New Roguelike Horror Game on Steam Puts You in the Role of a Shark Dentist

Much like other art forms, budgetary constraints in video games can foster creativity. For instance, the simple but endlessly compelling social deduction mechanics of Among Us may not have come to fruition had the team at InnerSloth not had to make do with limited resources. It’s hard to say if this is the same impetus for the brilliantly bizarre Shark Dentist, a roguelike horror game coming to Steam, but it certainly feels that way.

Shark Dentist comes from indie outfit Alice Games, which has previously released a handful of VR titles and the Vampire Survivors-inspired Broventure. Some clarification on Shark Dentist’s title: You do not, in fact, assume the role of an apex predator who somehow made their way through dentistry school. You play as a dentist for a shark, which is how the game builds its anxiety-inducing gameplay. Players have to carefully treat the massive, unconscious shark’s dental problems without waking it, lest it unleash its fury and prompt a game over. It’s certainly more unique and inspired than Alice Games’ earlier Steam projects, so it will be fascinating to see how the final product shakes out.

Shark Dentist Spins Horror Out of a Bizarre Situation

Adopting a first-person perspective, Shark Dentist is instantly reminiscent of recent, grimy-horror indie roguelikes like Clover Pit and Buckshot Roulette. Players are alone in a dark, cramped room with an almost impossibly large shark on an operating table. The scene is at once comical and nightmarish, evocative of dreams that are unsettling by virtue of their absurdity.

As the dentist, players must identify and diagnose various oral health concerns, such as polyps and infected gums. Available to them are various tools which are randomized in each run (yes, Shark Dentist is a roguelike). Of course, most of these tools are hilariously conspicuous, such as the heavy-duty drill and disproportionally large bone saw. There’s a funny juxtaposition here, as one might feel feverishly powerful using such dangerous tools on a massive shark, but the sheer size of the creature, coupled with the semi-familiar environment, is a constant reminder of how feeble humans really are compared to these underwater giants.

There’s definitely a survival horror tinge to the game as well, since you have to carefully manage different resources under duress. And like so many survival horror titles, Shark Dentist is certainly not shy when it comes to gore: its reveal trailer has showcased a number of gruesome death animations, including one that’s dependent on the player-character being in a different part of the operating room. This suggests that there are a number of terrible and graphic ways to die, which is always fun—if you’re into that sort of thing.

Shark Dentist Will Have to Impress Through Its Roguelike Gameplay

A lot of gamers are getting tired of roguelikes, and understandably so: while we still get strong entries in the genre each year, they are starting to get outweighed by fluff titles that feel designed simply to cash in on a trend. It makes sense why so many indie developers would choose the roguelike formula, of course, as it can be a good way to stretch limited assets, but still—it takes a deft hand to make the roguelike template work well.

Hopefully, deft hands are working on Shark Dentist right now, because the premise seems very interesting indeed. With the creepiness of Buckshot Roulette and the grossly satisfying gameplay of one of those makeover mobile games, Shark Dentist’s has a lot of potential to be, at the very least, a fun viral game.