Off the AppStore: A lively view of DeadEye

• A survivors-like without all that pesky movement
• Defend your position with sharpshooting and your Dead Eye
• Build your defender with level-ups, abilities, and cursed artifacts

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

The beauty of mobile is how it can do so much with so little, and yet some put others to shame by tapping on their screens with the same dexterity that one might conduct a symphony. However, for those who tap a bit slower and prefer to use only one or two fingers at a time, apps of all kinds are here to accommodate them. We're already staring at our phones more than we'd like to admit, so it's nice whenever we can put something simple yet fast and stimulating on them. Alice is trying to do this by allowing us to play DeadEye.

This 2D pixel-art game is part of the genre that I like to call "Last Stand". Before there were vampires to survive, there were quirky characters holed up in some small location with nothing but whatever they had in reach. Enemies would slowly advance toward them, hoping to swipe and bite at them, and you would have to help them fight them off. This time around, our unfortunate victim is Douglas, a grim noir cat with a trench coat and a revolver. Monsters and demons of various types surround him and have come prepared with bullets that are just as effective on dead things as on living.

From his planted position, Douglas has a 360-degree view of his surroundings and can fire at any targets once they're visible, as long as he has ammunition. He needs to manage his bullet counter, health, and DeadEye meter, which allows him to set up several shots at once to hopefully take out multiple targets instantly. There are some survivors-like elements at play, mainly in how Douglas will gain experience and level up to learn new abilities and even have the chance to earn special artifacts for active and passive bonuses. The enemies will continue to come, with their members becoming more varied, including elite and boss variants, to fight for big rewards and ensure their continued survival.

DeadEye is a survivors-like where you don't have to concern yourself with movement and exploration. You're letting the monsters come to you, so all you have to do is point and shoot, which is much more challenging than it sounds. Difficulty ramps up fast enough to get you engaged, and you'll be incentivised to get better so you can unlock more content like another character, game modes, and even watch for the multiplayer option. You won't be dead-eyed playing this, that's for sure.

You can play DeadEye on its itch.io page!