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Beat Hazard

94%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
grinding, monetization
94% User Score Based on 10,026 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux
Buy Nowfrom $9.99
Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

"Beat Hazard" is an arcade-style shooter game where your music drives the gameplay experience. Each song in your collection creates a unique ebb and flow, affecting the enemies and your ship's firepower. The game offers various modes, including Survival, local 2-player versus, and co-op. Your performance can earn you 25 Steam achievements and a spot on the leaderboards. Workshop DLC is required for creating and accessing workshop content.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
Beat Hazard screenshot
+5

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,026 reviews
music2.1k positive mentions
grinding16 negative mentions
  • Beat Hazard offers a unique and immersive experience by integrating players' own music libraries, allowing for dynamic gameplay that adjusts to the tempo and intensity of the chosen tracks.
  • The game features stunning, vibrant visuals that create a chaotic yet beautiful light show, enhancing the overall atmosphere and engagement during gameplay.
  • With virtually infinite replayability due to the ability to play any song, Beat Hazard is a must-play for fans of both twin-stick shooters and rhythm games.
  • Many players find the visuals overwhelming and distracting, with some reporting that they can be unplayable for those sensitive to flashing lights.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive over time, and some users feel that the music's impact on gameplay is not as pronounced as expected, particularly with slower songs.
  • The game has been criticized for its excessive in-game advertisements and aggressive promotion of DLC, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • music
    8,818 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music aspect of "Beat Hazard" is widely praised for its innovative integration with gameplay, allowing players to use their own music libraries to influence the game's intensity and enemy behavior. Reviewers highlight the exhilarating experience of blasting through levels that dynamically respond to the tempo and volume of the chosen tracks, creating a unique and immersive gaming experience. However, some players note that the game's visuals can be overwhelming, and the music's impact on gameplay may not always be as pronounced as expected, particularly with slower songs. Overall, it is considered a must-play for music lovers and fans of twin-stick shooters.

    • “Beat Hazard is a game that seamlessly fuses the excitement of a twin-stick shooter with the rhythmic allure of music games.”
    • “Whether you're blasting through intense rock anthems or cruising to mellow electronic beats, the game dynamically adjusts to create a challenging and exhilarating experience tailored to your music taste.”
    • “The screen lights up with vibrant explosions and pulsating visuals that sync perfectly with the music.”
    • “Cant/wont sync to music any more.”
    • “The music while playing a level is hardly able to be heard, while the music that preloads on the menus is fine.”
    • “The quieter the music the less damage you do and enemies move slower and vice versa.”
  • gameplay
    962 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Beat Hazard is characterized by its unique integration of the player's music library, which influences the intensity and dynamics of the game, creating a vibrant and engaging experience. While many players appreciate the addictive nature and visual spectacle, some criticize the gameplay for being repetitive and not fully syncing with the music as expected. Overall, it combines classic twin-stick shooter mechanics with a rhythm-based twist, offering a fun yet sometimes chaotic arcade experience.

    • “The soundtrack, of course, is only limited by your personal music library, allowing for an endless variety of gameplay experiences.”
    • “Its dynamic gameplay, stunning visuals, and endless replayability make it a must-play for fans of both twin-stick shooters and rhythm games.”
    • “The gameplay is powered entirely by the music track you choose, from the power of your shots to the colossal swarms of enemies thrown at you.”
    • “Honestly, it's just an asteroids clone in gameplay.”
    • “The idea of using your own music is interesting, but once you play the game, you realize it doesn't actually do anything to the gameplay experience.”
    • “The gameplay gets a little repetitive after some time, which is a shame.”
  • graphics
    860 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in Beat Hazard are a standout feature, characterized by vibrant, psychedelic visuals that sync dynamically with the player's music, creating a chaotic yet beautiful light show. However, many players find the intensity of the visuals overwhelming, with some reporting that they can be distracting or even unplayable for those sensitive to flashing lights. While the ability to adjust visual intensity is appreciated, the overall consensus is that the graphics are both stunning and potentially hazardous for individuals prone to photosensitivity.

    • “Graphics and sound: visually, Beat Hazard is a stunning spectacle.”
    • “The screen lights up with vibrant explosions and pulsating visuals that sync perfectly with the music.”
    • “The game's aesthetic is both chaotic and beautiful, turning each level into a unique light show.”
    • “The game would have been a fairly enjoyable and successful title as a normal retro-style arcade alien defense type of game if there were more options to mute the extreme visuals and play the game on a less blinding fluorescent palette.”
    • “The visuals are terrible, it's just a constant barrage of lights and colors; enemy ships are impossible to pick out from the endless nonsense.”
    • “The biggest annoyance I had with this game is that you can't turn the visuals down more; 50% is still pretty damn intense for someone who has severe light sensitivity playing this game for the first time, not knowing what to expect other than there might be some flashing images, I was nearly blinded.”
  • story
    220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game lacks a traditional narrative, with users noting that it primarily focuses on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling. While there are various missions and challenges, particularly through the Shadow Missions DLC, these serve more as gameplay objectives than a cohesive story. Overall, players appreciate the engaging mechanics and replayability but express a desire for a more developed storyline.

    • “The basic game has a good sense of progression and the DLC missions added a great deal of focused replayability.”
    • “Consider it a creative way of listening to your music - or a way of falling into some sort of trance :p the shadow missions with the different ships are also loads of fun!”
    • “An intellectually stimulating combination of symbolic game design, brilliant visuals, an immersive soundtrack, and a post-modern story that will leave you pondering its implications for months.”
    • “☑ no story”
    • “In fact it doesn't even have a story, you are controlling a spaceship, and you have to shoot asteroids and other spaceships from a top view perspective, just like the old arcade games.”
    • “While there's virtually no story, it is quite fun to see what the game makes of your favorite music as well as push for the oldschool arcade goals of getting a high score.”
  • replayability
    180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Beat Hazard is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, largely due to the ability to play any song from the player's music library, offering virtually infinite replay value. The dynamic gameplay, vibrant visuals, and various challenges, especially with DLC, enhance the experience, making each session feel fresh and engaging. Overall, the game's replayability is considered one of its strongest features, appealing to fans of both twin-stick shooters and rhythm games.

    • “With the ability to play any song from your music collection, the game offers virtually infinite replay value.”
    • “Its dynamic gameplay, stunning visuals, and endless replayability make it a must-play for fans of both twin-stick shooters and rhythm games.”
    • “The ability to play practically any song in most major audio formats makes the replay value on this game virtually endless, and the 'suicidal' difficulty will present a challenge even for the most seasoned spaceship shooter-style gamers.”
    • “Even with the ultra DLC, the game only has 23 songs, so if you really want to get maximum enjoyment, the ability to stack on loads and loads of songs to play on will give Beat Hazard much more replayability.”
    • “These modes are exciting in their own way, but it feels like there aren’t too many other modes to further increase replay value.”
    • “But it's rather boring without ultra DLC, which gives you more replayability, co-op, and enemies/bosses.”
  • humor
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of dark and absurd, often eliciting laughter through its quirky mechanics and player interactions, such as identifying ships by gender and the humorous reactions of enemy ships to music. Players find it engaging and funny, especially in co-op mode, though some caution is advised due to disorienting visuals and seizure warnings. Overall, the game is seen as a hilarious and dynamic experience, particularly when combined with personal music choices.

    • “Hilariously fun... careful if you're sensitive to flashes, though.”
    • “It's just funny to play with your own music =)”
    • “I thought it would be boring, but it's really funny, especially in co-op mode.”
  • grinding
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and unenjoyable, often requiring significant time investment for upgrades. While some appreciate the game as a fun break from more demanding tasks, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding, particularly when it comes to earning in-game currency and navigating music folders. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Too grindy.”
    • “Grinding money for all the upgrades was extremely not fun.”
    • “They helpfully point out 'gameplay powered by your music!', as if your taste in music is the reason this game is a boring, shitty slog of tediousness.”
    • “I have on occasion compared this game to grinding up Christmas lights, filling a hypodermic needle with the dust, and injecting the contents directly into your eyes.”
  • monetization
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been heavily criticized for its excessive in-game advertisements and aggressive promotion of DLC, which detracts from the overall experience. Players report being bombarded with ads during gameplay and upon exiting, creating a frustrating environment reminiscent of low-quality mobile games. The constant push for upgrades and additional content feels intrusive, overshadowing the game's potential enjoyment.

    • “Additionally, there are a lot of advertisements for DLC stuff, on basic things like upgrading from the starting ship, online play, and the boss rush mode in single player.”
    • “Content wise, there is little more than a solid mobile game; it even has annoying ads for the mega bundle if you try and close the game.”
    • “Stop advertising your DLC to me at every single opportunity you get. This feels like playing a mobile game.”
  • stability
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, particularly during alt-tabbing and in multiplayer modes. While some players have experienced smooth gameplay without glitches, the overall consensus highlights persistent issues that detract from the experience. Visuals and gameplay mechanics are praised, but the frequent bugs remain a notable concern.

    • “Very buggy.”
    • “Alt tabbing freezes the game until I come back.”
    • “Buggy game based on worn-out concepts implemented in an awful manner.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have reported a mixed emotional experience with the game, highlighting both its nostalgic appeal and its potential to induce discomfort. While some find the gameplay emotionally engaging and reminiscent of classic arcade shooters, others have experienced physical reactions, such as headaches and queasiness, due to the intense visual effects. Overall, the game evokes strong feelings, ranging from enjoyment to discomfort, depending on individual sensitivity to its design elements.

    • “A little less simply though is that there is something about the game that makes songs more emotionally investable.”
    • “While this may feel somewhat emotionally manipulative at times, I'm not going to knock the game for tricking me into enjoying it.”
    • “Primordial, savage, pure emotional and wild.”
  • optimization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly optimized, delivering a smooth performance with high framerates and no crashes or frame drops, even on high-end systems. Players appreciate the vibrant graphics and the ability to sync with various music tracks, enhancing the overall experience without technical issues. Overall, the optimization contributes significantly to the game's engaging and visually stunning gameplay.

    • “Awesome game - runs smoothly, can sync with most everything, plenty of modes and variety!”
    • “Performance wise, no crashes (I tried to and failed), no FPS drops (I am using a beastly computer however), not run into any music tracks that refused to play, etc. The graphics are pretty solid.”
    • “Performance wise, no crashes (I tried to and failed), no FPS drops (I am using a beastly computer, however), not run into any music tracks that refused to play, etc. The graphics are pretty solid.”
    • “Although intentionally confusing at times, graphics are fantastic, colorful, and with a level of optimization such that you would never experience a drop in frames, glitch, or hang.”
    • “The game evolves around your performance and the beat of the music, and it's nothing short of epic!”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its welcoming nature, enhanced by the ability to upload personal music that syncs well with the gameplay. Players appreciate the polished environment that contributes to a comfortable yet challenging experience, making the overall ambiance enjoyable from the very start.

    • “All this gives the game a wonderful atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game welcomes you from the first minutes of your in-game time, because it automatically starts a random song from your computer instead of using special music for the menu.”
    • “While your overall enjoyment and replayability may differ, the game is well polished and provides a comfortable atmosphere and challenging gameplay.”
    • “You can upload your own music, and it syncs quite well with the game's atmosphere.”

Buy Beat Hazard

10h Median play time
17h Average play time
3-36h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 30 analyzed playthroughs

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