Creeper World IXE

About

"Creeper World IXE" is a real-time strategy game with a pixel-level simulation, where players command a squad of ships to fight against an all-consuming enemy known as "The Creeper." The game features hundred of worlds to explore, terraforming abilities, and new weapons to utilize against the enemy. With combined sand, particle, and creeper fluid simulations, players must use gravity and nature to their advantage to stop the Creeper's advance.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,032 reviews

story55 positive mentions

grinding69 negative mentions

Innovative gameplay mechanics with a mix of fluid dynamics and pixel simulation that adds depth to the strategy.
Engaging and satisfying progression as players work to overcome the creeper and utilize new materials.
Strong community support with user-generated content and a map editor that enhances replayability.

Limited unit deployment leads to a more puzzle-like experience rather than the traditional strategy gameplay, making levels feel restrictive.
The campaign is shorter and lacks the depth and variety of previous entries, resulting in a less engaging experience.
Performance issues and clunky controls detract from the overall enjoyment, with some mechanics feeling tedious and poorly implemented.

story
443 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
82%
5%
The story in "Creeper World IXE" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lackluster and poorly paced compared to previous installments. While some appreciated the attempt to expand the narrative, they felt it often fell flat, lacking depth and coherence, with many missions feeling repetitive and linear. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative, leaving players wanting more creativity and engagement in the plot.
- “I finished the main story and it was pretty good; it expanded further on the universe's lore, who knows what will come next.”
- “I had a blast playing every mission, and I'm now looking to the rest of the bonus missions and the colonies.”
- “The campaign levels are great, and the story has gone back to having characters and dialogue, similar to Creeper World 3.”
- “The story feels like it doesn't move forward the ideas of the world at all.”
- “The gameplay wasn't inspiring and is outright boring at times, and the story doesn't go anywhere interesting either; in fact, the story actually causes major issues if you try to slot it in with the rest of the creeper world timeline, and besides that it repeats a lot of plot beats from the other games.”
- “This story seems very railroaded and forced, from random character introduced and then quickly dismissed as to why he isn't dead, an introduction that's supposed to give you a heroes journey kind of vibe that is quickly forgotten.”
gameplay
419 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
70%
9%
The gameplay of "Creeper World Ixe" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the introduction of new mechanics like fluid simulation and terrain manipulation, while others find these elements cumbersome and poorly implemented. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel slow and repetitive, often requiring tedious grinding and lacking the depth and creativity seen in previous entries of the series. Overall, while the game retains the core mechanics that fans love, it struggles with execution and polish, leading to a less satisfying experience compared to its predecessors.
- “Every time there is some innovation, different visual, new mechanic, new level of complexity, or an interesting twist.”
- “Great music as usual, smooth gameplay, and absolute joy to watch the liquid physics.”
- “While it retains the familiar 'fight against the fluid' gameplay that fans of the series love, this installment introduces fresh mechanics that keep things engaging.”
- “The gameplay is pretty tedious, just place out your ships and grind toward the enemy, on repeat.”
- “The gameplay wasn't inspiring and is outright boring at times, and the story doesn't go anywhere interesting either.”
- “It feels very unpolished, incomplete and all of the new mechanics just feel in the way of the game.”
graphics
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The graphics of the game are primarily 2D pixel art, which some players find nostalgic but others consider outdated and simplistic, reminiscent of early flash games. While the pixel shift effects and block physics are appreciated, many reviewers criticize the overall design, claiming it lacks sophistication and clarity, making gameplay difficult to follow. Additionally, issues such as buggy sprites and placeholder artwork contribute to a perception of the graphics as feeling rushed or lazy, detracting from the overall experience.
- “I love the art style and physics with the blocks.”
- “While looking at the store page, it seemed like a large emphasis was placed on the pixelated graphics, since you'd dig through the terrain and create particle effects as the grains slide down the slope.”
- “I'm not usually a fan of low-res pixel graphics, but they work well for the game and aren't bothering me here.”
- “I'm not a fan of the 80s arcade style graphics; it's too hard to determine what's going on at a micro or macro level, unit limits for no apparent reason, and the maps just don't feel like puzzles the way I'm used to with these games.”
- “A lot of the menus and artwork look like placeholders; the sound levels are weird at times, there are buggy sprites, you soft-lock the tutorial when you lose your main ship (something that was part of a secret challenge in the previous game), poor controls, etc. It's the kind of stuff you might expect in an alpha or beta of a game.”
- “The graphics overall look like something out of the Flash games era.”
grinding
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many levels requiring long waits and minimal strategic engagement. Players often feel limited by the number of units available, leading to a frustrating experience where they spend excessive time chipping away at enemy blobs rather than engaging in dynamic gameplay. While some new mechanics show potential, they are often overshadowed by the overall grindiness and lack of excitement, making the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game reeks of 'great potential, poor execution.' The idea's definitely there, and there are some cool moments, but the game ends up being boring at best and miserably tedious at worst.”
- “You're limited to 5-15 units depending on the mission, so you spend the first three minutes of each mission building the biggest army you'll ever have, then it turns into a no-build mission and you have to spend twenty minutes watching your ships tediously push back against a giant blob of enemies.”
- “A genuine insult to the Creeper World franchise - tedious levels that consist of using the same two ideas to shoot for about two hours. It is not a tower defense game against a liquid, it is not an RTS game, it is a childlike puzzle game where all the solutions consist of standing still for hours in order to get an advantage to slightly move forward.”
music
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
4%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and a highlight of the experience, particularly noting the return of familiar composers and the modern-retro style. However, some players feel the variety is lacking, with only a few tracks available that can become repetitive, detracting from the overall atmosphere. While the music is generally well-received, it seems to serve more as a backdrop rather than a standout feature in the gameplay.
- “The composers of CW3, PF, and CW4 all make their return here, and the soundtrack hits it out of the park as always.”
- “The music was some of the best in the series.”
- “The soundtrack is also awesome and way longer than the previous entries.”
- “Unfortunately, it hasn't quite worked out for the better and whilst I do like the art, music, and general vibe of the game, the gameplay itself feels just so much more limited than the base-building games.”
- “It turns out there's only four songs available, which are set to play in a random sequence.”
- “Considering the range of scenarios and how many planets you visit, a larger variety of songs could better set the atmosphere as your emotions switch from horror and desperate struggles to rage, or a swelling sense of hope.”
optimization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
65%
24%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and stuttering, especially during high-action sequences or when running at increased speeds. While some users noted decent performance on older systems, the overall consensus highlights a lack of optimization compared to previous installments, leading to frustration and disappointment among players.
- “A wet dream if you like optimization, this guy manages to consistently achieve alone what most triple A studios cannot.”
- “Performance was good on my relatively old Alienware laptop.”
- “No stuttering or frame rate problems.”
- “The performance is subpar, and what few uses it actually does have feel shoehorned into the flow of gameplay.”
- “Good game, but the poor optimization is blatant and obvious; I hope I get my refund.”
- “The performance is atrocious to the point of going down to 5fps while CW4 doesn't have this issue at all, even running on max speed.”
replayability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
Replayability in this game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the potential for community-created content and varied strategies that enhance longevity, others criticize the limitations imposed by a restricted arsenal and lackluster missions, which significantly diminish replay value. Overall, the presence of player-made maps and diverse strategies offers some replayability, but many feel it falls short compared to previous installments in the series.
- “Yet another excellent game from Knuckle Cracker, I cannot wait to see what maps the community comes up with for endless replayability!”
- “Great strategy, more than one way to do every level and lots of replayability, 100% worth it.”
- “I like the change of pace and the option for player-made levels will add to plenty of replayability.”
- “Weakest game in the series by far, missions are boring. Being limited with ships and AC makes any replayability close to none (not counting leveling editor).”
- “There's no replayability because of the limited ships and limited resources.”
- “It's a fun concept, not nearly as cool as Creeper World 4 and doesn't really have much replay value.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous issues such as placeholder menus and artwork, inconsistent sound levels, buggy sprites, and soft-locks during the tutorial. Players have reported unwieldy recipes that can disappear due to glitches, contributing to a frustrating experience reminiscent of an alpha or beta version. Overall, these stability problems significantly detract from the gameplay experience.
- “A lot of the menus and artwork look like placeholders, the sound levels are weird at times, there are buggy sprites, you soft-lock the tutorial when you lose your main ship (something that was part of a secret challenge in the previous game), poor controls, etc. It's the kind of stuff you might expect in an alpha or beta of a game.”
- “The recipes are unwieldy to use, there's only a couple, they can disappear due to glitches or weird mechanics, and they cause a lot of confusion.”
- “Freezer ship freezes any amount of creeper, making the pool's depth never matter, as long as the opening is small enough that your freezers can freeze all the open surface of it.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The game's atmosphere is described as atmospheric yet somewhat forgettable, with a soundtrack that maintains immersion but lacks variety to match the emotional shifts across different scenarios. While the potential for atmospheric elements exists, such as the use of visibility, it is not effectively realized, leaving players wanting more depth in the overall experience.
- “Atmospheric but somewhat forgettable soundtrack which nonetheless keeps you in the zone.”
- “Considering the range of scenarios and how many planets you visit, a larger variety of songs could better set the atmosphere as your emotions switch from horror and desperate struggles, to rage, or a swelling sense of hope.”
- “Considering the range of scenarios and how many planets you visit, a larger variety of songs could better set the atmosphere as your emotions switch from horror and desperate struggles to rage, or a swelling sense of hope.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for being funny and addictive, reminiscent of earlier titles in the series. Players appreciate the comedic elements, particularly the absurdity of certain mechanics, such as the uselessness of energy after building everything, which adds to the overall enjoyment.
- “Funny and addictive, like the previous games.”
- “I remember playing this on funny games back when I was a kid; loved it back then, love it even more now.”
- “I personally find the fact that energy is useless after you build everything hilarious.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users feel that the monetization strategies in games have become overly aggressive, often labeling them as major cash grabs that prioritize profit over player experience.
- “It's not often you find that these days; most games are major cash grabs.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that the game evokes a strong sense of emotional engagement, likening the experience to the transformative and creative feelings associated with being an alchemist.