Insect Swarm

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 225 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Insect Swarm Game Cover
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Insect Swarm is a top-down shooting game where you battle huge swarms of insects in a barren desert world. Upgrade your airframe and weapons, and switch to Mecha mode to wield a melee weapon and heavy Gatling gun. With no level cap on upgrades, collect resources and continue leveling up as you fight to survive.

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Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 225 reviews
gameplay23 positive mentions
grinding21 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fun and addictive gameplay loop, perfect for casual play and mindless shooting.
  • Graphics and sound design are well-executed, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
  • Players can enjoy a sense of progression through upgrades, making it satisfying to become more powerful as they defeat swarms of enemies.
  • The game suffers from a lack of content, with limited weapons, bosses, and environments, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • Performance issues, especially on lower-end devices and the Steam Deck, can significantly hinder the experience, with frequent frame drops and crashes.
  • The upgrade system feels shallow, with minimal meaningful choices and a grindy nature that may deter players looking for depth.
  • gameplay42 mentions

    The gameplay of "Insect Swarm" is characterized by a satisfying and addictive core loop, allowing players to customize difficulty and upgrade their abilities, which can lead to a rewarding power fantasy. However, many reviewers noted that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks variety, with limited content and mechanics that feel thin. While the controls are generally well-tuned and the game offers engaging challenges, it would benefit from additional content and gameplay diversity to enhance the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay loop is very addictive and rewarding.”
    • “Very nice gameplay, enjoyable.”
    • “Fluid gameplay: the controls and gameplay are generally well-tuned, providing a smooth and intuitive experience.”
    • “Gameplay is pretty bland and becomes tiresome, repetitive quickly.”
    • “No meta-progression, no meaningful difficulty or gameplay variety.”
    • “The whole fetch quest mechanic of it, solely for the purposes of grinding these basic upgrades is weak.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and attention to detail, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances gameplay. While the visuals are well-crafted and optimized, some users noted a lack of graphical options and described certain environments as bland. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's appeal despite some criticisms regarding variety and depth.

    • “Graphics are pretty, and most of the game is surprisingly well-optimized, leading to pretty satisfying bug swarm destruction.”
    • “The graphics and attention to detail are great.”
    • “The aesthetics of the insects and environments are detailed and contribute to immersion in the game world.”
    • “No real graphics options other than swarm size.”
    • “The desert world aesthetic gets dry on the eyes rather quick... even with the occasional little oasis, it's bland af.”
    • “Gets a minus for no graphical options, my poor 1050ti hasn't worked this hard since it tried KCD on ultra.”
  • music26 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received for its energetic and engaging qualities, enhancing the gameplay experience, especially during boss fights. However, many players find the soundtrack repetitive and lacking in variety, often preferring to mute the game and play their own music instead. While the sound effects and music cues are noted to be distinct and well-integrated, there is a consensus that a broader range of tracks would significantly improve the overall auditory experience.

    • “The music really keeps the heart racing; bosses are fun to fight and the weapons just keep ramping up.”
    • “Great soundtrack, cool gameplay.”
    • “The soundtrack and sound effects are well-integrated into the game environment, helping to build a richer and more engaging experience.”
    • “Sounds get old after a while, as does the singular repeating song in the soundtrack, combined with the one for boss fights.”
    • “However, the soundtrack needs much more variation.”
    • “I wish the music was a little less generic rock and was something more unique.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players find it enjoyable and relaxing, appreciating the mindless farming and upgrade mechanics, others criticize it for being repetitive and dull, particularly in the context of meta progression and boss fights. Many users express a desire for improvements to reduce the grind and enhance gameplay variety, especially regarding the final boss encounter and overall progression. Overall, the game caters well to fans of grinding, but it may not appeal to those seeking a more dynamic experience.

    • “The meta progression is quite dull and is purely a matter of grinding bigger numbers, with no option for builds and customizing play style.”
    • “The last boss fight is pretty stupid, requiring you to either spend hours grinding levels, or to run around in pretty exact circles for upwards of 15 minutes, hitting the thing every now and again, like I did.”
    • “The whole fetch quest mechanic of it, solely for the purposes of grinding these basic upgrades is weak.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while the graphics are appealing and the core gameplay is enjoyable, many players experience significant frame rate drops, especially during intense moments with numerous on-screen elements. Despite some users reporting satisfactory performance, the consensus indicates that the game suffers from clear optimization issues that detract from the experience, particularly on higher-end hardware. Improvements are needed to enhance performance and allow for a better field of view.

    • “Graphics are pretty, and most of the game is surprisingly well-optimized, leading to pretty satisfying bug swarm destruction.”
    • “Performance has been fine for me, but maximum swarm size is configurable if needed.”
    • “Minus some optimization issues, it's perfect.”
    • “I had some fun grinding for a few hours, but I did so with the game running at 20 fps or less as performance tanks heavily, even with a low alien count (RTX 2080 / Ryzen 2700X / 16GB RAM installed on SSD).”
    • “The foundation is good, a solid brainless top-down shooter, but I wouldn't recommend it in its current state, since it has clear optimization issues (getting 40 fps on a 2080 Ti / i7 8086K).”
    • “Horrendous optimization!”
  • story7 mentions

    The game's story is largely absent, with players noting a lack of depth and narrative, primarily focusing on bug-slaying gameplay. While the mechanics are enjoyable, many reviewers feel that the addition of a structured story or campaign could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as fun but lacking in meaningful content and narrative development.

    • “There is no story or real reason you are flying around; you just go forth and slaughter bugs or they slaughter you.”
    • “Could benefit from some sort of story/campaign.”
    • “It is not deep; there is no story to speak of, but if you want to kill bugs.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with many users noting that once all bosses are defeated and weapons unlocked, there isn't much incentive to replay. However, some players find enjoyment in the initial experience, suggesting that it may still be worth playing through at least once. One title, "insect swarm," is highlighted as offering good replayability, contrasting with the general sentiment.

    • “I am not sure how much replayability there is at the moment, or how many hours it takes to get to the end, but for now I am having loads of fun!”
    • “Replayability: 'Insect Swarm' offers good replayability.”
    • “Worth it for a short experience as there isn't much replayability, so take your time the first time around.”
    • “Replay value is admittedly very limited.”
    • “Not much replayability after defeating all the bosses and unlocking all weapons.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its great graphics, cohesive art style, and immersive qualities that effectively engage players. However, some reviews note that this strong atmosphere is undermined by bland gameplay and poor AI. Overall, while the visuals contribute significantly to the experience, they are not enough to compensate for other shortcomings.

    • “The art style is cohesive and creates an immersive and unique atmosphere.”
    • “Immersive atmosphere: the game manages to create an immersive atmosphere that keeps the player engaged.”
    • “Controls really well and visuals are atmospheric.”
    • “4/10: Great graphics and atmosphere, but paired with bland gameplay and terrible AI.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game experiences significant stability issues, including frustrating snap lags that disrupt gameplay and can lead to instant deaths. While some users find the bugs in the mech feature tolerable, they express a desire for improvements before fully engaging with the game.

    • “The game has bad snap lags, where something overwhelms the game engine and everything freezes for a moment before snapping back to the present. This can leave you totally disoriented and often results in instant death.”
    • “The 'mech is a bit buggy, but that's okay as it's an option. After playing with it a few times, I'll come back when it's ready.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

6hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
5-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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