Metavaxx

About

Metavaxx is a unique combination of minesweeper and shooter genres, where you develop vaccines by clearing infected cells or eliminating hidden virus agents. Your vaccine's progress depends on the number of healthy or infected cells left at the end of each level. With roguelike gameplay elements, chiptune music, and 25 body samples to cure, Metavaxx offers tight action, strategic thinking, and considerable replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

emotional2 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Creative blend of minesweeper and twin-stick shooter mechanics, offering a fresh take on both genres.
Engaging gameplay with multiple strategies available, allowing for a mix of puzzle-solving and action.
Visually appealing with vibrant graphics and a great soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.

Gameplay can become repetitive and optimal strategies may lead to boredom over time.
Lack of quality of life features, such as the ability to mark cells from the start, can hinder the experience.
The game can be frustrating due to reliance on guesswork and unclear mechanics, especially for players unfamiliar with minesweeper.

gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is described as a fresh and engaging twist on the classic minesweeper formula, incorporating irregular shapes and shoot-em-up mechanics that add depth and strategy. While some players appreciate the blend of puzzle and action elements, others find the lack of cell marking options cumbersome. Overall, the vibrant art style and unique mechanics make it appealing to both puzzle enthusiasts and action gamers.
- “As someone who thoroughly enjoys Minesweeper, this is a fun and fresh new take on the classic game, not only switching up the formula by using irregular shapes for the cells (both literally and figuratively) but also throwing in a shoot-em-up mechanic for when you open a 'trapped cell'.”
- “Punkcake has a real knack for making arcade games that don't require a ton of explanation to start playing, but turn out to have a lot of depth as you keep playing and come to better understand the mechanics and the strategy that emerges from them.”
- “This strategic layer adds depth to the gameplay and encourages players to think critically about their choices.”
- “I don't find it fun having to write down that info outside of the game to keep track of it or just try and remember it, and I can't think of any other minesweeper variant or derivative that doesn't let you mark cells by default, and I don't think making it an item does anything to improve the gameplay.”
- “This aspect can be a drawback for those who enjoy the puzzle element more than the shooting mechanics.”
- “Can ruin gameplay.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game, composed by Hans Zimmer, is highly praised for its immersive quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, complementing the pixel graphics and atmospheric visuals. Players find the soundtrack engaging and impactful, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Absolutely love all the music, and the faux-CRT with the blobby shapes makes it feel like I'm looking at a screen displaying a microscope output or something.”
- “The game’s pixel graphics and atmospheric soundtrack contribute to an immersive experience.”
- “Also, the music slaps.”
- “Why is there music?”
- “The songs are written by Hans Zimmer.”
- “Absolutely love all the music, but the faux CRT with the blobby shapes makes it feel like I'm looking at a screen displaying a microscope output or something.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's pixel graphics and vibrant art style are praised for their immersive quality, creating a visually appealing backdrop that enhances the overall experience. However, some users find it challenging to discern the interactions between game elements due to the art style. Overall, the graphics and atmospheric soundtrack are considered strong points of the game.
- “The graphics and sounds are great.”
- “The game’s pixel graphics and atmospheric soundtrack contribute to an immersive experience.”
- “The colorful and vibrant art style is a standout feature, providing a visually appealing backdrop to the gameplay.”
- “It's really hard to tell at times with this art style how many cells a given cell is touching.”
- “The game's pixel graphics can be confusing and detract from the overall experience.”
- “The art style lacks clarity, making it difficult to navigate the game effectively.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The story aspect of the game receives mixed feedback, with some players noting it as minimal or lacking depth, while others find it engaging and worth paying attention to. Overall, opinions vary significantly, highlighting a divide between those who appreciate the narrative and those who feel it is underdeveloped.
- “A cool story.”
- “What story?”
- “It has a little story.”
- “A story worth paying attention to.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by its art style, which makes it difficult for players to gauge interactions between cells, leading to frustration and mistakes. Users express a desire for visual aids to enhance clarity and reduce errors, suggesting that the current design detracts from the overall emotional experience.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's procedural generation of levels provides a fresh experience with each playthrough, greatly enhancing its replayability and encouraging players to challenge themselves repeatedly.
- “There is a lot of room for replayability and challenging yourself.”
- “The procedural generation of levels ensures that each playthrough offers a new challenge, significantly enhancing the game’s replay value.”
- “So there is a lot of room for replayability and challenging yourself.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, even on high-end hardware such as an i9 10900k and dual RTX 3090s, leading to subpar performance.
- “Despite having a high-end PC with an i9 10900k and dual RTX 3090s, the game is poorly optimized.”
- “The game's performance issues are frustrating, especially given my powerful hardware setup.”
- “Even with top-tier components, the optimization leaves much to be desired, resulting in lag and stuttering.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's pixel graphics, combined with an atmospheric soundtrack, create a highly immersive experience that enhances the overall ambiance.
- “The game’s pixel graphics and atmospheric soundtrack contribute to an immersive experience.”
- “The haunting visuals and eerie sound design create a truly captivating atmosphere.”
- “Every corner of the game world is filled with rich details that enhance the overall ambiance.”