Pewt 'em Up!

About

Pewt 'em Up! is a retro inspired arcade space shoot 'em up with lots of upgrades, achievements, extras and more.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 98 reviews

story4 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a surprisingly decent soundtrack and enjoyable music that enhances the overall experience.
It offers a well-balanced upgrade system and multiple difficulty levels, making it accessible for both casual players and veterans of the genre.
As a free-to-play title, it provides a lot of content, including a story mode, endless mode, and reasonable achievements, making it a worthwhile experience.

Some players find the game to be repetitive and lacking in variety, leading to a sense of boredom over time.
There are occasional performance issues, such as frame rate drops during intense bullet hell moments, which can disrupt gameplay.
The game can feel too easy at times, especially with upgrades that make it possible to breeze through levels without much challenge.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring a decent narrative set in space with humor and engaging squad dynamics, though some find it reminiscent of '80s models and anime tropes. Players appreciate the linear plot and the integration of upgrades within the story mode, despite some pacing issues and minor typos. Overall, the story enhances the gameplay experience, making it a worthwhile aspect of this free title.
- “Good story, clean graphics, and the difficulty is just right.”
- “The story and music get the hype going; the squad synergy was well-written, pacing, and all that.”
- “The story campaign is unfortunately anime-ish, or at least anime-adjacent, but not terrible: you are a new cadet in the galactic federation's space forces and get caught up in a campaign against a rogue admiral from the Dvorkian Empire.”
- “The story's pacing is meh.”
- “Upgrading the ship in story mode is a chore.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its catchy and relaxing nature, reminiscent of 80s and 90s synth-pop. The soundtrack is described as outstanding and integral to the game's ambiance, contributing to the story and gameplay enjoyment, despite some opinions on certain tracks being less favorable. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, keeping players engaged and adding depth to the game.
- “The music is great; the little things like the ship tilt influencing shot angle, the slight graphical ship rotation when turning, and enemy turret rotation are all awesome.”
- “In particular, the game has an absolutely outstanding soundtrack.”
- “A beautifully designed game with wonderful music.”
- “Music may be pre-made assets, but it brings an 80/90s synth-pop feel that really fits the game's ambiance.”
- “Aesthetically okay - while not the prettiest in the visuals and some of the songs not to my liking, it's serviceable for what is expected for a free game.”
- “Only thing I would change is the background music, but tastes seem to differ on that.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by simple shooting and upgrading mechanics, making it easy to pick up and enjoy, though it lacks depth and variety, leading to some repetitive experiences. Players appreciate the fun and nostalgic elements, with comparisons to other engaging titles, but express a desire for additional mechanics and content to enhance replayability. Overall, it offers a satisfying experience for casual gamers, especially given its free price point.
- “Nice simple shooting and upgrading mechanics.”
- “This game is the perfect blend of old-school nostalgia and modern day mechanics - but be prepared to lose hours and hours as it is so hard to quit playing.”
- “Simplicity in design delivers repetitive gameplay without more variety in enemies and other space-faring objects.”
- “More mechanics and perhaps a new game+ mode would have expanded on this.”
- “Pewt'em'up is a shoot'em'up that is very simple to get into, as the base gameplay is just moving and shooting (with a special attack that can be unlocked later).”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring clean and simple visuals that evoke a retro aesthetic reminiscent of 80s pixel art. While some players note that the graphics are not the most stunning, they appreciate the attention to detail in animations and character portraits, making it a fitting choice for a free game. Overall, the graphics complement the gameplay and music, creating an enjoyable experience for fans of classic-style games.
- “The music is great, the little things like the ship tilt influencing shot angle, the slight graphical ship rotation when turning, and enemy turret rotation are all awesome.”
- “Pixel graphics accompany a range of synth-pop tracks to give it a retro-inspired look and sound.”
- “The game's graphics are simple but very well done; the portraits for some characters, in particular, are very well drawn.”
- “Aesthetically okay - while not the prettiest in the visuals and some of the songs not to my liking, it's serviceable for what is expected for a free game.”
- “Graphics are what's expected.”
- “Well, it's small, not graphically intensive and it's rather easy to pick up.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The game offers significant replayability, primarily through its endless mode and dynamic levels, which encourage multiple playthroughs. Players can also enjoy various upgrades and unlocks, although some casual gamers may find the requirement for additional playthroughs to access certain features off-putting. Overall, the combination of these elements enhances the game's replay value.
- “The addition of the endless mode adds tons of replayability.”
- “Due to the dynamic nature of the levels, there is some replayability to be had.”
- “While it may put a few people off (mainly those on the casual side locking some decent power behind doing two or more complete playthroughs), it does contribute to some of its replay value at the end of it.”
- “More or less, but the endless mode makes it replayable.”
- “They have different upgrades and bombs, so there is some replayability in this mode.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be a mixed experience; while it includes some grindy achievements and modes that extend gameplay, it is generally considered manageable and not overly excessive. The balance between grind and casual play contributes positively to the game's appeal, making it a solid example of a free-to-play title.
- “Nice time sink, grindy but not too grindy.”
- “Could be a little less grinding in it, but alas.”
- “With its handful of grindy achievements and two that are ultra-grindy, the endless mode provides the basis for the game's longevity.”
- “Not as grindy as it could have been, not as casual as it appears; its all-around good production is the very example of what a free-to-play game should be.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as both clever and self-referential, particularly with a notable moment involving the French ship's invincibility. Players appreciate the story mode's comedic elements, which enhance the overall experience alongside its engaging gameplay features.
- “Lastly, I thought it was particularly hilarious and sort of meta that the French ship's invincibility was acknowledged directly in the story.”
- “It has a story mode with plenty of humor and more asteroids than the Kuiper Belt, actually useful AI companions, upgradable ships, achievements, an endless mode, different difficulty modes, and on top of that, it's free.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is entirely free to play with no in-app purchases, although it includes a donation option for Steam points eligibility. Its small file size of 300 MB makes it an easy choice for players to try without any financial commitment.
- “It's completely free with no in-app purchases (it's listed as having them since there's a donate function that was added so the game will qualify for Steam points items) and is only 300 MB, so there's nothing to lose by giving it a go.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report occasional frame rate drops and stuttering during intense gameplay. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be satisfactory for most players, but there are notable issues that could affect the experience for some.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth performance even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the game mechanics for optimal performance, making every session enjoyable.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that loading times are minimal, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The game struggles with performance issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Optimization seems to be an afterthought, as the game often runs poorly even on high-end hardware.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that severely impacted the overall performance and enjoyment of the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers highlight a diverse atmosphere in the game, featuring both energetic action tracks that elevate the excitement and slower, more atmospheric pieces that enhance immersion and emotional depth.
- “The game masterfully blends faster action tracks with slower atmospheric pieces, creating a captivating soundscape.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing players into its rich and detailed world.”
- “Every sound and visual element contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”