Cowboy 3030 | Steam Deck Early Access Review

July 5, 2024 Zack Parkerson

I do love me some rootin’ tootin’ cowboy shootin’, and the run based randomizer genre is perfect for gunslingers that just won’t stay down. This obvious combination is realized once again in Cowboy 3030, an arcade-styled roguelike all about our heroic sheriffs and those evil robot outlaws. It’s currently in Early Access, but it’s off to a strong start.

Fill Your Hands

Cowboy 3030 has no story or set dressing to really speak of at this point. You’re just dropped into some levels to get to the shooting. I didn’t find that particularly bothersome, because the game is clearly laser-focused on arcade shooting fun. You pick one of three characters, and head right into room after room of white-knuckled shootouts.

These gunplay exchanges play out fast, and getting hit is pretty brutal. Luckily, the game takes pity on you by making enemy shots play out much like a bullet hell. The projectiles are large and visible, giving you ample time to dodge or jump over any outlaw’s fire. Some bullets can be dodged through, but others have to be avoided completely. It’s little things like these that keep Cowboy 3030 feeling fresh in a very crowded genre.

Each character uses a specific kind of gun and has their own set of two abilities governed by cooldowns. This ensures that no two characters play exactly alike, and they each have unique additional considerations to take into account. For instance, Teri uses a shotgun, but the spread shifts in between each shot. It displays where the bullets will go as your crosshair, but you can never anticipate the exact way the shot will fire twice. It keeps you engaged at all times.

Slap Leather

Another unique aspect I enjoyed was the upgrade system. Now it is well known that I have a particular dislike of boring skill trees. Thankfully, Cowboy 3030 puts an interesting spin on this. Each run gives your character a randomized skill grid, and you have to start spending your points from the center and build outwards towards any of the four corners of your grid. Each corner has a particularly valuable skill, but there are many quality upgrades along the way.

You have to decide if it’s better to beeline it towards that skill, or put points into things like reloading faster or being able to dodge more often in a row. It may be tempting to rush towards a major upgrade, but without careful planning along the way, you might not live long enough to get there. Upgrade rooms will also offer grid overlays of various shapes that will increase the potency of the skills it lies on top of. The whole system creates an exciting little minigame that makes spending upgrade points feel fun.

Reach for the Sky

I have to talk about the robot scarecrows in the upgrade rooms. These little guys offer up a statement on your run so far such as “Three civilians have died on this run” or “You’ve only picked up two weapons.” If it’s the truth, you can opt to believe the scarecrow and get a bonus from it. Avoid the liars, however, as believing their tall ties does you no favors. I found this to be such a fun and cute addition to the game, and I really hope they double down on things like this for the full release. I liked being challenged on remembering the run I was on, as opposed to turning off my brain at any point.

Cowboy 3030 makes a very strong first impression. It’s not trying to rewrite any genre rules or anything, but it has so many clever little tricks that it really makes the game standout. It’s the exact kind of simple shooter fun you’d want to kill some time with on the weekend. I, for one, am really anticipating the full release to see what else Soy Boy Games has in store for us.