Dead Party Skull Cannon Mode Guide and Objectives

Dead Party Skull Cannon is a cooperative base defense mode where four survivors harvest fallen zombie skulls to fuel artillery strikes against hovering alien invaders. Players fend off incoming waves, repair barricades, and feed ammunition into the cannon to destroy UFOs.

What Is the Skull Cannon Objective in Dead Party?

Skull Cannon mode is a target-focused defense mission where players shoot down hovering alien spacecraft by turning harvested zombie remains into ammunition. Developed by Radiation Blue and published by Snail Games USA, Dead Party frames this mode around the Halloween invasion in Shady Hill, where UFO sightings coincide with cemetery corpses rising from the ground. While other match types center on holding territory or broadcasting music, Skull Cannon requires direct offensive retaliation against the ships circling above.

As detailed in an official launch announcement on the Steam community hub, the artillery battery serves as the squad's primary countermeasure:

UFOs in the sky appear to be tied to the undead apocalypse, and the only way to take them down is to collect the skulls of defeated zombies, load up a giant cannon, and fire away! — the developer's Steam announcement

Defending the cannon room requires balancing wave management with objective collection. According to coverage from Techmash, players must combine fortifying choke points with gathering mission-critical items rather than solely firing standard firearms.

Dead Party is more than a zombie shooter — it’s a chance to laugh, plan, improvise, and save the world together.

— ROCK THE UNDEAD — DEAD PARTY BLASTS ONTO STEAM ...

How Do You Collect Ammo and Fire the Cannon?

Zombie skulls are the sole artillery ammunition source gathered from fallen intruders across the battlefield. Defeated enemies drop skulls on the floor where they fall, forcing players to step outside safe barricaded areas to retrieve them. Loading and discharging the cannon follows a set operational sequence:

1. Eliminate attacking zombies around base entrances using standard weapons, character guitar abilities, or environmental defenses.
2. Pick up the dropped skulls from the ground before newer waves overrun the collection zone.
3. Transport the harvested skulls back to the artillery mounting inside the fortified structure.
4. Insert the ammunition into the loading chamber and activate the firing trigger to launch ordnance at the UFO.

Leaving fortified rooms exposes survivors to dangerous hazards. The developer announced that specific zombie types introduce distinct combat threats, including Bomber Head zombies that detonate when close, Tesla zombies that shock targets across rooms with lightning, and Radioactive zombies that emit poison gas clouds upon death. Coordinating ammo retrieval during gaps between enemy rushes prevents players from getting trapped in toxic gas or blast zones.

Which Defenses Work Best During Cannon Matches?

Defensive choke points are structural doorways and windows where players install barricades to stall approaching hordes while runners load ammunition. As noted on the Steam store page, survivors smash indoor furniture and domestic fixtures to produce the raw scrap needed for fortification.

Teams maintain defensive integrity during artillery stages through deliberate base preparation:

• Reinforcing access routes: Upgrading wooden barriers through our barricades guide buys precious time for squadmates hauling skull shipments back to the gun.
• Positioning mechanical deterrents: Setting floor traps and spinning blades through our traps guide strips down incoming crowds without draining survivor ammunition.
• Musical crowd control: Striking guitar riffs triggers character-specific effects, such as Mike freezing targets with campfire bass or Jack pinning undead in place with destructive metal chords.

How Does Skull Cannon Compare to Other Game Modes?

Game modes in Dead Party are distinct match formats that challenge teams with differing win conditions and survival pressures. A Snail Games USA press release outlines four primary game variants available alongside the narrative campaign.

Skull Cannon stands out among these modes because defensive survival alone does not advance the mission. Teams must actively dispatch runners into enemy lines to claim skull drops, return to the weapon battery, and eliminate the airborne threat before ground forces break through interior walls.

Where does this guide's official Dead Party information come from?

Official details in this guide follow Dead Party on Steam, which describes the game in its own words.

On Halloween, UFO‘s appeared over the peaceful town of Shady Hill. Soon after, the undead neighborhood rises from their graves. Four heroes take on the impossible task: to fight back the evil invaders!

Dead Party on Steam