Intake

About

Intake is a single player action game. It was developed by Cipher Prime Studios and was released on November 6, 2013. It received very positive reviews from players.

Intake is the new retro-futuristic drugstep arcade shooter from Cipher Prime. In this polychromatic love child of Dr. Mario and Ikaruga, you battle a never-ending barrage of pills, pushing your skill and reflexes to the limit to avoid a lethal dosage. Blast and combo your way through an epic cascade of audiovisual mayhem so intoxicating it comes with its own warning label.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 279 reviews

music40 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

music
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The game's music is a fast-paced, dubstep-heavy soundtrack that fits well with its intense, twitchy gameplay and vibrant visuals, creating an addictive and immersive experience. However, the soundtrack is limited to only a few tracks that can become repetitive and polarizing, leading some players to prefer muting the in-game music and playing their own. Despite this, the high-quality, energetic beats and unlockable music ties strongly into the game's upgrade and progression system, making it a core part of the appeal for many players.
- “While the theme is purposely goofy and the EDM soundtrack not to everyone's taste, Intake is very polished, paced and balanced just right, and ultimately way more fun than it has any right to be.”
- “Fantastic music, stylish visuals and incredibly engaging gameplay loop make this one of very few games that I keep installed on my PC at all times.”
- “From its sharp, modern rave club color palette and interface to its dubstep music and clean, non-intrusive sound profile, Intake leaves you immersed in an exciting experience.”
- “Also, the 'cheer' part of the soundtrack gets old real fast.”
- “The music selection however is not very good in my books.”
- “The lack of music tracks is what brings it a little down in grade as you only got 1 song and 2 unlockable songs, which are about 30 secs long and then repeated. I find myself just playing one of my own songs in a browser or media player and playing the game without music.”
gameplay
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by simple, fast-paced, and addictive mechanics centered around shooting and breaking colored pills before they reach the bottom, with progressively increasing difficulty and varied challenge levels that keep it engaging. While visually intense and accompanied by dynamic music that enhances the experience, some find the gameplay repetitive but still rewarding and compelling, offering a satisfying arcade-style reflex challenge. Overall, its minimalist design combined with strategic upgrades and energetic audiovisuals make for a highly enjoyable and lasting gameplay loop.
- “This makes what would otherwise be minimalist gameplay become surprisingly varied instead, doubly so as challenge levels with various gimmicks are occasionally introduced into your run every 5 or so levels.”
- “Fantastic music, stylish visuals and incredibly engaging gameplay loop make this one of very few games that I keep installed on my PC at all times.”
- “The more pills you destroy in a row, the bigger the bonus, and the more rounds you get through, the more intense the gameplay becomes as the game throws combinations of "attacks" at you.”
- “Presentation is vivid and dynamic but gameplay is pretty much shallow.”
- “It sports hype-inducing visual and sound effects to keep you interested, but gameplay itself becomes repetitive after many levels.”
- “Gameplay wise, this is one of those titles you leave installed forever but only play in short bursts for 15 minutes here and there.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The game features vibrant, stylish, and colorful neon graphics that are widely praised for their aesthetic appeal and seamless integration with the energetic soundtrack. While visuals are generally sharp, clean, and engaging, a few users noted minor issues like cursor color visibility and letterboxing. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the fast-paced, immersive arcade experience and are considered a standout aspect of the game.
- “Beautiful graphics -- easily one of the best-looking games in the arcade genre.”
- “The bass drops are sick and in sync with what's happening in gameplay, the colors and graphics are fantastic, and the in-game "drug store" makes upgrades and personalized experiences worth it!”
- “Graphics are sharp and bright colored and the interface is, for a lack of a better word in my limited vocabulary, classy.”
- “Confusing graphics options in the launcher.”
- “I have no idea what is more or less graphically intensive.”
- “About the graphics: they do their job.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
27%
20%
The game offers high replayability, especially for fans of arcade-style, score-driven gameplay, with addictive mechanics and a rewarding perk system. While it may lack narrative depth for those seeking story-based experiences, its challenging nature and engaging visuals make it enjoyable and infinitely replayable for many players.
- “Infinitely replayable (or almost).”
- “It's also just challenging enough, which gives it nigh-infinite replayability.”
- “Perk system gives great replayability.”
- “Doesn't have much replay value though.”
- “Length / replay value = 5”
- “Being a throwback to the days of arcade games where the only objective was a higher score, there is little replay value for those who prefer storylines or need some sort of ending.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The game largely lacks a traditional story, focusing instead on arcade-style gameplay and high scores, which may disappoint players seeking narrative depth. Some users appreciate its simple, challenge-driven nature, while others find the absence of story irrelevant or even a positive aspect. Overall, the experience is seen as casual and entertaining without narrative commitment.
- “It's got a great story.”
- “Thankfully the threshold of success is maintained rather low and the music is upbeat so you can reasonably be expected to afford something from the ingame story with the ingame scorecoins.”
- “It's challenging and a bit punishing at times, but overall it's an awesome way to kill time if you're waiting for your younger siblings to get out of the shower but know you don't have time to commit to a mission or multiplayer match.”
- “This game has no story.”
- “0 (no story).”
- “Being a throwback to the days of arcade games where the only objective was a higher score, there is little replay value for those who prefer storylines or need some sort of ending.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is lighthearted and charming, with funny moments arising from gameplay mishaps and clever in-game text. Players appreciate the witty flavor text on power-ups and humorous touches like playful banners, contributing to an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
- “The controls are simple but in faster moments, they can get confusing - leading to hilarious moments where you're sitting there slapping yourself for pressing space to switch colours 1 second too early.”
- “I saw the "winners don't do drugs" banner at the start and thought it was funny (I had no idea what the game was about). I started playing and couldn't help but laugh.”
- “You can really tell with the available settings, options, and unlocks that the developers really cared about this game and took the time to polish all the edges - even the flavor text for your power ups has funny little quips that fit the theme of the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game for its unique and engaging atmosphere, highlighting its vibrant visuals and enjoyable, immersive flow that make it a fun and captivating experience.
- “This game has an atmosphere like no other.”
- “Nice little timewaster game with a fun atmosphere.”
- “Great, vibrant visuals and flow/atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game to have a significant amount of grinding, which can impact the overall experience by making progression feel repetitive and time-consuming.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate that the game has no DLC or microtransactions, highlighting a monetization approach free from additional paid content.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers an engaging and captivating emotional experience with a story that keeps players interested and avoids any dull moments.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization includes simple default controls with mouse aiming and basic clicks for actions, while also allowing key rebinding through the launcher, which can enhance user performance and comfort.