Heat Signature

By making excellent use of its procedurally generated world and wacky gadgets, Heat Signature is a mission worth taking.

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Heat Signature is a spaceship-breaking game that lets you dock with any spaceship, sneak inside, and complete missions such as stealing loot or assassinating VIPs. You can take your time to formulate a plan, using gadgets and slowmo gunfights to outsmart the crew. The Supporter's Edition includes early prototypes, developer commentary videos, and the full soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,858 reviews

story375 positive mentions

grinding84 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of tactical gameplay and fast-paced action, allowing players to approach missions in various creative ways.
The ability to pause time and plan actions adds a strategic layer to the gameplay, making it accessible for players of all skill levels.
Heat Signature provides endless replayability with procedurally generated missions and a wide variety of gadgets and weapons.

The game can become repetitive after a while, as missions often follow a similar structure and the variety of enemies and ships is limited.
Some players may find the learning curve steep, as the game does not provide extensive tutorials on its mechanics.
The lack of a compelling overarching narrative or character development can make it difficult for players to feel invested in their characters.

story
3,284 mentions
11 % positive mentions
86 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story in "Heat Signature" is minimal and largely procedural, focusing on the player's experience rather than a linear narrative. Each character has a personal mission that adds a layer of motivation, but the overarching plot revolves around liberating space stations from various factions, which can feel repetitive over time. Players often create their own stories through the unique situations that arise during missions, leading to emergent storytelling that can be both humorous and dramatic.
- “The game's narrative is delivered through procedurally generated missions and contracts, allowing for a dynamic and unpredictable storyline.”
- “While the overarching plot may not be the focal point, the emergent stories that arise from gameplay create a sense of player agency and investment in their mercenary's journey.”
- “Each character has a personal mission that you can complete, which allows you to save an item for other characters to use.”
- “The story is whatever; some missions seem nigh impossible, and the map isn't that creative, but overall you're here to do dumb teleport and silenced swapping shenanigans.”
- “The story is almost non-existent, but as usual for this dev, the writing is pretty funny.”
- “The story is pretty back-seat to the action and leaves a lot to be desired, but the arcade-style shooter mechanics and sci-fi setting of the game still make it worth playing.”
gameplay
1,257 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Heat Signature" is characterized by its engaging mechanics and unique pause-and-plan feature, allowing players to strategize in real-time while navigating procedurally generated missions. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of approaches available, some find the gameplay can become repetitive after extended play, as the core loop revolves around similar mission structures. Overall, the game is praised for its fun, tactical gameplay that encourages creativity and experimentation, making it a standout title for fans of stealth and action genres.
- “Very fun gameplay elements and there are lots of different approaches possible for completing missions.”
- “The gameplay loop is surprisingly addictive and fun, and there isn't really a dull moment in the game.”
- “The core gameplay loop of breaking into ships, evading or eliminating security, and completing objectives is pretty cool and well-realized here.”
- “The gameplay tends to have little variation and I really felt that this game could have been so much more. I usually love to dump a bunch of hours into a game of this type, but I just got tired and felt like nothing exciting or new was on its way in only several hours.”
- “The gameplay is simple but polished to the point that even a narcissist could see his reflection in it. However, the core gameplay loop doesn't inspire me to play more of it when compared to other games.”
- “The core gameplay loop gets stale pretty quick. While the gameplay can get repetitive fast, the gameplay can get really fun, and the massive difficulty cap makes the game stay unique.”
replayability
228 mentions
63 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, with many reviewers highlighting the endless variety offered by randomly generated missions, characters, and gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the numerous strategies and approaches available, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. However, some note that the game can become repetitive over time, suggesting that while it excels in replay value, it may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
- “The sheer number of ways you can complete a mission with all the tools available gives this game so much replayability.”
- “This game offers a comical amount of variety in playstyle, strategy, ideas, and replayability.”
- “Endlessly replayable, incredibly satisfying game loop, and the best example of 'plans never survive contact with the enemy' I've seen in a video game in a long time.”
- “The only thing that changes is some background images, which doesn't help replayability at all.”
- “Replay value is a little low, as the game becomes pretty repetitive...you kind of have to make little challenges yourself in order to keep it interesting.”
- “In other words, it's a huge missed opportunity and doesn't have that much replay value.”
graphics
166 mentions
34 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as minimalistic and simplistic, with a charming top-down aesthetic that features vibrant colors and distinct faction designs. While some players appreciate the art style and find it fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it for being unclear, leading to confusion between enemies and the environment. Overall, the visuals are considered decent but not groundbreaking, serving the game's mechanics without being a standout feature.
- “The graphics are minimalistic yet charming, with a top-down view of the vast, procedurally generated galaxy.”
- “The use of vibrant colors for different factions and elements of the game adds a touch of personality to the overall aesthetic.”
- “It's solid, has a lot of fun mechanics and the art style is clear enough so you always know what's going on even when it gets frantic.”
- “The visuals of the maps are ugly and indistinct.”
- “Can get repetitive after you play for a long time and there can be a lack of clarity in the artwork that causes enemies and interactive objects to blend into the background.”
- “The graphics are pretty basic, and this can cause some confusion as to what is just background and what is an enemy.”
music
147 mentions
56 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and ability to enhance the gaming experience, often describing it as atmospheric and fitting for the game's themes. However, some players find the music forgettable or repetitive, suggesting it lacks the energy or memorability of standout soundtracks. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, opinions vary on its impact and memorability during gameplay.
- “The music is great, the art is great, you can pick it up and put it down very easily, and it runs on anything.”
- “The soundtrack is astounding!”
- “The music sets the tone.”
- “Music is forgettable (was there music?) ...all in all, cannot recommend.”
- “The music is fitting and does its job well, it isn't anything outstanding however.”
- “This was one of the first games in a while that I've just muted and turned on my own music for.”
humor
130 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, witty dialogue, and the chaotic, often absurd situations that arise during gameplay. Players enjoy the combination of strategic planning and unexpected comedic outcomes, with many highlighting the game's ability to generate hilarious moments through its mechanics and interactions. Overall, the humor is described as a key element that enhances the fun and replayability of the game, making it a standout experience.
- “It's funny, it's tense; you will probably throw yourself into the vacuum of space and save yourself with your pod in the nick of time, accidentally or on purpose, frequently.”
- “The writing is sharp and funny, making the experience even more enjoyable.”
- “This game is a perfect mixture of puzzle, shooting, humor, and mad chaos.”
grinding
86 mentions
1 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, particularly in the late stages, which can lead to a sense of repetition and tedium. While some players find the grinding aspect enjoyable and rewarding, especially for completionists, many others feel it detracts from the overall experience, making missions feel samey and tedious over time. The balance between strategic gameplay and grinding varies, with some players appreciating the challenge while others find it frustratingly monotonous.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “More grinding than a blackout drunk boilermaker with an arc welder... really want to like this game but it gets very mundane rather quickly, nothing amazingly new after a couple of hours.”
- “Unfortunately, it's incredibly grindy, even for roguelikes.”
- “Interesting for a few hours, but then it starts feeling boring, grindy, and pointless.”
stability
23 mentions
17 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report a generally smooth experience with minimal bugs, others have encountered significant issues such as freezing and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. Some users appreciate the fun and innovative aspects of the game despite these technical problems, suggesting that while it may not be the most polished title, it remains enjoyable. Frequent updates and troubleshooting steps are noted, indicating ongoing efforts to improve stability.
- “Lots of fun, runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “It's not buggy at all, but it feels like it could have used more content.”
- “Besides that, the game is well made with no glitches (that I have found).”
- “Due to an update to the game or a hardware update on my end, the game starts and immediately freezes with no audio and a frozen visual of the initial constellation screen.”
- “The game is fun but it freezes every time after a liberation mission.”
- “It is not the most polished (having just come out, you'll encounter quite a few bugs and, in my case, freezes) but it is very enjoyable nonetheless.”
atmosphere
20 mentions
65 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging and immersive qualities, enhanced by a vibrant soundtrack and polished graphics. Players appreciate the sense of freedom in gameplay, which allows for creative approaches to tasks, while the overall ambiance contributes to a captivating experience. Despite being light on story, the combination of sound design and visual elements creates a memorable and atmospheric setting that resonates with fans of stealth and action genres.
- “Despite this, the game's engaging mechanics and overall atmosphere make it a standout title for fans of stealth and action games.”
- “Its simple yet vibrant graphics combined with the well-suited and high-quality sound effects create an excellent atmosphere, and the intuitive controls only add to the experience.”
- “It's also well written, sounds good and beautiful; I mean, space looks 'deep' (feels atmospheric as hell), factions have their personalities and space stations are decorated with this sci-fi cool stuff.”
- “In my opinion, you should try to leave it on at first since it adds to the atmosphere.”
- “Most of the time, I have to escape the ship by shooting a window open to space and have the internal atmosphere shoot me out into space and have my shuttle pick me up.”
- “Highly recommend if you enjoy something along the lines of FTL, both because of the atmosphere (or lack thereof, sorry) and the pause tactics.”
emotional
18 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a wide range of emotional experiences while engaging with the game, from deep attachment to characters and heartbreaking failures to exhilarating victories that evoke feelings of empowerment. The game's ability to create genuine emotional situations without heavy scripting is praised, making it a unique emotional rollercoaster that resonates with players. Overall, it successfully combines fun and emotional investment, leaving players feeling both challenged and accomplished.
- “I cried.”
- “The emotional swings I've experienced as I move from hard-won victory to sudden death are reminiscent of old arcade or NES games.”
- “A game that can naturally create emotional situations and desperate encounters, that does so without heavy scripting and lots of dialogue and voice acting, is really special.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players noting it functions effectively and offers a great price-to-performance ratio. However, some users report performance issues, particularly on older systems, where framerate can degrade after extended play. While the game is mostly optimized well, it may still require a decent amount of RAM to run smoothly.
- “Heat Signature is a well-optimized semi-roguelike action game, and an epic moment generator, set in an unforgiving nebula in the depths of a vast sci-fi universe.”
- “As far as I can tell, the game does everything it sets out to do, is reasonably well optimized, and is functional from top to bottom.”
- “Optimization: very well done.”
- “Definitely wait for a sale, as this game is often frustrating and may tend towards certain overoptimized tactics eventually.”
- “The only negative for me is that the performance is a bit lacking.”
- “Performance-wise, if the game's been running for more than 2 or 3 consecutive hours on an older system (4 GB RAM, Intel HD 3000 graphics), the framerate slows down slowly but continuously.”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and ads, reflecting a commitment to quality and player experience over monetization strategies. Reviewers appreciate the developers' dedication to creating a polished product without resorting to cash grabs, which is increasingly rare in the industry.
- “I think the advertising doesn't hit the experience exactly.”
character development
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its simplistic yet effective design, with characters primarily defined by their personal missions. While the dialogue, particularly with characters like Geneva Stonelock, is appreciated, overall, there is a lack of depth and extensive character development throughout the game.
- “The game's character design is simplistic, yet effective, with each character having a personal mission that enriches their backstory.”
- “The dialogue was good, and I particularly enjoyed the conversation with Geneva Stonelock, but in general, there wasn't much use of dialogue or character development.”
- “The game's character design is simplistic, yet effective, with each character only having a personal mission to give them backstory.”