Buckshot Roulette’s hidden lore explained

Buckshot Roulette has been blowing up on TikTok and other social media platforms because of its gritty art style and lethal premise, but there’s much more to it than a simple game of chance. There aren’t many clues, but there’s a lot to learn about the sinister Dealer.

Does Buckshot Roulette Have a Story?

There isn’t a major story in Buckshot Roulette other than the protagonist showing up to take part in the Dealer’s deadly game of chance, but there’s a lot of background lore that we can learn from the short snippets between rounds.

The setting and premise are obvious. The protagonist is in dire need of some cash, so they visit the underground nightclub where the game of Buckshot Roulette is played. While loud music and bright lights fill the rusty building, it’s clear that the club is nothing more than a front for the game.

The starting bathroom with the question “Afraid?” demonstrates that this is not just a shady backroom game, but an established, regularly occurring game of death. Plus, the man smoking on the walkway to the Dealer’s room overlooking the raging party below shows that the clubbers don’t even know or care what’s going on.

Who is the Dealer?

The identity of the Dealer is the main question mark that hangs over players’ heads during Buckshot Roulette. The Dealer knows the stakes of the game (and knows that the cash payout for potential victors is in no way worth the trauma and pain), so he’s deliberately taking advantage of the downtrodden for their sick game of chance.

When you first sit down at the table, you’re handed a General Release of Liability to clear the Dealer of any legal responsibility that may stem from the game. There’s a lot of pain ahead, and you’ve got to sign a release form to legally absolve the Dealer of legal liability. I’m no lawyer, but that doesn’t seem like it’ll hold up in court. What’s interesting is the name that you ink over. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but the previous name reads “God.”

This implies that the previous player of the Buckshot Roulette game was God himself. This God contract has serious implications for the game’s story. Unfortunately, the bloodied state of the contract implies that God’s game didn’t go in his favor.

Buckshot Roulette Bad Ending Explained

If you lose Buckshot Roulette and take enough damage to die, there is no defibrillator after everything cuts to black. You awaken in a twisted world bathed in a blinding white light. Giant rusted spikes stab upward into the sky. You are dead. Where you ended up is neither Heaven nor Hell, however, which confirms that God lost his game with the Dealer.

This is an afterlife of the Dealer’s creation. While he abides by the rules of the game, it’s clear that he relishes in the suffering of its players. In a game like Buckshot Roulette, those desperate enough to play may find solace in the fact that Heaven awaits them if they lose. That’s still sort of a win, though, and the Dealer’s convictions mean losers have to lose completely. Because of his game with God, the only afterlife that awaits you is his. Not even your religion can save you.

Buckshot Roulette Good Ending Explained

If you manage to defeat the Dealer at his own game, however, then you’re free to leave. You’re presented with a suitcase full of cash, and your overall reward is based on the items you used and the number of shots you fired during the match. Typically, you’ll walk away with about $60,000.

Related: Every item in Buckshot Roulette explained

The final scene shows you racing away from the isolated nightclub with the suitcase and the shotgun in the passenger seat. The Dealer is no more, and taking the shotgun means that the game is done for good. Was it all worth it? It’s impossible to tell. All that matters is that you made it out and got paid.

For an extremely short game, there’s a lot of lore packed into Buckshot Roulette. It’s the absence of answers to most questions that makes the game so compelling though. Since the developer tends to move on to other projects, it’s unlikely that we’ll see more of this world anytime soon. Maybe we’ll get a console port sometime down the line, at least.