Queedo the Gravedigger is not a subtle man. He has a thick Cockney accent, a skull-smashing Total Uber Shovel, and a face on your HUD that gets progressively bruised and bloodied as you take damage. This is the bloody, beating heart of Gravelord, a retro-infused first-person shooter that is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather polish it until you can see your own sweaty reflection in the chrome.
Developed by Slovak studio Fatbot Games, s. r. o., this fast-paced “boomer shooter” leans heavily into late-90s nostalgia while introducing a few modern mechanical hooks. The setup is straightforward: you run, you jump, and you turn hordes of zombies and monsters into red paste across abstract, non-realistic levels. But instead of just copying the standard Quake blueprint, the developers have thrown a couple of distinct ingredients into the mix: Tarot Cards and a Spectral Shovel.
The Core Loop and the Shovel
At its center, the game relies on the tight, responsive movement that retro shooter fans crave. You navigate handcrafted levels filled with secrets, keycards, and monsters waiting to be blown to bits. The gunplay features a familiar arsenal—a pistol, a shotgun, a minigun, a grenade/rocket launcher, and a lightning gun. These can be upgraded to unlock alternative fire modes and synergies, allowing you to tailor your damage output.
Where the movement really opens up is with the Spectral Shovel. Beyond being a blunt instrument for turning enemies to mush, the shovel acts as a high-speed teleportation tool. With it, you can instantly cross hazardous gaps, bypass deadly obstacles, and open up shortcuts to previously cleared parts of the map. It gives the combat a kinetic, vertical edge, especially when paired with double-jump boots and the discovery that grenade jumping is a viable, high-skill movement option.
To keep the combat fresh, you collect Tarot Cards throughout your journey. These cards serve as customizable modifiers that boost your power level and give you fresh combat options, though you can only equip a limited number at any given time. This adds a light layer of buildcrafting to what is otherwise a pure test of reflexes and circle-strafing.
What Players Love and What Grates
The reception among players is highly positive, sitting at a comfortable 90% approval rate, but the feedback paints a clear picture of where the game shines and where it stumbles. The praise is centered on how “crisp” and responsive the movement feels. Retro purists are thrilled with the inclusion of classic quick-saving (F5) and level layouts that prioritize pure, uninterrupted fun over realistic architecture. There are no guardrails or handrails here—just raw, vertical arenas designed for combat. Additionally, Quake modders have heaped praise on the built-in level editor, comparing its ease of use to industry-standard tools like TrenchBroom.
However, the game has its critics. Some players find the experience to be “aggressively OK” and highly by-the-numbers. The main point of contention is the feedback on the weapons. While the guns themselves are classic, several players note that they can feel a bit flat, lacking the chunky, heavy impact and satisfying sound design required to make every shot feel truly devastating. The enemy AI also draws some criticism for being static and slow, occasionally turning combat into a shooting gallery rather than a deadly dance. Finally, the comic-book art style—complete with thick, black outlines—is a polarizing choice that might not appeal to retro purists who prefer raw, unfiltered pixels.
The Verdict
This game is a love letter to the era of Quake, Doom, and Duke Nukem, built for players who want to turn off their brains, listen to heavy metal, and hunt for secret doors. If you are looking for a revolution in the FPS genre, you won’t find it here. But if you want a responsive, earnest, and highly customizable retro shooter with a stellar level editor and a healthy dose of dark humor, it is absolutely worth your time.
Key Facts
- Developer: Fatbot Games, s. r. o.
- Publisher: Fatbot Games, s. r. o.
- Release Date: May 21, 2026
- Price: $17.99