Shell Runner

About

Shell Runner is a top-down tactical shooter with looter and extraction mechanics set in a cyberpunk underworld. Play as a Shell Runner, a mercenary using remote-controlled bodies to complete high-risk contracts. Each mission is a procedurally generated map filled with randomized loot, enemies, and modifiers. Success means profit and upgrades. Failure costs your Shell, and everything you’ve collected. Solo runs are tense and unpredictable, while co-op lets teams tackle the sprawl together. The focus is on planning, positioning, and adapting to shifting odds. The game stands out for its sharp blend of risk and customization. Over 20 Shells offer different playstyles, each with random stat boosts that change how missions unfold. Boss fights and environmental hazards keep every run fresh. Early builds from Reija Gmbh show strong polish, with a gritty art style that leans into the genre’s neon-soaked chaos. Indie.io’s track record adds confidence. Launching April 11, 2025, it’s drawing attention from fans of tense, replayable action. If you want to juggle survival, strategy, and loot in a world where one mistake erases your progress, this is your pick.

Storyline

Welcome to 2045. The long struggle between people and corporations left the megacorps as overlords, ruling over the broken remnants of humanity huddled together in vast urban sprawls. But with no law or government beyond corporate boards, the underworld thrives. You are a Shell Runner using lifelike Shells to carry out wet work for anyone willing to pay. Shell Runner is a top-down tactical shooter hybridized with looter shooter and extraction games. Every run can make you rich - but lose your Shell and you lose all that. Experience high-risk runs as a solo merc - or find allies and face the seedy underbelly of a dystopian future in cooperative mode. Shells are remotely controlled bodies that blur the line between man and machine. Take control of one of over 20 Shells, from disposable everyman models for low-tier mercs to specialized high-tech Shells for corporate assassins and shock troops. But be careful: Lose a Shell on a mission and it's gone - together with all the gear, loot, and Silicon credits you managed to pilfer from other unfortunates living in the shadows of the corps. Life's cheap and brutal in the sprawl. You're always outnumbered and outgunned and even a lowly thug can flatline your Shell in seconds if you don't play it smart. Plan ahead and outfit your Shell with an arsenal of melee weapons, firearms, and explosives. Fine-tune stats thanks to a multitude of modifiers. Then head in to complete your contract. Stay on your toes, plan your attack, and hit your targets where they least expect it. No two runs are the same. Every mission is a procedurally-generated map, combining hand-crafted boss encounters with unpredictable randomness, ensuring no two runs are the same. Every Shell and item comes with random modifiers, meaning every contract is a risk - but also an opportunity. One job in the slums might leave you barely breaking even - the next one might make you break the bank. So get to work, Shell Runner, Silicon won’t earn itself!