Helltaker - Nendoroid

In 2020, the puzzle adventure game Helltaker, took the indie gaming world by storm. Solo produced and free-to-play, the game gave fans impressive art and a cast of demon girls to add to their own personal harems. The face of the game, demon girl Lucifer, even has a Nendoroid figure, seen in "Nendoroid Helltaker Lucifer."

Nendoroid Helltaker Lucifer

Hell's CEO is ready to join a figure collection harem in this chibi figure from the Nendoroid line. Lucifer wears her sharp red and black suit, complete with the silver sigil pinned to her lapel. Her black spike headband, jagged white horns, and whip-like tail convey her demonic prowess. The figure includes three of her most recognizable expressions: a sharp smile, smug smirk, and flustered blush. Fans can pose the figure in Lucifer's idle pose with one arm crossed under the chest and the other nursing a glass of wine. Other accessories include a knife and fork and a plate of chocolate pancakes.

Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Sculptor: Sao Nakai
Specifications: Painted, articulated, non-scale ABS & PVC figure with optional parts and stand
Height (Approx.): 100mm | 3.9"

About Helltaker

Helltaker is an indie puzzle and adventure game incorporating dating sim elements. Designed by Polish developer Łukasz Piskorz, Helltaker had a worldwide release in May 2020 for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

About Helltaker: Story

The player, known only as "The Helltaker," arrives in hell with one goal: gather a harem of demon girls. Beelzebub narrates the player's efforts as they complete levels of hell to gain a new demon girl at the end. As the player succeeds, the harem grows increasingly chaotic and unstable. In a moment of self-reflection, the player realizes they can only offer their harem turn-based strategy, coffee, and chocolate pancakes. In the final level, the harem arrives on earth. Two endings decide the player and harem's fate: the Regular Ending and the Abysstaker Ending. A level pack, "the Examtaker," includes harder stages and continues story arcs from the creator's webcomic.

Each level of the game consists of a series of puzzle stages in order to progress. Once reaching the level's end, the player must face the demon girl and answer her questions appropriately. If the player succeeds, the demon girl joins their harem. The puzzles themselves involve pushing stones and skeleton soldiers around a two-dimensional top-down grid. The player must also avoid traps and collect key items within a set turn limit. Failure at any stage could result in returning to the beginning of the level or player death.

About Helltaker: Characters

Aside from the player, the characters in Helltaker consist of the demon girls and Beelzebub. In the style of dating sims, each demon girl embodies a trope or character archetype. For example, the first level demon girl, Pandemonica, known as the "tired demon," exhibits both kuudere and sadistic traits. Each demon girl expands the pool of traits in the harem, like the lustful Modeus and Azazel, the "bright-eyed cadet."

The game's narrator, Beelzebub, is a large insectoid, beast-like creature. Throughout the game, Beelzebub offers advice and motivation to the player in a cordial manner. Over time, the narration grows more jovial in the spirit of an epic poem. The player can encounter Beelzebub in person in the Abysstaker Ending.

Helltaker Series Development

Helltaker was created as a solo project by Polish developer Łukasz Piskorz. The game remains free-to-play with an art book and pancake recipe available for purchase to support the developer.

Helltaker Series Development: Production

Known on Twitter as vanripper, Piskorz developed the game entirely on his own over the course of a year. Piskorz also serves as the art director and promoter of the game. On his Twitter account, Piskorz has released a webcomic expanding on the game's story. The content of these chapters would later become an additional chapter celebrating the game's first anniversary.

Community involvement has expanded Helltaker development to fit player needs. As of 2022, the official version of the game only runs in English. However, Piskorz has supported community translations, including a Polish version he also assisted. Over the summer of 2020, two fanmade ports received authorization by Piskorz, allowing gameplay on the Nintendo Switch PlayStation Vita.

Helltaker Series Development: Reception

The game received overwhelmingly good praise shortly after its release on Steam. Within a week of release, the game received over 3,600 reviews. Fans praised the puzzles, aesthetics, and storytelling. However, the main criticism centered on the length of the game, as some felt the game was too short.

Over the summer of 2020, the game developed an active online presence and community. The surprising success of Helltaker also called many current gaming industry practices into question, such as pay-to-play and high commitment value.

Links

Nendoroid Helltaker Lucifer
Nendoroid Label
Good Smile Company Label