6 approaches: Level-up pool (VS), Shop (Brotato), Skill tree (20MTD), Drops (RoR2), Quests (HoT), Equipment (S.io).

Mortar and Pistol — axogames.dev