Carrion

Rating: 4	Downloads: 1,000,000+
Category: Action	Offer by: DevolverDigital

Carrion is a fast-paced, arcade-style survival horror game developed by Dead Toast and published by Devolver Digital. Primarily available on mobile platforms, it belongs to the action-adventure and roguelike genres. The game’s unique and addictive core mechanic revolves around transforming into increasingly powerful versions of a monstrous entity by consuming blue orbs found throughout procedurally generated rooms.

The gameplay experience of Carrion is intense and chaotic, often described as a frantic run through dark, stylized rooms filled with enemies. The visual style uses sharp pixel art combined with vibrant neon colors and a dark atmosphere, creating a distinct aesthetic that enhances the game’s frenetic pace and horror elements. Players are motivated by the thrill of the kill and the constant hunger for more orbs to transform and survive.

Gameplay and Features

• [Core Gameplay Loop]: Carrion is played in procedurally generated rooms where the player controls a monster, primarily tasked with collecting blue orbs while avoiding or defeating red enemies. The objective is to survive as long as possible, with the core interaction being movement, aiming, and firing different projectiles based on the player’s transformation level, achieved by consuming blue orbs found in the environment.
• [Visuals or Art Style]: The game boasts sharp, detailed pixel art visuals with a dark, moody color palette often featuring stark contrasts and glowing neon accents. Rooms and enemies are designed with sharp angles and stylized forms. Enemies, especially bosses, have distinct visual designs, and the overall aesthetic feels both frantic and atmospheric.
• [Modes or Levels]: Carrion features a single-player campaign mode focused on survival runs through endless, randomly generated corridors filled with enemies and orbs. Rooms contain various collectibles like orbs, health packs, and blueprints (unlockables). Local co-op for 2-4 players allows friends to join the same device and play together, significantly increasing difficulty but adding replay value. There’s no traditional level system, but each successful run increases score and unlocks new cosmetic items and potentially boosts orb generation rates.
• [Controls or Interface]: Gameplay is designed for touch controls on mobile devices. Basic movement uses virtual joysticks (or on-screen buttons for some versions) at the bottom of the screen. Firing and shooting are handled by tapping or dragging on-screen buttons. The controls are responsive and generally easy to master for touch interfaces, allowing for precise aiming and movement even during intense fights.
• [Customization or Power-ups]: Customization is primarily cosmetic, unlocked through replaying levels and earning blueprints (blueprints are cosmetic themes for the player’s monster). The main progression isn’t tied to permanent upgrades, but rather unlocking new cosmetic skins for the player’s monster and transforming into different monster types which offer varied movement and firing styles, effectively acting as power-ups or different gameplay modes. The motivation for ongoing play comes from the desire to achieve high scores (often tracked via leaderboards), beat boss waves, and unlock new cosmetic content.
• [Any Special Systems]: Local co-op is a notable feature, allowing multiple players on the same device to tackle the endless corridors together. This significantly changes the gameplay dynamics, requiring coordination and combined firepower. There are also various power-up rooms scattered throughout levels that provide temporary boosts to the player’s health, damage, or transformation speed, adding strategic depth during challenging sections.

How to Play

Beginner’s Guide:

• Step 1: Download “Carrion” from a mobile app store (iOS or Android). Launch the game and begin a new game or story campaign.
• Step 2: Tap to aim your monster and tap again or hold to shoot projectiles (initially small). Move your monster (using on-screen controls) around the dark corridor. Collect blue orbs (shiny spheres) to increase your size and transform into stronger monster types (e.g., gaining the ability to shoot lasers or rockets).
• Step 3: Survive as long as possible by killing red enemies and collecting orbs. Use health orbs (often depicted as white or red orbs) to repair your monster. Avoid boss rooms until your transformation level is higher. Your score increases based on survival time, enemies killed, and orbs collected.

Pro Tips:

• Aim carefully for headshots or kill enemies in groups to maximize orb collection and minimize health loss.
• Don’t be afraid to transform quickly by collecting orbs; bigger monsters deal more damage but take more hits, so balance your size based on the threat level.
• Learn the patterns of different enemy types and boss monsters to exploit their weaknesses and avoid taking unnecessary damage.

Similar Games

Game Title	Why It’s Similar
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved	Shares a similar arcade action and fast-paced, 2D arena combat experience with power-ups. Known for intense, chaotic gameplay and stylish visuals.
Dead Space 3 (or other Respawn games)	Appeals to fans of the core monster transformation and combat feel (though Dead Space is 3D), focusing on survival against hordes. Has a darker aesthetic and high-stakes action.
Hotline Miami	Offers a similar stylish visual aesthetic with neon colors and dark backgrounds. Gameplay is short, intense bursts of action with guns and enemies, focusing on stylish execution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I get the big laser/zombie/lizard transformation early in Carrion?
A: The player transforms by consuming blue orbs found scattered around the rooms. To get the specific transformations (like the laser, zombie, or lizard), simply keep collecting orbs and the appropriate transformation power-up will become available and automatically activate.

Q: What happens if I die in Carrion?
A: When the player’s monster reaches maximum health damage or is overwhelmed by enemies, they lose a life (usually represented as 100% health). On death, they respawn shortly in a central room, lose some score, and continue playing. The game offers multiple lives to play through.

Q: Is Carrion available on PC?
A: No, Carrion is primarily a mobile game and is only available on iOS and Android platforms. There hasn’t been any official announcement for a PC, PS Vita, or Switch version.

Q: How do the local co-op mechanics work in Carrion?
A: Local co-op allows up to 4 players to play simultaneously on the same mobile device. Players control their own monster and work together to defeat enemies and bosses. Each player has their own health bar. Co-op significantly increases difficulty but adds replayability.

Q: Are there different types of orbs, and what do they do?
A: Yes, there are several orb types beyond the main blue orbs. Red orbs restore health (health orbs), while white orbs are purely cosmetic. There are also special blueprints (unlockable cosmetic themes), but these aren’t orbs you consume. The main game revolves around blue orbs for transformation and red orbs for health regeneration.

Screenshots