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Red Tether

Red Tether Game Cover
99%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, story
99% User Score Based on 78 reviews

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Red Tether Game Cover

About

Red Tether is a single player tactical shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by sleeper_games and was released on January 18, 2022. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

In "Red Tether," engage in explosive top-down space combat using an indirect system that revolves around tether-harpoons. Experience unique "combat-puzzle" gameplay as you link yourself with opponents, crush vessels, rip off weapons, and outmaneuver fleets. Make split-second tactical decisions to use ships as battering rams and disarm enemies in a changing battle environment.

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Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
Red Tether screenshot
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99%
Audience ScoreBased on 78 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • Red---Tether--> offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience, utilizing a tether mechanic that transforms combat into a physics-driven puzzle, allowing for creative strategies and interactions.
  • The game features a high skill ceiling, rewarding players for mastering its mechanics and providing a satisfying sense of growth and accomplishment as they progress through increasingly challenging waves.
  • Visually appealing with a lo-fi aesthetic, the game combines crisp graphics and immersive sound design, enhancing the overall atmosphere and making each encounter feel dynamic and impactful.
  • The game can feel repetitive over extended play sessions, as the core mechanics are tightly focused around the tether, which may not provide enough variety for some players.
  • Difficulty spikes can be uneven, with certain waves and bosses feeling over-tuned, potentially leading to frustrating experiences for players who haven't optimized their upgrades.
  • The onboarding experience may be challenging for newcomers, as the game provides minimal instruction, which can make it difficult to grasp the mechanics and strategies needed to succeed.
  • gameplay
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "red tether" is centered around a simple yet innovative core mechanic involving tethers that allows players to manipulate enemy ships and the environment with a satisfying physicality. While the mechanics offer depth and a high skill ceiling, some players may find the gameplay repetitive over time, especially if they seek more narrative or expansive worldbuilding. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive, fluid, and intense gameplay loop, enhanced by a variety of upgrades and ship mechanics that keep each run engaging.

    • “There’s a visual and mechanical weight to everything you do, and that grounding in physicality is what makes the gameplay so compelling.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple but incredibly complicated, especially as you get deeper and deeper into the game where more enemy classes are introduced.”
    • “This results in a hectic gameplay loop of using tethers to pull yourself right through the middle of enemy fleets, attaching enemies to one another (or to battlefield debris) before yeeting yourself back out of their weapon's range.”
    • “While the mechanics are novel, they can also feel repetitive after extended sessions.”
    • “For players who crave constant new systems, deeper narrative, or more expansive worldbuilding, the game may feel mechanically narrow.”
    • “There is some meta-progression with small upgrades and even new ships, but it doesn't significantly alter the main gameplay.”
  • graphics
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics feature a polished lo-fi aesthetic that enhances its gameplay experience, with clear visuals and a unique art style that effectively supports the mechanics. Players appreciate the balance between visual effects and legibility, creating an engaging atmosphere complemented by satisfying sound design. Overall, the visuals are described as simple yet effective, contributing significantly to the game's captivating appeal.

    • “Visually, the game embraces a lo-fi aesthetic that punches above its weight.”
    • “The setting and mechanics support each other, and the visuals and sounds are clear and make sense in-universe.”
    • “The visuals may seem simplistic, but are heavily polished and surprisingly clear given the amount of stuff that can end up on screen.”
    • “The graphical effects strike a fine balance between feeling meaty and remaining legible.”
    • “Finally, the graphics are simple but very effective.”
  • music
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and captivating quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience with a great atmosphere and sound design. Players appreciate the combination of a groovy soundtrack and immersive sound effects that complement the action, contributing to the game's replayability and enjoyment. Many reviewers express a desire for a soundtrack list, highlighting the standout tracks that elevate the game's appeal.

    • “If you're looking for a game that gives you a challenge and the satisfaction of successfully destroying countless fleets worth of ships, has great designs and music, then I highly recommend picking up this game.”
    • “Not only is the soundtrack groovin, the environmental sounds are great and provide excellent feedback for your actions.”
    • “Also one thing I would absolutely love is a soundtrack list in the game.”
    • “I know they're all free music, but some are absolutely cooking.”
    • “The music and sound effects are sublime, the gameplay is tight, and there is so much replayability thanks to the range of upgrades, level variety, and boss designs.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse content, skill development opportunities, and engaging gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the variety of upgrades, level designs, and boss encounters, making each playthrough enjoyable and fresh. Overall, it offers a limitless experience reminiscent of classic arcade games, ensuring players return for more.

    • “The game is hugely replayable, thanks to the variety of content and the scope for skill development.”
    • “The music and sound effects are sublime, the gameplay is tight, and there is so much replayability thanks to the range of upgrades, level variety, and boss designs.”
    • “Rundown: a limitlessly replayable asteroids-meets-bionic-commando-meets-bullet-hell action roguelite, in which your attention and reflexes are repaid with sweet, sweet explosions.”
    • “Enter the replayability.”
    • “Rundown: a limitlessly-replayable asteroids-meets-bionic-commando-meets-bullet-hell action roguelite, in which your attention and reflexes are repaid with sweet, sweet explosions.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its distinctive and immersive qualities, enhanced by chaotic yet manageable visuals during battles. The combination of sound and visual design, particularly in tether combat, adds depth and enjoyment, while the overall aesthetic and atmospheric music contribute to a captivating experience. Players appreciate the balance between visual effects and gameplay, allowing for both excitement and skillful navigation.

    • “The atmosphere is distinctive and immersive.”
    • “There can be a lot of visual chaos in battle, but it works in the game's favor - it's atmospheric, adds pressure, and can be managed or avoided with skill.”
    • “Plus, the visuals are super cool - I did have to turn down some of the effects so I could aim better, but it creates a great atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's controls are tight and responsive, but they are primarily optimized for keyboard and mouse use, which may affect the experience for players using other input methods.

    • “The controls, while generally tight and responsive, are clearly optimized for keyboard and mouse.”
    • “The game's performance is impressive, with seamless optimization that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the graphics settings, allowing for smooth gameplay on a variety of hardware.”
    • “Controls, while generally tight and responsive, are clearly optimized for keyboard and mouse.”
    • “The game suffers from significant performance issues, making it frustrating to play.”
    • “There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware.”
  • story
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a surprisingly rich backstory, inspired by the [i]culture[/i] novels, conveyed through data boxes and character profiles tied to ship unlocks. However, as a roguelite, it lacks a cohesive narrative or context for the world, leaving players to piece together the lore independently.

    • “There's even a surprisingly rich backstory, heavily inspired by the culture novels, though unique in its details, told through captured data boxes and character profiles linked to ship unlocks.”
    • “Because the game is a roguelite, there is no story or context for the world you find yourself in.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate that the game emphasizes skill and tactical growth over traditional grinding for experience points, encouraging exploration and learning from failures instead.

    • “It trusts the player to explore, fail, and improve—not through grinding XP, but through actual skill and tactical growth.”
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
4-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Red Tether is a tactical shooter game with science fiction theme.

Red Tether is available on PC, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Red Tether.

Red Tether was released on January 18, 2022.

Red Tether was developed by sleeper_games.

Red Tether has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Red Tether is a single player game.

Similar games include Nova Drift, Steredenn, Galactic Glitch, Orbital Bullet, Blacksea Odyssey and others.