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Cleared Hot

Cleared Hot Game Cover
97%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, grinding
97% User Score Based on 2,454 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCSteam DeckWindows
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Cleared Hot Game Cover

About

Cleared Hot is a single player tactical shooter game. It was developed by Not Knowing Corporation and was released on November 20, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

CLEARED HOT is a nostalgic helicopter shooter with satisfying physics and light tactical elements. Shoot, dodge, move your squad around the battlefield, and pick up almost anything with your rope and magnet. With fully physics-based action, you can get creative and use the environment to your advantage. Send enemies ragdolling through the air with your rockets, or use your rope to throw rocks a…

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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,454 reviews
story225 positive mentions
optimization22 negative mentions
  • Strong nostalgia appeal for fans of old Strike series games with updated graphics, voice acting, and physics.
  • Fun and satisfying helicopter combat gameplay with responsive controls and diverse helicopters and weapons.
  • Good variety of missions with an entertaining, lighthearted story and humorous dialogue.
  • The game is currently short with limited content as it is in early access, leading to low replayability.
  • Some performance issues and frame rate drops reported on lower-end hardware and handheld devices.
  • Occasional balance issues with certain helicopters and weapons being overpowered or underutilized.
  • story
    876 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a campy, humorous 80s/90s-style story with likable characters and solid voice acting that complements its arcade-style helicopter missions. While the narrative is light and serves mainly as a fun backdrop to the gameplay, players appreciate its charm but note the current story content is quite short, with only about a dozen missions available, resulting in a playtime of roughly 2-3 hours. Fans eagerly await more missions and expansions to deepen the story and add variety, hoping for a longer, more engaging campaign in future updates.

    • “The story, characters, and dialogues are surprisingly charming, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing even more of that narrative content.”
    • “Bonus points for great writing and excellent voice acting - the game didn't even really need a story but the snappy dialogue adds a ton of charm to each mission and I want to keep playing just to listen to more of this hilarious banter.”
    • “The game retains the core appeal of its predecessor, high-stakes helicopter combat and tactical missions, but polishes it with contemporary controls, slick visuals, and a story that’s as fun as it is twisted.”
    • “The story is stupid.”
    • “The missions are also for the most part boring, though ironically the more pressure they put on you the more fun it becomes, which I normally dislike, but I guess it's just so easy and boring that a little extra tension is welcome.”
    • “From the world design to the characters, the dialogue and the plot... I'd honestly rather have no voice acting or cut scenes and just get a written briefing before each level explaining what to do, and have a bland, generic military combat game that draws from real world theatres of war and creates story through the objectives you have.”
  • gameplay
    414 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is widely praised for its addictive, smooth, and intuitive mechanics that blend nostalgic 90s strike-style helicopter action with modern physics-based interactions and customization options. Players appreciate the variety of missions, tight controls, and satisfying combat loop, though some note the current content is limited and hope for more depth and complexity in future updates. Overall, it delivers a fun, accessible, and engaging experience that successfully captures and modernizes classic helicopter shooter gameplay.

    • “Cleared hot captures that nostalgic gameplay 10000% - bringing it into the new age, and should absolutely be considered the spiritual successor to the "strike" franchise.”
    • “The gameplay is consistently fun, with tight controls and missions that stay fresh, offering enough variety to keep each session engaging.”
    • “The rope-and-magnet mechanic is Cleared Hot’s most distinctive feature and the reason it quickly becomes more than just a shooter.”
    • “Unfortunately, the glitching and the game resetting itself detracts from the overall gameplay experience.”
    • “The physics system, which is heavily featured as a core gameplay element, feels cumbersome and unrewarding rather than impactful.”
    • “The gameplay lacks complexity regarding enemies, their bases, mission design, and structures, making it feel shallow and less engaging.”
  • graphics
    165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics combine nostalgic low-poly and retro aesthetics with modern visual fidelity, delivering a charming and immersive experience that honors classic arcade-style games. While visually appealing and well-suited to the game's tone, some players note a lack of detailed graphics settings and occasional performance issues, especially on less powerful hardware or the Steam Deck. Overall, the graphics are praised for their style, clarity, and fit with gameplay, though optimization and customization options remain areas for improvement.

    • “All the fun you remember, with good graphics, none of the jank, and the addition of a physics engine that adds a whole new dynamic of play.”
    • “The game offers some nice graphics and a great aesthetic which is pleasant all the same and has some amazing attention to detail.”
    • “The graphics, the music, the story, everything calls back to the originals but then throws its own mark in to make it unique and special, not just a nostalgia bait product that fails to deliver like many other spiritual or literal successors to old-time greats.”
    • “There are basically no in-game graphics settings, so you are stuck with whatever the game defaults to.”
    • “I bought this in order to play it on the Steam Deck and there it is an unplayable 20-30fps stutter fest with no graphics options to adjust.”
    • “Also, hopefully lots of optimization coming - I get a lot of lag with my i7 GTX 1060 and there are currently a total of three graphics settings (screen size, full/windowed, and vsync) and so no way to alleviate the fps issues.”
  • music
    162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music is widely praised for its authentic 80s/90s synthwave and action movie vibe, serving as a perfect nostalgic backdrop that enhances the atmosphere and gameplay. While the soundtrack is highly enjoyable and a standout feature, some users note it can become repetitive due to limited variety. Overall, the music, combined with voice acting and sound design, significantly contributes to the game's charm and retro appeal.

    • “That glorious '90s synth-heavy riff-rock action game soundtrack is back, and it's the perfect backdrop for the missions.”
    • “The instant I started the intro I was taken all the way back to Desert Strike on the family's Amiga, the controls feel natural and really easy to grasp, plus the soundtrack is pure 80's/90's action movie and I adore it.”
    • “The soundtrack is insanely good, the mechanics of lifting and throwing things are satisfying, and the storytelling is engaging.”
    • “The music is a five second loop on repeat.”
    • “Music needs a lot of work.”
    • “Soundtrack, while great, gets mighty repetitive.”
  • optimization
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs well on mid-to-high-end PCs with smooth performance and modest resource usage, but suffers from notable stuttering and frame drops, especially during intense scenes or mission transitions. Steam Deck performance is a common concern, often described as poor or unplayable without lowering resolution and tweaking settings, though recent patches have improved it significantly. Optimization remains a priority, with users requesting more graphics options, better frame pacing, and fixes for Steam Deck issues to fully realize smooth gameplay across platforms.

    • “Runs fantastic on Steam Deck since the latest update; their reported performance stats are true.”
    • “Update: they’ve drastically improved performance on Steam Deck, it’s now perfectly playable.”
    • “Performance and was top notch in my short time playing through the available content.”
    • “My PC is a lot stronger than the minimum specs, and the stuttering is unbelievable.”
    • “Steam Deck play is awful and desperately needs optimization; I've managed to get 45 fps and reduce lag by lowering the resolution and enabling tearing, but it plays like a dream on my gaming rig.”
    • “Terrible performance, with the worst FPS jitter I've ever seen.”
  • humor
    87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its witty, irreverent, and over-the-top style, blending nostalgic references with modern, inventive mechanics like winching enemies. Players appreciate the funny dialogue, smart-ass jokes, and excellent voice acting that add charm without being obnoxious, contributing to a fun, lighthearted, and chaotic arcade experience. Overall, the humor enhances the game's personality and keeps players laughing throughout the missions.

    • “It's well-written, funny without being obnoxious, direct without being bland... it's really outstanding work.”
    • “The humor and dialogue is outstanding, plenty of smart-ass jokes, and a variety of ways to blow things up and cause general mayhem.”
    • “Bonus points for great writing and excellent voice acting - the game didn't even really need a story but the snappy dialogue adds a ton of charm to each mission and I want to keep playing just to listen to more of this hilarious banter.”
  • replayability
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers moderate replayability primarily through unlocking various helicopters, weapon customization, and replaying missions with different loadouts, but its currently limited content and short campaign restrict longevity. Many reviewers hope for future updates adding new modes, mission variety, procedural generation, or sandbox features to enhance replay value. While early access provides a solid foundation, the replay experience will significantly improve as more content and features are introduced.

    • “Great gameplay, I liked how you can customize your helicopter, and the missions are all good and very replayable.”
    • “Now the downside- it's EA, so you aren't getting the full product just yet, but this does provide enough taste to get your craving handled for a while, and it's fully replayable so you can do the same missions over and over with different loadouts and airframes, which keeps it pretty fresh (make sure you have passenger capacity on the mission where you need to rescue people- I learned that the hard way when I unlocked the Apache and had to make several trips).”
    • “What an absolute joy this is to play, takes me back to my youth and has endless replayability! I can recommend you get this now!!”
    • “With such a brief campaign and minimal replay value, I can’t recommend the title despite how well it plays.”
    • “Extremely short and no replay value.”
    • “Only about 12 missions with very little replayability to them.”
  • stability
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its strong stability, running smoothly across various platforms including PC, Linux, and Steam Deck, with minimal bugs or glitches reported. While some minor visual quirks and occasional early access bugs exist, they do not impact gameplay or cause crashes, making it a polished and reliable experience overall.

    • “An amazing game that is well built with nearly no glitches, offering a smooth throwback to old school vehicle shooters.”
    • “My playthrough was largely bug free; honestly, I can't recall any major issues.”
    • “The controls are smooth and intuitive, keybinds fully remappable, and the gameplay is smooth and bug free.”
    • “There's your typical day one glitches, level events that fail to initiate, random bugs, etc., but for the most part it runs really well even on an older rig.”
    • “Highly recommend even as an early access title, so far only come across a few glitches such as enemy combatants stuck inside buildings.”
    • “That and I noticed some of the shadows on the helicopter were a bit buggy after taking damage, and the bullet holes and scuff marks didn't go away when you healed, but that didn't technically affect gameplay.”
  • grinding
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game primarily involves replaying missions to earn money for unlocking helicopters and weapons, which some find repetitive but overall enjoyable and not overly burdensome. While there is a need to grind for better gear, the missions remain engaging, though limited content currently leads to a feeling of repetitive unlock farming. Players hope for more variety and expanded content to reduce the grinding focus.

    • “The enemies and objectives are engaging and the missions themselves are repeatable but not grindy at all.”
    • “So you will probably (and maybe more than once) buy something that looked good on paper that underperforms in the air, costing you some time and more grinding.”
    • “I hope there is more content incoming since game is genuinely fun to play but story content runs out after couple hours and what rest there is, is basically grinding missions to unlock other helis and guns.”
    • “There isn't too much replayability at present apart from grinding some cash to buy new helos and weapons.”
  • atmosphere
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic 90s action movie vibe, combining engaging character dialogue, dynamic music, and polished gameplay to create a fun and charming experience. While some users note the game's brevity and suggest minor visual enhancements, the overall energetic and immersive ambiance significantly enhances replayability and enjoyment.

    • “The atmosphere is phenomenal, with character dialogue and music that perfectly blend retro action movies and Command and Conquer vibes.”
    • “A fast-paced, arcade-style shoot-'em-up full of charm and atmosphere that is well worth the price of admission.”
    • “The 90s over-the-top action movie atmosphere and silliness are on point, making the gameplay fun and polished.”
  • emotional
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes strong nostalgic emotions, making players feel like kids again and reminiscing about classic experiences. Its detailed visuals and engaging gameplay create heartfelt moments, with an unexpectedly emotional ending that adds depth beyond typical action games.

    • “This game recaptures the magic of it all; I actually shed a tear when I remembered what it was like playing that game. Now I am 40 years old, and everything hurts lol.”
    • “It made me feel like a kid again, even in my thirties.”
    • “I loved every moment of the game, and it made me feel like I was back in my childhood living room, playing Jungle Strike on my Sega Genesis again.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development is subtle but impactful, adding depth and heart to the engaging plot and fast-paced gameplay. Dialogue is snappy, enhancing character engagement throughout the story.

    • “Intuitive controls and fast action combine with snappy dialogue, a simple yet effective plot with a surprising injection of character development and heart.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers customizable helicopters and weapons without any downloadable content or in-game purchases, providing a fully accessible experience without additional costs.

    • “You can obtain new helicopters and guns/missiles to make your ride customizable—all without DLC or in-game purchases!”
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Cleared Hot is a tactical shooter game.

Cleared Hot is available on PC, Steam Deck, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Cleared Hot.

Cleared Hot was released on November 20, 2025.

Cleared Hot was developed by Not Knowing Corporation.

Cleared Hot has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Cleared Hot is a single player game.

Similar games include Tiny Combat Arena, Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess, FUMES, Overload, Dagger Directive and others.