ASTROSWARM

About

ASTROSWARM is a single player action game. It was developed by ClumsyQuark and was released on April 29, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

ASTROSWARM is a single-player action game where you fight as a lone astronaut against waves of zombified enemies across various planets. Build and upgrade turrets, level up to gain powerful weapons and synergies, and customize your playstyle with unique modifiers. With around 10 hours of gameplay, it offers engaging mechanics and strategic defense challenges.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 31 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and addictive gameplay loop, blending FPS and tower defense mechanics with roguelike elements.
Players appreciate the retro graphics and engaging enemy designs, which contribute to the overall enjoyment of the game.
There is a good variety of weapons and upgrades available, allowing for different playstyles and strategies.

The difficulty scaling can be frustrating, with early missions feeling overly punishing and requiring multiple retries to progress.
Some players feel the game lacks content and variety, as it can be completed in a few hours and may not justify its price.
There are technical issues, including crashes and balance problems with certain upgrades and weapons, which detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The gameplay in "Astroswarm" is characterized by a dynamic and addictive loop that combines elements of tower defense, roguelite mechanics, and classic shooter gameplay, providing a fun and engaging experience with minimal downtime. While some players find the grind mechanic overused and certain elements overwhelming, the smooth controls and impactful gameplay modifiers contribute to a polished and enjoyable experience that can keep players hooked for hours. Overall, it offers a satisfying blend of retro aesthetics and modern mechanics, making it a solid choice for fans of fast-paced action.
- “The gameplay modifiers you can unlock are very impactful, and fun to mess around with.”
- “A game that on the surface looks relatively simple, but hidden under that is an addictive gameplay cycle and surprising depth.”
- “It has an addictive gameplay loop that'll have you saying 'just one more run' long after you should've stopped for the day.”
- “If the grind mechanic is die, it's been done to death.”
- “My issue with it is, some gameplay elements make it feel more stressful and overwhelming rather than challenging.”
- “The game's core gameplay loop revolves around defending your ship through five waves of enemies, with each successful defense granting rewards.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with missions feeling repetitive and requiring players to die and restart to progress, which detracts from the experience. While the enemy designs are praised for their intriguing lore implications, the overall narrative is minimal, focusing primarily on resource collection and turret defense against waves of zombies. Players do appreciate the roguelike elements and permanent upgrades that add some strategic depth to the gameplay.
- “The enemy designs themselves are great and hold some very interesting implications for the lore, though there isn't much going on story-wise.”
- “Aside from your lonesome, you'll have the aid of your own machines in your quest of exterminating those zombified astronauts.”
- “In addition to the roguelike upgrades you can buy during an ongoing mission, there are also permanent upgrades you can get before starting a mission, which can be a major game changer, as well as unlocking more weapons and building variants as you proceed.”
- “The idea that you can't move to the next mission without dying is just ugly, and emulates pay-to-win games on Android.”
- “The enemy designs themselves are great, and hold some very interesting implications to the lore (though there isn't much going on story-wise).”
- “The missions need to be broken up into more granular segments.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro style reminiscent of PS1 and PS2 visuals, featuring low-poly designs that evoke nostalgia. Players appreciate the aesthetic, noting that it complements the gameplay and soundtrack, although some express concerns about game balance. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's straightforward and entertaining experience.
- “The graphics are quite nice and there is a decent variety of guns.”
- “A simple but well thought out basic game loop coupled with retro graphics and a matching soundtrack make for an entertaining few hours of gameplay.”
- “"Astroswarm" offers a straightforward gaming experience, comprising 10 levels with a retro aesthetic that pay homage to celestial bodies within our solar system, culminating in a challenging boss encounter.”
- “Presentation is in low-poly style graphics.”
- “I really like the retro style graphics and the roguelite upgrades, but game balance is a bit questionable in my opinion.”
- “[h2] "Astroswarm" offers a straightforward gaming experience, comprising 10 levels with a retro aesthetic that pay homage to celestial bodies within our solar system, culminating in a challenging boss encounter.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to the introduction of new enemies and multiple attacking forces in each level, alongside a variety of unlockable modifiers that enhance the experience. Many consider it a great value for the money, thanks to these features that encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “Each level will throw new enemies and multiple forces attacking you, keeping you on your toes. With the modifier system, there's a lot of replayability here as well - for the money, this is a bargain!”
- “The game has a bunch of unlockable modifiers that greatly enhance replayability.”
- “Each level will throw new enemies and multiple forces attacking you as well, keeping you on your toes. However, the overall experience lacks significant replayability after the initial playthrough.”
- “While the game offers a variety of challenges, once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay it.”
- “The game feels repetitive after a few runs, and the lack of meaningful changes in subsequent playthroughs diminishes its replayability.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is well-suited to its retro aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience with a fitting soundtrack that complements the simple yet engaging gameplay. Sound design is considered decent, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “A simple but well thought out basic game loop coupled with retro graphics and a matching soundtrack make for an entertaining few hours of gameplay.”
- “Sound design is decent, the music is fitting.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for being poor, with users noting that while the concept is intriguing, the execution is plagued by bugs and a lack of polish.
- “Neat concept for a game, but lazy, buggy execution.”