Attack of the Karens

68%
Game Brain Score Based on 19 reviews
  • gameplay
  • replayability
  • graphics
Attack of the Karens Game Cover
Starting at $4.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

In "Attack of the Karens" on Steam, defend your city against four cybernetic Karen bosses and their minions in this roguelite shoot 'em up. Upgrade your stats and weapons with modules earned from fights, and enjoy the fully voiced dialogue and pixel art graphics. With over 40 in-game upgrades, 20 meta progression upgrades, and six diverse areas, there's plenty to discover in your mission to cancel the Karens forever.

Play Modes

Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews
humor3 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming and humorous theme with great voice acting that enhances the overall experience.
  • It offers a good variety of power-ups and customization options, allowing players to adjust the difficulty to their liking.
  • The randomized levels and boss orders provide high replayability, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • Some cutscenes are not skippable, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • Collecting power-ups requires shooting them for a few seconds, which feels awkward compared to simply moving over them.
  • The small size of the player ship can make it difficult to track during intense action, especially with the game's color palette.
  • gameplay12 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a light, rogue-lite experience reminiscent of "Vampire Survivors," featuring randomized stages and a shop mechanic that some players find less appealing. Players appreciate the polished controls and mechanics, which contribute to a satisfying leveling-up system through defeating enemies, while the art style and theme enhance the overall experience. The game offers high replayability due to its dynamic gameplay loop and engaging design elements.

    • “It's worth the price if you're looking for something light to play, and I feel that the overall gameplay is similar to Vampire Survivors rather than a traditional shoot 'em up (shmup).”
    • “The stages and bosses are randomized, so it keeps gameplay nice and fresh!”
    • “The controls, gameplay, and mechanics all have a level of polish that you won't find even in some AAA titles.”
    • “There is a shop mechanic that, to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of.”
    • “(I prefer shop mechanics to be isolated to a run and based on performance vs grinding up upgrades).”
    • “The gameplay loop involves rogue-lite elements as well as randomly generated stage order, which can feel simplistic.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game is praised for its strong replayability, largely due to its roguelite mechanics and diverse power-up options, which encourage players to pursue high scores and speedrunning. However, some users note that after completing the game, replayability may diminish, focusing mainly on upgrades and achievement hunting. Overall, the combination of upgrades and penalties contributes positively to the game's replay value.

    • “Pretty good roguelite shmup that offers decent power-up variety and replayability.”
    • “I feel like that's a critical functionality in platformer/shmup games in general for replayability— replayability as in achieving high scores and/or speedrunning.”
    • “The penalties also provide some additional replayability, as currently after finishing the game there's not much else besides finishing upgrades or achievement hunting.”
    • “I feel like that's a critical functionality in platformer/shmup games in general for replayability-- replayability as in achieving high scores and/or speedrunning.”
    • “- the upgrades and the roguelite elements help add on the replayability.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics of the game are praised for their impressive artwork, animation, and unique art style that complements the game's theme and character design. However, some players find the color palette overly monotone, which can make it difficult to navigate the gameplay effectively. Overall, the visuals are a highlight, showcasing a dedication to aesthetic detail despite some concerns about visibility.

    • “Aotk has a stunning limited palette art style and it's showcased brilliantly.”
    • “The art style and the theme of the game go hand in hand and are reflected in the enemy design, attacks, backgrounds, and even in the upgrades you get through gameplay.”
    • “This game is a rogue-like shmup with big set piece bosses and a cheeky aesthetic.”
    • “Enjoyed the characters and dedication to the visuals.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The game is praised for its humor, featuring a quirky storyline filled with entertaining concepts and numerous hilarious lines, including popular Karen memes. Overall, players find it to be a consistently funny experience.

    • “The story is hilarious, quirky, and the concept is very entertaining.”
    • “There are lots of hilarious lines and Karen memes throughout the game.”
    • “It's genuinely humorous.”
  • story2 mentions

    The game's story is characterized as hilarious and quirky, featuring an entertaining concept that is enhanced by silly voice acting. Overall, it delivers a lighthearted and amusing narrative experience.

    • “The story is hilarious, quirky, and the concept is very entertaining.”
    • “The voice acting adds a delightful silliness to the game's narrative.”
    • “The voice acting is inconsistent, and the story feels disjointed and lacks depth.”
    • “The plot twists are predictable, making the overall experience feel stale.”
    • “The characters are one-dimensional, and their motivations are poorly developed.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users praising its fantastic chiptune-inspired soundtrack while others express uncertainty about its overall impact.

    • “It has a fantastic chiptune-esque soundtrack.”
    • “The only thing I feel mixed about is the music.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players express a preference for shop mechanics that are tied to performance within a run rather than relying on grinding for upgrades, indicating a desire for a more streamlined and engaging progression system.

    • “I prefer shop mechanics to be isolated to a run and based on performance rather than grinding for upgrades.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
    • “I wish there was a better balance between grinding and actual gameplay; it becomes tedious after a while.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users express a preference for shop mechanics to be integrated within individual runs and tied to performance rather than requiring extensive grinding for upgrades, indicating a desire for a more streamlined and engaging optimization experience.

    • “The optimization in this game allows for a more streamlined experience, making each run feel unique and rewarding.”
    • “I love how the game encourages strategic planning and resource management, enhancing the overall optimization of my gameplay.”
    • “I prefer shop mechanics to be isolated to a run and based on performance rather than grinding for upgrades.”
    • “The optimization in this game feels lacking; it often leads to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
    • “I wish the game had better optimization, as it frequently suffers from lag and performance issues.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players noted that the absence of difficulty options can lead to moments of stagnation, creating a sense of emotional disconnect during gameplay, particularly when the player's character feels overly powerful.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The game is praised for its monetization model, as it is a complete experience without any withheld DLC or microtransactions, ensuring players receive full value for their purchase.

    • “It is a complete game, with no held-back DLC or microtransactions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Attack of the Karens

Videos

Similar Games

Game News