Buckshot Roulette is an ugly, mean little game that pits players in a no-win scenario against a sinister, shotgun wielding dealer. The game is a solo effort from developer Mike Klubnika, and it blew up after its launch on itch.io, in part because it found popularity on short-form video platforms. The game has since launched on Steam and has now sold over a million copies. In a world where big-budget, wonderfully crafted games can – and often do – fall off the radar without making a splash, it’s interesting to interrogate the unexpected success of a small game, especially one that’s designed to be so viscerally unpleasant.