Deep Among the Swarm

About

Deep Among the Swarm is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Pebble Mountain Games and was released on September 25, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Deep Among the Swarm is a challenging survival RTS roguelite where you defend against massive waves of monsters while expanding your base and collecting resources. Customize your units and buildings with various weapons, armor, and upgrades to strengthen your army. Use meta progression to improve your chances as you dive deeper into the swarm.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay loop that combines RTS, tower defense, and roguelike elements, providing a satisfying experience with depth and strategy.
Regular updates from the developer enhance the game, making it feel fresh and improving overall mechanics.
Addictive nature encourages players to keep coming back for more runs, with a variety of builds and customization options available.

The game suffers from a lack of variety in objectives and map types, leading to repetitive gameplay over time.
User interface and crafting systems are confusing, making it difficult for players to understand upgrades and manage resources effectively.
Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, with some levels feeling unbalanced and reliant on RNG, which may deter players from progressing.

gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by a satisfying and addictive loop that combines elements of RTS and roguelike mechanics, offering a fun experience with varying builds and strategies. While the core mechanics are solid and well-balanced, some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive after a few maps, and there are issues with UI design and certain mechanics needing refinement. Overall, the game is enjoyable and runs smoothly, making it a worthwhile pick-up for fans of the genre.
- “Very satisfying gameplay loop of expand, consolidate, push.”
- “I love the gameplay loop and enjoy how different each run can feel with completely different builds.”
- “Very addicting core game loop with great mechanics taken from classic RTS, with roguelike elements.”
- “Unfortunately, it does have issues with UI design and the core gameplay loop is quite narrow.”
- “The gameplay loop is a little too repetitive after 3-4 maps max. Overall though, it's a fun game to pick up again after little breaks.”
- “It needs more time in the oven to make sure the mechanics all mesh well, because they are currently somewhat lacking.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The story aspect of the game is perceived as lacking depth, with players expressing a desire for more narrative elements, such as an alien encyclopedia or hero units that can be leveled and carried through missions. While the gameplay combines traditional RTS mechanics with tower defense elements, the overall experience can feel grindy and inconsistent in difficulty, detracting from the potential for a more engaging storyline. Players also wish for more variety in mission selection and rogue-like elements to enhance the narrative experience.
- “What this means is you have a 'run' containing many missions where in each mission you build your base and your walls and your towers and you aggressively clear the map searching for fuel to dig deeper. You can leave once the tank is half full, but there is incentive to stay longer, like looting resources to use outside of the mission in the shop and to spend on augments.”
- “I wish the game explored other rogue-like elements like Slay the Spire type events or the ability to pick and choose certain routes with different missions just for some more variety.”
- “But it ends up being way too grindy with weird jumps in difficulty (both with missions suddenly getting much easier than the previous one as well as sometimes getting much harder, mostly though there's a huge spike when changing into a new biome/area).”
- “A little more of a story element, maybe in the form of an alien encyclopedia.”
- “I wish the game explored other rogue-like elements like Slay the Spire type events or the ability to pick and choose certain routes with different missions just for some more variety and sometimes it can feel like you spend a lot of time in the shop rolling dice.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
The graphics of the game are characterized by simple yet smooth pixel art that enhances the overall experience, complemented by effective sound design. Players appreciate the game's optimization, noting it runs well even with heavy action on screen, and many find the classic art style adds to the enjoyment of the gameplay loop. Overall, the graphics are well-received, with a focus on functionality and aesthetic appeal rather than complexity.
- “The pixel graphics look awesome, the music is good, the basic mechanics are sound, it runs great with the recommended specs, never once slowing down even when I had an entire map clogged with about a million mobs.”
- “Very well optimized, good pixel graphics.”
- “The pixel art works well with the grungy music and overall vibe, and it's enjoyable to see hordes of monsters throwing themselves on your well-placed defenses.”
- “The graphics are quite dated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “The character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making the game feel less immersive.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, complementing the pixel graphics and gameplay mechanics. While many players enjoy the current soundtrack, some express a desire for more variety. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's vibe and experience.
- “Good music, good gameplay, good vibes, clean mechanics.”
- “The pixel art works well with the grungy music and overall vibe, and it's enjoyable to see hordes of monsters throwing themselves on your well-placed defenses.”
- “The music is also extremely good at setting the tone.”
- “I wish there was more variety in the music, but I am looking forward to challenging more of the deep!”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the metaprogression systems excessively grindy, requiring significant effort to level up and obtain necessary upgrades for deeper gameplay. This grind is compounded by inconsistent difficulty spikes, with missions sometimes becoming unexpectedly easier or harder, particularly when transitioning to new biomes.
- “The metaprogression systems are tremendously grindy.”
- “It'll take some level/points grinding to get the upgrades needed for deeper runs.”
- “It ends up being way too grindy with weird jumps in difficulty, both with missions suddenly getting much easier than the previous one and sometimes getting much harder. There's a huge spike when changing into a new biome/area.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly even under heavy load, such as when numerous characters populate the screen. Users report no significant performance issues when playing with the recommended specifications.
- “The pixel graphics look awesome, the music is good, and the basic mechanics are sound. It runs great with the recommended specs, never once slowing down even when I had an entire map clogged with about a million mobs.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, even in the most chaotic situations, which really enhances the overall experience.”
- “I've experienced no crashes or major bugs, making my gameplay feel seamless and enjoyable.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a desire for deeper emotional engagement with the game, indicating that they would invest in additional content if it enhanced their experience. However, they also recognize the need for further exploration of the game's offerings to fully develop that emotional connection.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, featuring high-quality pixel graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- “Very well optimized, with great pixel graphics.”