Starting at $1.37Buy now

"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.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,437 reviews
music728 positive mentions
monetization9 negative mentions
  • The game syncs with your music, creating a unique and immersive experience.
  • Visually stunning with vibrant colors and effects that enhance gameplay.
  • Highly addictive and replayable, with a variety of ships and power-ups to unlock.
  • Intense flashing lights can cause discomfort and are not suitable for those with epilepsy.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive over time, especially without a diverse music library.
  • Some features and modes require additional paid DLC, which can feel limiting.
  • music3,088 mentions

    The music aspect of "Beat Hazard" has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with players praising its unique integration of personal music libraries into gameplay. The game dynamically adjusts enemy behavior and weapon power based on the intensity and tempo of the chosen tracks, creating a highly engaging and immersive experience. However, some users noted that the synchronization can be inconsistent, particularly with slower songs, and the intense visual effects may be overwhelming for some players. Overall, it is celebrated as a fun and addictive way to enjoy music while playing a fast-paced shooter.

    • “It's a shoot 'em up + audio visualizer, meaning there are lights synchronizing with the beat of the song (most of the time).”
    • “The entire game beats to your music, and when it peaks, all of the explosions, weapons, and enemies peak as well, meaning you get that high rush from your music and the game as well.”
    • “Your music becomes your weapon against enemy ships.”
    • “Sadly comes from an era where you had to have all of your music on your PC, which in the era of streaming with Spotify, Apple Music or Google Music, doesn't work as well.”
    • “The music while playing a level is hardly able to be heard, while the music that preloads on the menus is fine.”
    • “The only effect music appears to actively have on the gameplay is the speed of enemy craft, and the speed (and colourfulness) of your guns.”
  • gameplay324 mentions

    The gameplay of Beat Hazard is characterized by its unique integration of the player's music library, where the intensity and tempo of the chosen tracks directly influence the game's mechanics, enemy behavior, and overall experience. While many players appreciate the fun, addictive nature and vibrant visuals, some criticize the gameplay for being repetitive and not fully syncing with the music, leading to a disconnect between the audio and visual elements. Overall, it offers a blend of classic arcade shooter mechanics with a dynamic, music-driven twist, making it appealing for fans of both rhythm and action 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.”
    • “Countless games have used this ever-popular formula, but Beat Hazard stands out because its gameplay molds itself to the rhythm of the music tracks you import.”
    • “As a mix of Audiosurf, Asteroids, and Geometry Wars, the game ultimately comes out as a thrilling experience in gameplay and stunning visuals, all powered by the beats of your own music.”
    • “Unfortunately, there is not much for gameplay behind all the flashing graphics.”
    • “Once I got past the dazzle of flashing lights, I saw there is not much gameplay here, and it feels terribly repetitive.”
    • “The synchronization to the song is poor, the mechanics basic and predictable, and the amount of content available without downloading is ultra disappointing.”
  • graphics297 mentions

    The graphics in the game are a major highlight, featuring vibrant, psychedelic visuals that sync dynamically with the player's music, creating an engaging and immersive experience. However, many players note that the intensity of the visuals can be overwhelming, potentially causing discomfort or health issues for those with photosensitivity. While the aesthetic appeal is praised, some players recommend adjusting the visual settings to avoid distraction and enhance gameplay clarity.

    • “The graphics are astonishingly great, the music is mildly mesmerizing, and the controls are quite comprehensible.”
    • “The visuals are very nice (even at 50%, which is the only way I can play), the ship handles well, hit detection performs as it should, and all in all, I have not encountered any glitches throughout my playtime.”
    • “The screen lights up with vibrant explosions and pulsating visuals that sync perfectly with the music.”
    • “The graphics are overwhelming and can cause discomfort and even harm to those with photosensitive epilepsy or other conditions.”
    • “The bright, glaring, strobing and flickering graphical effects can quickly become irritating.”
    • “The visuals are far too aggressive and insulting on your vision, the music integration is very simple, and I just plain dislike the game.”
  • story90 mentions

    The game lacks a traditional story, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics and high-score challenges. Players engage in various missions, particularly through the "shadow missions" DLC, which adds complexity and replayability but can be frustratingly difficult. Overall, the experience is more about enjoying music and achieving personal bests rather than following a narrative.

    • “The basic game has a good sense of progression and the DLC missions added a great deal of focused replayability.”
    • “With missions, perks, bombs, and more, this game is great if you're looking for a colorful and fun game to play while listening to your favorite tunes.”
    • “Now expanded even further with the shadow ops DLC, more ships to choose from, separate leaderboards for each type of ship, and a shadow mission system adding missions to complete for each ship.”
    • “☑ 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.”
    • “"shadow missions" and perk unlocking add a mild sense of progression to the game, but otherwise no storyline or plot exists.”
  • replayability63 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its ability to integrate any song from the player's music library, resulting in virtually infinite gameplay experiences. The addition of DLCs enhances this further by introducing new challenges and modes, while the dynamic gameplay and vibrant visuals keep the experience fresh and engaging. Overall, players find that the replay value is one of the game's strongest features, making it highly enjoyable for both casual and hardcore gamers.

    • “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.”
    • “This game has amazing replayability; every song is different.”
    • “With the ability to play any song from your music collection, the game offers virtually infinite replay value.”
    • “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 the ultra DLC, which gives you more replayability, co-op, and enemies/bosses.”
    • “There isn't much depth to this game compared to Audiosurf, and it's definitely a less strong offering, but the online aspect gives it multiplayer, which adds more replayability on that front, not as an aspect of the game's excellence itself.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as quirky and engaging, with players finding amusement in personalizing ships and the unexpected reactions of enemy ships to music. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to provide a lighthearted experience, making it enjoyable for casual play, though some caution about its intense visuals and potential disorientation. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and humorous way to relax and enjoy music while gaming.

    • “It's just funny to play with your own music =)”
    • “Can be humorous at times to watch the enemy ships react to the music.”
    • “Other than that, it's a funny game to play when you want to chill, or want something different from your usual games.”
  • monetization9 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is heavily criticized for its intrusive advertisements, which promote DLCs and other content, often interrupting gameplay and user experience. Players report that the game feels more like a mobile title due to the excessive ad presence, including full-screen ads upon exiting and mandatory clicks to unlock achievements. Overall, the monetization approach detracts from the enjoyment of the game, overshadowing its creative aspects.

    • “Additionally, there are a lot of advertisements for DLC content, like basic things such as 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 to close the game.”
    • “Terrible advertising spam in-game; want to quit?”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious, with some songs lacking sufficient power-ups or enemies, leading to a frustrating experience. While the game offers a fun way to enjoy music, many reviewers feel that the grinding can detract from the overall enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging activity.

    • “The grinding can feel excessive at times.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Other than that, some of the songs can be a little tedious if they either spawn too few power-ups or too few enemies, making long-form play that bounces from one song to another a gamble.”
    • “They helpfully point out 'gameplay powered by your music!', as if your taste in music is the reason this game is a boring, tedious slog.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find it to be a fun and engaging experience with various modes that foster enjoyment, others report negative physical reactions, such as queasiness and headaches, due to intense visual effects. Overall, the game elicits a range of feelings, from wholesome fun to discomfort.

    • “Imagine the experience of sitting really close to the TV, so close you're almost touching, for the entire time you're playing.”
    • “Very emotional busker.”
    • “You can play online in different modes, head to head, co-op, survival, etc. This was truly good wholesome fun.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, players report a stable experience with good visuals and effective ship handling, with no significant glitches encountered during single-player gameplay. However, the multiplayer aspect is noted to be somewhat buggy, detracting from its overall stability.

    • “Multiplayer is kind of... meh and buggy.”
    • “Nice, but buggy.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game is praised for its excellent optimization, delivering a high framerate and smooth performance across various modes and setups. Players appreciate its ability to run efficiently without demanding significant system resources, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “Well optimized, high framerate.”
    • “Awesome game - runs smoothly, can sync with most everything, plenty of modes and variety!”
    • “It's pretty well optimized and doesn't require anything.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game features a polished and comfortable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, despite varying levels of enjoyment and replayability among players. The atmosphere effectively complements the challenging gameplay.

    • “The game is well polished and provides a comfortable atmosphere along with challenging gameplay.”
    • “The atmosphere is immersive, drawing you into the world and making every moment feel significant.”
    • “The sound design and visuals create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after you finish playing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Beat Hazard

Play time

5hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
3-19hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games