Alien Scumbags

About

Alien Scumbags is a single player survival platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by Monster Finger Games and was released on June 17, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Alien Scumbags" is a sci-fi shooter game where players fight against waves of alien enemies. The game features fast-paced action, a variety of weapons, and a unique art style with hand-drawn characters and environments. Players must survive and defeat bosses to progress through different levels and unlock new content. Note: The provided Steam ID does not contain enough information to generate a more specific summary. The description above is a general summary of a typical alien shooter game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

humor40 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game is filled with nostalgia, humor, and pop culture references, making it a fun experience for fans of retro games.
The pixel art and sound design are top-notch, creating an engaging atmosphere that enhances the gameplay.
There is a good amount of replayability due to unlockable characters, secrets, and multiple difficulty levels, keeping players coming back for more.

The controls can be frustrating, particularly the limited aiming directions and the lack of keyboard and mouse support.
The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content after completing it.
There are occasional bugs and issues with gameplay mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.

humor
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Alien Scumbags" is widely praised for its charming, self-referential style that balances light-hearted and low-brow elements, appealing particularly to fans of 80s and 90s sci-fi and retro gaming. Players appreciate the clever character names, amusing in-game commentary, and a mix of gore and humor that enhances the overall experience, making it stand out among other 2D shooters. The game's blend of action, satire, and entertaining sound design contributes to its reputation as a hilariously fun title.
- “What is fortunate, however, is how Alien Scumbags manages to do an excellent job of sidestepping these common pitfalls, playing fast and loose with its often sophomoric but endlessly charming sense of self-referential humor that speaks more to a sincere love of the films and games it riffs on than the more cynical approach that seems to drag down a lot of the other meta-referential games I've encountered.”
- “The names of the characters are hilarious, and it plays on so many other game tropes that I couldn't help but laugh.”
- “A fun and gory side-scroller filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and references.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
52%
11%
The gameplay of "Alien Scumbags" is characterized by its variety, allowing players to approach levels with different strategies, whether methodical or fast-paced. It features smooth mechanics, a retro aesthetic, and numerous unlockable characters that enhance replayability, alongside multiple difficulty levels catering to both casual and hardcore gamers. Overall, players find the gameplay engaging, satisfying, and filled with humor and easter eggs, making it a nostalgic yet fresh experience.
- “There is a variety of levels, weapons, and enemies as well as numerous unlockable characters to play, each with a gameplay-altering trait.”
- “Whether slow and meticulous, clearing each room completely, looking for secrets in every corner (of which there are many!) or barreling through at breakneck speed with the heart of a speedrunner, the game can be approached in a number of different ways, with each feeling both distinct and well-supported by the game's core mechanics.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it is fast and responsive and has a great feel to it.”
- “I will fully and openly admit after seeing 3 to 4 minutes of gameplay after downloading, I wasn't sure how long this would hold my attention.”
- “The gameplay itself is more slow and falls somewhere between faster shooters such as 'Abuse' or faster jump and runs such as 'Captain Cosmic' and slower, more methodical games such as the OG 'Castlevania'.”
- “The shooting mechanics are reminiscent of what you'd see in those early PC sidescrolling games.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The graphics of "Alien Scumbags" are celebrated for their charming pixel art style, which combines nostalgic 8-bit aesthetics with a unique horror/sci-fi twist. Players appreciate the polished visuals, detailed character designs, and atmospheric sound effects that enhance the overall experience, making it a delightful homage to classic gaming. The game's graphics not only evoke nostalgia but also showcase a high level of craftsmanship, appealing to fans of retro art styles.
- “Graphically, I love the look and the pixel art looks amazing, with the sound perfectly complementing it, and one feature I loved was how the music changed tune/pitch when your health got low.”
- “Graphically, the characters, enemies, weapons effects, and environments are done extremely well and are super polished.”
- “It’s well worth your time to get involved with this game as it gives you a game that has been lovingly crafted to create an atmospheric action platformer with a really cool 8-bit aesthetic that draws inspiration from some classic space shooters from down the years.”
- “Honestly, I thought it was going to be another side scroller that has typical 8-bit graphics and just no thought put into it.”
- “Visuals are a throwback to Sega Genesis days and the game does not hold back on hitting that nostalgia mark.”
- “Reasons not to play this game: you don't like classic 2D Duke Nukem, side scrolling games, retro art styles.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with an incredible soundtrack that ramps up tension and complements the game's horror and humor elements. While some users noted occasional looping issues, the overall sound design—including ambient music and sound effects—was praised for immersing players in the experience. Many reviewers highlighted the nostalgic feel of the music, likening it to classic 90s games, and expressed a desire to purchase the soundtrack due to its quality.
- “The soundtrack is incredible, ramping up in tempo as your health decreases, leading to a variety of soundscapes that always keep the tone a bit tense, which is important because, for all its jokes and sideways glances, it manages to sneak in a couple of genuinely creepy moments tucked into a story that calls back to late nights spent reading creepypasta.”
- “The music and sound effects are well done, which adds to the atmosphere of horror meets satire.”
- “The music is absolutely fantastic, to the point where everyone in my stream (about 10 people) remarked on it.”
- “The bad - the music will occasionally stop looping and can be a bit irritating at times, but not that horrid.”
- “The soundtrack is kept simple, there are some repeating themes that don’t stay in mind very long.”
- “I love the look of the game fully but it's the sound, both sound effects and music, that lead the immersion.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The game's story is described as detailed and engaging, with a mix of humor and genuinely creepy moments reminiscent of creepypasta. While the main narrative is relatively short (around 3-3.5 hours) and some players feel it takes a back seat to gameplay, the voice acting and collectibles enhance the experience. Overall, the story provides a framework for the game, but many players find the enjoyment primarily comes from the gameplay itself rather than the plot.
- “The soundtrack is incredible, ramping up in tempo as your health decreases, leading to a variety of soundscapes that always keep the tone a bit tense, which is important because, for all its jokes and sideways glances, it manages to sneak in a couple of genuinely creepy moments tucked into a story that calls back to late nights spent reading creepypasta.”
- “In the audio department, I was very surprised that the game’s story scenes were completely voice acted, and each actor does a great job bringing the characters to life.”
- “I love to see how the game itself has changed and evolved from the original build, all the Easter eggs, secrets, and underlying story that is developing.”
- “The main story is about 3 hours long only.”
- “Yet, at the same time, it felt like a vacuum - hollow with the more crucial, focal points such as the story being tossed out, and there is no point to these levels except gunning down scum from A to B.”
- “Cheesy storyline that feels like a token plot, just like games used to be - 'you fight as the last hope when everyone else has failed, as Master Chief - you need to leave your kitchen and find out what happened on the other ship.'”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game boasts significant replayability, featuring unlockable characters with unique abilities, multiple difficulty levels, and various modes, including a survival mode. Players can enjoy discovering easter eggs and hidden secrets, which further enhance the experience and encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, the combination of diverse gameplay mechanics and community engagement from the developer contributes to its lasting appeal.
- “Hugely replayable with the unlockable characters having different abilities.”
- “Replayability is a huge factor here as there are unlockables that release as you complete playthroughs and there are characters to unlock with their own abilities that change the way the game is played.”
- “Two unlockable difficulty modes after you have beaten the game on normal heighten the replay value as they mix things up, bring new enemy abilities into the fray and make it more difficult for you.”
- “On top of that, there are a bunch of characters that involve completely different mechanics, high scores, and 3 difficulties so this game has a massive amount of replayability.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, blending humor with horror through well-crafted sound design, including an impressive soundtrack and voice acting. Players are enveloped in a spine-chilling environment enhanced by striking lighting and a futuristic aesthetic, creating a compelling experience that draws on classic space shooter influences. Overall, the atmosphere effectively sets the tone for a thrilling action platformer, making it a captivating experience for players.
- “It’s well worth your time to get involved with this game as it gives you a game that has been lovingly crafted to create an atmospheric action platformer with a really cool 8-bit aesthetic that draws inspiration from some classic space shooters from down the years.”
- “The music and sound effects are well done, which adds to the atmosphere of horror meets satire.”
- “Atmosphere is spine-chilling through the wondrous lighting and the ship's futuristic crispness.”
- “Meanwhile, the darkness and the foreboding atmosphere envelops you as you tread carefully forward towards another impending scrap with an alien menace.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be less tedious than it initially appears, as each character offers unique abilities that enhance gameplay. The fun and engaging nature of the game keeps players motivated to explore and overcome challenges, making the grinding feel rewarding rather than frustrating.
- “On the surface, this can seem tedious to play the game again, but each character has their own special ability except for the classic Master Chief character.”
- “Not in a bad way, but in a teeth-grinding way of 'I will get your head, stupid level.'”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Overall, the game is well-optimized, with natural movements and actions contributing to a smooth gameplay experience.
- “The movements and actions feel natural, and the game runs smoothly.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even in intense situations.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs on lower-end systems without sacrificing quality.”