Katanaut

About

Katanaut is a single player hack and slash game with horror, fantasy and mystery themes. It was developed by Voidmaw and was released on September 10, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Katanaut is a single-player horror hack and slash roguelite, blending Metroidvania exploration with souls-like combat aboard a sprawling, decaying space station. Players navigate shifting corridors, facing twisted enemies and unlocking abilities through memory fragments, all set to an atmospheric soundtrack and stunning graphics. Each run presents new challenges in this fast-paced, ingenious experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 206 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

Katanaut features fast-paced, satisfying combat that blends melee and ranged mechanics, making every run feel exciting and rewarding.
The game's art style and atmosphere effectively capture a cosmic horror theme, enhancing the overall experience with engaging visuals and sound design.
The developer is highly responsive and actively engages with the community, frequently updating the game and addressing player feedback.

Random room generation can lead to frustrating situations, such as sudden enemy ambushes in tight spaces, which may feel unfair at times.
Some players feel that the game lacks depth in its skill and weapon variety, leading to repetitive gameplay after several runs.
The balance between enemy difficulty and player power can feel off, with normal enemies being too easy while bosses may be overly challenging.

gameplay
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fast-paced, fluid mechanics and engaging combat, reminiscent of titles like Dead Cells and Dead Space, offering a satisfying experience for fans of roguelikes and metroidvanias. While some players note flaws such as stiff movement and a lack of depth in strategy, the overall consensus highlights the addictive nature of the gameplay, enhanced by a variety of skills and upgrades, stunning visuals, and a captivating soundtrack. Despite minor criticisms, many find the gameplay enjoyable and recommend it for those looking for a fun, casual gaming experience.
- “The learning curve is satisfying, and once you find your flow, the gameplay is rewarding.”
- “Fast-paced addictive gameplay, amazing visuals and art style, great music.”
- “The gameplay is fun and addictive in a way that every playthrough is a bit different due to the rogue-lite mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is frustrating, slow, bullet sponge, repetitive, and overly linear, with elements borrowed from games like Smash Bros.”
- “There's some really critical issues with the gameplay that ends up just tanking the whole experience.”
- “The problem is that the gameplay is kind of lackluster because you splash blood everywhere when you kill an enemy and fighting 5-6 enemies means everything is a red blur.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
34%
8%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique blend of pixel art, cosmic horror, and sci-fi aesthetics, evoking nostalgia for classic gaming while delivering a visually striking experience. Reviewers highlight the smooth animations, vibrant art style, and atmospheric design that enhance the gameplay, making encounters feel impactful and engaging. Overall, the game's visuals are described as a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and immersive atmosphere.
- “The graphics are amazing, with a super cool art style and flashy effects that make combat look awesome.”
- “The awesome art style and visuals were the main draw for me: the mix of pixel graphics, cosmic horror, and nice gore is a pretty cool mix all around.”
- “Its simple yet stylish graphics perfectly capture the eerie atmosphere of a decaying space station filled with grotesque.”
- “Pixel graphics and a cyberpunk setting brings me right back to the good old days when games were games and not movies with ray tracing and frames generated by AI.”
- “Let games be games and not darn movies with graphics ready to blow up your computer!”
- “Aesthetically it looks close to Dead Cells, but I don't think it has that much more in common other than being a pixel art game.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric synthwave soundtrack, which complements the eerie sci-fi visuals and enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is both engaging and fitting for the game's fast-paced, cosmic horror theme, although some feel it could better match the intensity of gameplay in earlier levels. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and art design creates a captivating and immersive environment that resonates with players.
- “The pixel-art design is rich and moody, the environment evokes a dilapidated space station in collapse, and the sound/synthwave soundtrack gives the whole experience a strong identity.”
- “The game blends stylish melee combat, eerie sci-fi visuals, and a pulse-pounding soundtrack into something special.”
- “High replayability, an enchanting soundtrack (especially the pianist’s haunting melodies that create a unique atmosphere), and relentless action make Katanaut a must-play for fans of the genre.”
- “Movement is a bit stiff and music (at least in the first couple of levels) does not complement the fast and bloody gameplay (I hope this will change in later levels).”
- “The electronic soundtrack, though understated, reinforces the oppressive atmosphere.”
- “Overall artistic design and music are solid, if a bit generic.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The story in the game is described as short but engaging, with a rich lore that unfolds through exploration and unique interactions across multiple difficulty levels. While some players find the narrative sparse, the subtle storytelling and atmospheric visuals effectively enhance the experience, complemented by intriguing characters and moments that reward attentive players. Overall, the game offers a compelling blend of gameplay and narrative, making it a standout in its genre.
- “Katanauts is a very surprising and well-made game with lots of little story moments.”
- “Visually, it’s gorgeous in that gritty pixel art way, detailed enough to tell a story without spelling it out.”
- “It’s subtle but effective, the kind of storytelling that rewards paying attention.”
- “It also has a lore, but as soon as the story starts being introduced, the game gives you the option to continue in a non-narrative mode.”
- “Decent story.”
- “A bit more levels, story, and diversity in drops would be nice.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its intense and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of cosmic horror and a decaying space station. Reviewers highlight the combination of excellent pixel art, a haunting soundtrack, and a unique cyberpunk vibe that enhances the overall experience. While some feel that the horror elements could be explored further, the game's ability to create a dark, eerie environment keeps players engaged and eager to return.
- “Its atmosphere really captures the cosmic horror theme well, and I felt compelled to find out what happened at this space station.”
- “Not only is the game just oozing atmosphere from every pore, it is also very fun to play and get immersed in.”
- “The atmosphere is intense, but at times it feels like the horror element could have been explored more deeply.”
- “The electronic soundtrack, though understated, reinforces the oppressive atmosphere.”
- “A love letter to 80’s horror and beyond, the environment exudes a dark synth atmosphere and fast flowing combat genre-fans could have only dreamed about in an anime setting.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
8%
25%
The game offers high replayability due to its multiple difficulty levels, unique interactions, and randomized elements that keep each run fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the variety in character customization and meta-progression options, which enhance the overall experience without leading to power creep. Despite its short length, the combination of unlockables, achievements, and a captivating atmosphere ensures players will find themselves returning for "just one more run."
- “The story/maps in itself is short, but there's a lot of replayability since there's 4 difficulty levels, and there's unique interactions and battles that can happen in each run.”
- “The constantly regenerated levels ensure replay value, but above all, it's the countless variations in how you can equip your character that keep the game from getting boring.”
- “A fun horror rogue-like, quite short, but has a fair bit of replayability.”
- “Add to that a vast array of unlockables and achievements, and you have plenty of hours of 'just one more run' replayability.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users express frustration with the prevalent monetization strategies in games, particularly criticizing pay-to-win models, season passes, and gacha mechanics, which they feel exploit players and detract from the overall experience. This sentiment reflects a growing fatigue with cash-grab tactics in the gaming industry.
- “These tired old eyes have glazed over after seeing so many lackluster pay-to-win, season pass, cash grab gacha titles. I gaslight myself into buying them, saying 'not this one, it'll be different.' I'm just tired, boss.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, with constant pressure to spend money to keep up with other players.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be great overshadowed by aggressive monetization tactics that prioritize profit over player experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's optimization is notably inconsistent; while some users report poor performance, others praise its smooth and fluid combat, even on modest hardware. This suggests that while the gameplay experience can be exciting, optimization may vary significantly across different systems.
- “Fast-paced, fluid combat and smooth performance make every run exciting.”
- “Despite its depth, Katanaut runs smoothly even on modest hardware, proving that great gameplay doesn’t need high-end specs.”
- “Remarkably poorly optimized.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its stability, with users reporting no issues, good graphics, and an absence of glitches.
- “The game has no issues; its graphics are good, and I encountered no glitches.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive, allowing for a smooth and uninterrupted experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game runs; I haven't faced any crashes or performance drops.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive at times, suggesting that it can detract from the overall experience.
- “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
- “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
- “While there are moments of grinding, the sense of achievement when leveling up is incredibly satisfying.”
- “The game can feel a bit grindy at times.”
- “Grinding becomes tedious and takes away from the overall enjoyment.”
- “I found myself stuck in a grind loop that felt never-ending.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, enhanced by its unique aesthetic that combines sci-fi and cosmic horror. Players particularly enjoy the exaggerated effects, such as the comical knockback from the shotgun, which adds to the overall comedic experience.
- “Amazing aesthetic blends sci-fi, cosmic horror, and a touch of dark humor.”
- “I love the hilarious amount of knockback the shotgun has!”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a juxtaposition of dark themes, such as committing genocide against Lovecraftian monsters, with a sense of humor and absurdity, leading players to find a unique blend of wholesomeness and moral complexity in their actions.