Introduction
10 Minutes Till Dawn is a free-to-play, action-packed roguelite bullet-hell survival game developed by Flanne. Released on May 11, 2022, it serves as a demo for the full game, 20 Minutes Till Dawn. The game challenges players to survive relentless waves of Lovecraftian monsters for 10 minutes, creating unique and overpowered builds each run through a variety of upgrades, characters, and weapons. Its dark, eerie aesthetic, fast-paced gameplay, and strategic depth make it an exhilarating experience, available on web browsers via platforms like GamesVTV.
How to Play
Objective
- Survive for 10 minutes against an ever-growing horde of monstrous creatures in a top-down, bullet-hell environment.
- Defeat enemies to collect gems (experience points) and level up, unlocking upgrades to enhance your build and survive longer.
Start the game
- Select a character from a small roster (e.g., Shana, who starts with 3 HP and the ability to reroll upgrades). Each character has unique stats and abilities.
- Choose a starting weapon, such as a pistol or shotgun. The shotgun is recommended for beginners due to its higher damage and wider spread
Controls
- Use W.A.S.D to move your character.
- Aim with the mouse and click to shoot. Unlike Vampire Survivors, you manually control aiming and firing, requiring precise positioning.
- Your field of vision is limited; enemies are only fully visible when they enter your range, marked by a circle around your character
Survive and level up
- Defeat enemies to collect gems, which fill your XP gauge. Upon leveling up, choose one of four randomly offered upgrades (e.g., increased fire rate, bullet damage, or special abilities like shields).
- Upgrades are critical for creating powerful builds. For example, combining fire-based upgrades with a flamethrower can make you nearly invincible
Enemies and minibosses
- Face waves of Lovecraftian monsters, including exploding enemies that can chain-damage nearby foes. Use these strategically for crowd control.
- Encounter two minibosses:
- A tanky flying miniboss that drops a chest with XP and a random upgrade.
- A fast-charging miniboss that grants a Tome (e.g., Tome of Rage, which boosts fire rate and ammo but reduces bullet damage). These come with trade-offs, so choose wisely.
Environmental interactions
- Trees can be shot but not destroyed and deal damage if you get too close. Avoid their hitboxes or use them to bounce away from enemies.
- There are no health pickups. Increase survivability through upgrades like shields or max HP boosts.
10 Minutes Till Dawn is perfect for players who enjoy fast-paced, strategic survival games with high replayability. Its bite-sized sessions, inspired by Vampire Survivors but with active combat, make it accessible yet challenging.
