Is Serious Sam: Shatterverse worth $17.99?
Short answer: yes if you've got a squad. Hold off if you're solo and you wanted a campaign — this is a roguelite, and the design leans hard on 2–5 player co-op.
What $17.99 actually buys you
Out today on Steam, PS5 and Xbox. The 10% launch discount is the only thing separating it from a $19.99 full-price roguelite. The launch discount is time-limited (Devolver doesn't usually post an exact end date — it's typically the launch window, which runs a few weeks). If you wait, the price steps up to $19.99, and from there it eventually does Devolver's typical 30–50% off in the first big seasonal sale.
For $17.99 you get: full roguelite progression, 1–5 player crossplay co-op across PC/PS5/Xbox, the full multi-Sam roster, and a Behaviour-developed arcade FPS. The publisher is Devolver, which matters — Devolver doesn't usually ship broken games on day one, and they tend to support their titles for at least a year post-launch.
Worth it day one if
- You've got 1–4 friends who'll squad up. The game is built around the 2–5 player stack, and most of the multi-Sam gimmicks only really land with a full party.
- You like co-op roguelites (Risk of Rain 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Gunfire Reborn) and want another entry to chew through. Same loop, different coat of paint.
- You want to support Behaviour's first non-Dead-by-Daylight co-op project. Their track record on live ops is strong; if you liked DbD's seasonal cadence, this should get a similar treatment.
- You trust Devolver as a publisher. They've shipped a lot of weird co-op shooters over the years and this is squarely in their wheelhouse.
Hold off if
- You're planning to play solo. The Steam page lists solo mode, but every review and dev interview so far points to a squad-first design. Solo is supported but not the headline.
- You wanted a single-player Serious Sam campaign. Croteam's mainline series is still separate — this is a roguelite spinoff with a different studio, and there's no story mode here.
- You can wait. The launch discount is small (10%), and the post-launch Devolver seasonal sale price is usually a 30–50% drop. If $19.99 vs $17.99 doesn't change your week, wait six weeks for a deeper cut.
- You're not into the roguelite structure. Short runs, restart-on-death, meta progression between runs. If you bounced off Risk of Rain 2, this is the same shape.
Day-one call
Buy day one if you've got a squad and a Discord channel ready. The 10% launch discount is small but real, and you get the full game on day one — Devolver doesn't gate content behind a season pass here. The value gets shakier if you're solo; this is a roguelite, not a single-player campaign, and the squad design isn't decoration.
If you can wait, the seasonal sale price will be meaningfully lower than the $19.99 post-launch regular. Solo players get the best deal by waiting, squad players get the best deal by jumping in now and playing together tonight.
Quick FAQ
- Is the launch discount permanent? No. It ends when the launch window closes. The post-window price is $19.99.
- Can I play it solo? Yes. Solo mode is in. The design leans squad though.
- Is it on Nintendo Switch? Not at launch. PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S only.
- Crossplay between PC and console? Yes. PC, PS5 and Xbox can party up together.
- Is this a sequel to Serious Sam 4? No. It's a roguelite spinoff by a different studio (Behaviour). Croteam is still doing their own thing on the mainline series.