Brotato is a 2023 video game that combines elements of a top-down shooter and a roguelike game. It was created by Thomas Gervraud, an independent developer from France, who worked under the studio name Blobfish. Later in the game's development, another company called Evil Empire took over the project, but Blobfish continued to oversee it.

The game was first released in early access on the Steam platform in 2022. During this time, it sold more than one million copies. By 2025, the game had sold over 10 million copies. Brotato received positive feedback from both critics and players. It has since been made available on multiple platforms.

Gameplay

Players control one of several potatoes from a view above the game. Many of these characters can be unlocked as they play through the game and have different special abilities or traits. The goal is to defeat as many groups of enemies as they can using the potato. After each group, players can improve their abilities and weapons using items they gather while playing. Brotato is a type of game called a shoot 'em up. The game automatically handles shooting, but players can choose to aim manually instead.

Development and release

Brotato is the fourth game created by Blobfish, an independent studio based in Lyon, France (now in Zurich, Switzerland) during its development. The game was released as an early access version on Steam for Windows on September 27, 2022, and officially launched on June 23, 2023.

The Android and iOS versions, made and published by Erabit Studios, were released on March 28, 2023. On mobile devices, Brotato is offered as both a free-to-play game and a paid version. The Nintendo Switch version came out on August 3, 2023. Versions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S were released on January 30, 2024, and were added to Xbox Game Pass at the same time.

The game’s first downloadable content, called "Abyssal Terrors," and an update that added cooperative gameplay for players on the same device were released in October 2024.

In September 2025, Blobfish announced that ongoing development of Brotato would be handed over to Evil Empire, while Blobfish would continue to guide the game’s overall direction.

Reception

Rock Paper Shotgun, which tested the game during its early release, compared it to "a popular Flash game on Newgrounds in 2006." They liked the old-school style, but said players could die too quickly. TouchArcade said the game looks like a simple copy of Vampire Survivors at first, but it adds challenging features that require strategy, making it unique. Screen Rant called the game mechanics fun, fast, and easy to play, giving players freedom to try different strategies. The website listed it as one of the best independent games of 2022. Digital Trends described it as an improved version of Vampire Survivors, focusing on more flexible character development.

The game was one of the most popular roguelite games on Steam in 2022 and 2023, with users giving it "very positive" reviews. By September 2022, it had sold more than one million copies. It also received a nomination for "Best Steam Deck Game" at the 2023 Steam Awards.