Winchester is an NPC who occasionally appears in the Gungeon. The player can pay Winchester to play his minigame, where the player gets four shots to break four targets. Depending on how well the player does, Winchester gives a chest as a reward.
The chest has a chance to spawn as a mimic; however, it is not affected by Mimic Tooth Necklace.
While initially cold towards the player when met at the breach, Winchester seemingly warms up more with each trickshot challenge aced.
Acing three of his minigames unlocks the Seven-Leaf Clover.
Obscuring the targets, are arrangements of blocks, either moving or stationary. Your shots bounce off blue and green blocks (up to 4 times), but will be instantly swallowed up in they contact a red block. Furthermore, green blocks disappear after a shot bounces off them, allowing alternate paths to open up.
Notes[]
- Ancient Hero's Bandana has no effect on the ammo of the Prize Pistol (the gun he gives you for the minigame).
- While in the minigame, the player gains a Laser Sight, showing where the bullets will travel.
- Besides that, the Laser Sight gains no competitive advantage.
- The reward chest will be brown if the player hits one shot, blue or green if they hit two, red if they hit three, and black if they hit all four.
- The reward will be downgraded by one tier if the player is on Chamber 2 or earlier.
- There is no penalty for cheating his minigame by using specific items (e.g. Wax Wings) to get closer to the targets.
- However, shooting at least once with a gun that isn't the Prize Pistol will be seen as cheating. Thus, the player will get no chest regardless of the number of targets hit.
- If the player switches to another gun, and then back to the Prize Pistol, even if by accident, the player will only have one shot left, probably to discourage gun paths.
- The effects of all gun-modifying items will work during the game, which can be exploited (e.g. firing more shots using Scattershot).
- For some reason, Backup Gun seems to cause the forward shot of the Prize Pistol to be inaccurate. It's recommended to drop the item in the room before speaking to Winchester to start the game, as once he has been paid, items cannot be dropped until the game is finished.
- Helix Bullets will cause bullets to veer off-course; like Backup Gun, it is advised to drop the item before speaking to Winchester.
- If the player has Bloody 9mm, the Prize Pistol bullet may be replaced with the Bloody 9mm bullet, potentially causing it to veer off-course.
- Most notably, Remote Bullets can trivialize the game if possessed, and the game layout gives sufficient room for shots to be curved.
- Gunboots shots can destroy targets without counting against the four available shots.
- If Duct Tape is used with the Prize Pistol, it will have as many shots as there is ammo in the guns combined.
- Using the Escape Rope will remove the Prize Pistol from the player's inventory, making it impossible to destroy any targets or speak to Winchester again.
- If playing in co-op, dead players can block moving bricks using their body in the minigame, stopping them.
- If the player leaves the room, they will lose the Prize Pistol and no chest will spawn.
- It is possible for Winchester to reward glitched or rainbow chests regardless of performance.
- Ring of Triggers will still work with the prize pistol.
- If the player has Heart of Ice, falling in the pit area will trigger the damage effect, and destroy all of the targets.
- If the player completes the game with bullets left in the prize pistol with the use of items (e.g Helix Bullets) the game will glitch and allow the player to strafe without use of the aiming stick allowing them to shoot in a different direction to their movement without the aiming stick.
- If the player has the Magazine Rack it will work during the minigame granting the player infinite ammo for the duration of the active item.
- Using Shadow Clone during the minigame spawns the clone with a prize pistol, it should be noted the clone's bullet will bounce more times than the player's, and is colored white instead of green.
Quotes[]
| Quotes |
|---|
Entering a minigame room:
Accepting his challenge:
Completing his game:
In the Breach: (Available after acing his game once)
In the Breach: (Before acing his game)
|
Trivia[]
- Winchester's name is a reference to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
- Winchester is also a pun on the NPC's role, allowing the player to win a chest.
- If the player steals something from a shop, then enters Winchester's room, instead of saying the character's nickname, he will call them "thief". This is likely a reference to the Town Tool Shopkeeper from "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening". Unlike the Shopkeeper, Winchester doesn't care enough to kill the player and they will still be allowed to play the game.
- Winchester has a special track for rooms he is in, but it is not part of the official soundtrack.
- One of Winchester's dialogues, "There's one born every minute", is a likely reference to the well-known phrase "There's a sucker born every minute".
- There is a small chance for Winchester to spawn in a secret room.
Exit the Gungeon[]
Winchester makes a reappearance in Exit the Gungeon as the host of a minigame called 'Winchesters Original Game'. He can be encountered randomly inside of rooms branching off of the shop.
Winchester also appears in the Underbreach, offering a wager to the player. He will ask for 15 
and will pay you back 30 if you successfully Exit the Gungeon on the very next attempt after taking the wager.
Winchester's Original Game[]
See Winchesters Original Game for details.
Dialogue[]
| In-Gungeon Quotes |
|---|
Entering Minigame room:
Offering His Game:
When his game is turned down:
When his game is accepted:
When shot at:
Offering his game after it has already been turned down:
Leaving the minigame room:
Winning the Minigame:
Speaking post-game:
Speaking for a second time post-game:
|
