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Index › 2000s › Crimsonland
Crimsonland cover art

Crimsonland

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Crimsonland

Steam $13.99 GOG $13.99 Epic Games Store $13.99 Humble Store $13.99 Fanatical $13.99

Top-down arena shooter video game with role-playing elements. It was developed by Finnish studio 10tons Entertainment and published by Reflexive Entertainment in 2003. In 2014 an enhanced re-release followed.

Year
2003
Developer
10tons
Publisher
Reflexive Entertainment

SCREENSHOTS

HISTORY

Crimsonland is a top-down arena shooter video game with role-playing elements. It was developed by Finnish studio 10tons Entertainment and published by Reflexive Entertainment in 2003. In 2014 a re-release through digital distribution followed.

Gameplay

The player is placed in the middle of the map while enemies gradually enter and make their way towards the player. The player has to eliminate the enemies before their health reaches zero. With each death of an enemy the player will gain experience points. Each level the player gains, the player can select special perks that range anywhere from faster reload times, faster shooting speed, faster movement, to status effects like radiation (creating an area of affect around the player that damages all enemies within its range), poison bullets, and many others. Randomly, when an enemy is killed they will drop a power-up that may be extra points, temporary invulnerability, fire bullets, slowing of time, and many others.

The game also offers local multiplayer for two players on the original and up to four on the re-release. In a multiplayer game, all players share the same experience and perks but are free to pick up any weapons or power-ups that may appear.

Development

Originally developed by 10tons Entertainment and released as freeware/demo version, in 2003 a commercial shareware version with publisher Reflexive Entertainment followed. The game was re-released and self-published through digital distribution in 2014 with updates to graphics, perks, weapons, enemies, and game modes. In 2015 it was released for the Xbox One and later for Nintendo Switch in 2017.

Reception

The general reception has been fairly positive. On Steam, the user reviews have Crimsonland rated as "Very Positive" and a 4.5 out of 5 from TouchArcade. IGN gave Crimsonland a 7.5 out of 10. Meanwhile, Metacritic has Crimsonland at 68 for PC and 64 on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

STORES

Store
Price
Discount
Lowest ever
$13.99
Lowest: $2.09
$13.99
Lowest: $2.51
$13.99
Lowest: $5.59
$13.99
Lowest: $2.79
$13.99
Lowest: $2.79

Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 21 Sept 2026.

PRICE HISTORY

Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.

$0$20$40201520172019202120232025Epic Games Store $13.99Fanatical $11.08GOG $13.99Humble Store $13.99Steam $13.99Xbox $9.99

Epic Games Store low: $5.59 (16 Jul 2026) , Fanatical low: $2.79 (13 Mar 2020) , GOG low: $2.51 (16 Oct 2024) , Humble Store low: $2.79 (21 Jan 2016) , Steam low: $2.09 (25 Sep 2023) , Xbox low: $9.99 (1 May 2023)

REVIEWS

Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.

ZTGD
9 / 10
ZTGD review

“Crimsonland is now up there with Super Stardust HD as one of my favourite twin-stick shooters. It may not blow you away with the visuals, but looks certainly don't matter when it's packing this much content. Added to the fact that the Xbox One version includes new content, this is a must buy for fans of the genre and for those looking for a fun co-op experience.”

John Whitehouse , 23 Oct 2015
Nindie Spotlight
8.5 / 10
Nindie Spotlight review

“While it won’t win points for its complex and challenging story or trying to push boundaries Crimsonland is a thoroughly satisfying arcade-style twin-stick shooter that I will likely return to periodically for quite some time. While it isn’t graphically very impressive and the sound is relatively limited there’s no denying the power of its gameplay. It is adrenaline-fueled, brutally challenging, over-the-top, and should be considered a must-have for shooter fans!”

Nindie Spotlight , 24 Nov 2017
PS3Blog.net
70 / 100
[Beyond PlayStation] Crimsonland Review | PS3Blog.net

“If you're looking for a top-down action release that offers bite-sized levels for you to dive into for a few minutes at a time with a difficulty that slowly ramps up as you go, then you should give Crimsonland a try. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does offer a solid and entertaining arcade-style release on Nintendo Switch that is worth a shot.”

12 Feb 2018
Critical Hit
7 / 10
Crimsonland Switch Review – Guns ‘n disposes

“Crimsonland has always been a book that you can judge by its cover: A loud and silly twin-stick shooter that throws buckets of enemies at you as you fend them off. Not the most complex game ever devised, it's still a firm slice of action that's perfect for killing aliens and time.”

Darryn Bonthuys , 9 Jan 2018
Pure Nintendo
7 / 10
Mini-Review: Crimsonland (Nintendo Switch) - Pure Nintendo

“Sure, it's nothing spectacular to look at and it can get repetitive extremely fast; however, if you had some mindless enjoyment from various 10tons titles like Butcher for instance, then Crimsonland will certainly give you a short burst of entertainment.”

Harrison Milfeld , 24 Dec 2017
NintendoWorldReport
7 / 10
Crimsonland (Switch) Review

“It's mindless fun, with enough addictive strategy to keep playing. I loved weaving through the hundreds of enemies (whether they were zombies, spiders, or something in-between) so I could reach a power-up orb at the last second, to suddenly fry everything around me with a flame thrower. It's a great time all around, and if you have the itch, give it a try.”

Alexander Morningstar , 7 Dec 2017
Pure Xbox
7 / 10
Pure Xbox review

“Crimsonland is a very simple game that is tough to master. Whilst being a lot of fun while it lasts, we can't help but feel that it's missing that undefinable something. There are definitely visual shortcomings that some people won't be able to get past (although that's more on them than the developer) and though there's simple enjoyment to be had, there's also a feeling that a lot more could have been done to mix things up for players who want a deeper experience. It'll definitely be one that you'll pick up every now and again for a quick hour of cathartic Survival mode gunplay though, that's”

Ken Barnes , 16 Oct 2015
GameGrin
6.5 / 10
Crimsonland Review

“It may not be outstanding to look at, or indeed listen to, but Crimsonland is a pure, easy-to-pick-up gameplay experience that comes dangerously close to becoming pretty addictive stuff.”

Dylan Chaundy , 6 Dec 2017
COGconnected
65 / 100
Crimsonland Review – Seeing Red, A Lot of Red

“As you progress, more weapons and gameplay perks are unlocked which add a level of variety and unpredictability to Crimsonland that I appreciated”

Anthony Bacchus , 5 Dec 2017
SwitchWatch
65 / 100
CRIMSONLAND NINTENDO SWITCH REVIEW: A CLASSIC KILLATHON

“Crimsonland is a top-down arcade shooter which is great fun in short bursts. You will spray bullets and other projectiles through waves of enemies gaining perks and using temporary power ups along the way. The game is a great couch co-op game to play with your friends and you will spend a lot of time playing the survival mode trying to get higher on the leaderboards. It lacks online multiplayer, so don't expect anything of that nature. Quest mode won't take long to complete, but it's three difficulties will keep you occupied. Each quest does not take long to complete, so there is a nice flow t”

2 Dec 2017
FNintendo
6 / 10
Crimsonland

“Crimsonland is plentiful in action, weapons and all sorts of bonuses and additional elements that will keep its players amused, especially if there are four of them. What it does less well is its level design, which feels repetitive and it lacks something innovative that would let it stand out.”

Nuno Nêveda , 6 Dec 2017
Switching Worlds
6 / 10
REVIEW: Crimsonland (Switch)

“Crimsonland is has a rewarding perk system and fun guns to use on a level-to-level basis. People who care about obtaining the best scores will find more value here than most. Still, its repetitious level design and bland presentation make it a duller experience. Why not add structures to the levels such as walls and maybe some vegetation? Broken down 2-story buildings would be nice. Weapons and Perks are the highlights. If only the rest matched up.”

Hooshan Torabi , 4 Dec 2017
Switch Player
3 / 5
Crimsonland Review

“Crimsonland offers some good twin-stick shooter fun that you'll really enjoy blasting your way through. It's great and addictive when trying to polish off the levels, but it is a little simplistic - that's ultimately what separates it from the likes of Doom.”

Oliver Roderick , 4 Dec 2017
Nintendo Life
6 / 10
Review: Crimsonland (Switch eShop)

“Progressing the twin stick shooter genre is no easy task, and Crimsonland makes a mechanically valiant if visually lethargic attempt. There are the foundations of a great game here - the moment to moment gameplay is a basic yet guilty pleasure of relentless, gratuitous violence, and the perk system and weapons within a level are consistently and immensely rewarding to use. While the action is ludicrous, fun, dumb and obnoxiously brash, the game is let down by its bland presentation, repetitive and uninspired quest mode and non-existent level design. It hides what is, at its core, an addictive ”

Jon Cousins , 29 Nov 2017
GamesRadar+
3 / 5
GamesRadar+ review

“Simple and proud, 10tons' retro shooter offers large-scale murderisation for you and some friends - just don't expect much of a looker when the bloodlust wears off.”

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln , 2 Nov 2015
Nintendo Insider
5 / 10
Crimsonland Review

“Crimsonland is a fairly forgettable experience hindered further by unattractive audio and visuals. While you have to admire its retro-style arcade feel and gameplay, sadly it’s not enough to keep you engaged for long. Survival mode has the longest legs but even then it’s not something I found myself wanting to return back to long term.”

Ryan Janes , 10 Jan 2018
Digitally Downloaded
2.5 / 5
Short 'n Sweet Reviews: More Nintendo Switch ports!

“It's the safest, most generic example of the dual stick shooter in years. There's no denying there's a visceral thrill in the action that it offers, but let's just say it's just as well the game's priced to be a cheap bit of throwaway fun.”

Matt Sainsbury , 23 Nov 2017
We Got This Covered
2.5 / 5
We Got This Covered review

“Contrary to its looks, Crimsonland still delivers frenetic fights that are impossible to reproduce in web browsers. But bigger and more beautiful twin-stick shooters rose to fame during the game's decade-long slumber, leaving 10tons playing catch-up.”

Joshua Kowbel , 14 Oct 2015
Softpedia
No score
Softpedia review

“Crimsonland is an old game that is dressed up with some new clothes. It's not good looking; it has no story, and it has no gimmick to make it more attractive. Even so, it's still going to get players hocked until they finish all the levels, and that is a sort of quality that is not easy to find nowadays.”

Silviu Stahie , 29 Feb 2016
GameZone
No score
GameZone review

“When Crimsonland released way back on the PC in 2003, little did it know it was going to be ported to PS3, PS4, PS Vita and now Xbox One. 10tons studios created one of the most addicting top-down shooters ever. Thats a bold statement to make in a opening paragraph in a review, but Crimsonland could back it up. The pure enjoyment when playing this game is like no other, but does the addictive gameplay get too repetitive? How does Crimsonland hold up to other modern top-down shooters? Let's find out.”

Jordan Biazzo , 18 Oct 2015

Reviews are the work of the outlets named. Titles, scores and quoted excerpts are reproduced for identification and criticism; each links to the original.

SCORES

Source
Audience
Score
Reviews
Critics
68 / 100
8
Users
94 / 100
2,109
Users
66 / 100
45
Users
8 / 10
23
Users
74 / 100
5

RELEASES 1 system

System
Platform
Year
Notes
PC
Windows
2003
Original release

GAME DATA

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