Second Stellar

About

Second Stellar is a single player action game. It was developed by Pepperlog and was released on December 10, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Second Stellar is a horde roguelike that focuses on engaging gameplay and buildcrafting. Fight through swaths of enemies and powerful bosses as two characters simultaneously, wielding unique weaponry and discovering potent combinations in pursuit of the galaxy's many secrets. Tactics Twofold Cosmic voyages require a powerful arsenal; the Starfarers can draw upon the memories of other world…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 197 reviews

gameplay40 positive mentions

Unique dual-character switching mechanic adds strategic depth and combo potential to gameplay.
Stunning pixel art style and beautiful soundtrack create an engaging and atmospheric experience.
The game offers satisfying and varied combat with meaningful weapon synergies and build diversity.

Currently limited content and story, with early access state leaving some aspects feeling incomplete.
Lack of pause functionality during voyages, and some UI issues including lack of tooltips and resolution problems.
Occasional bugs, balance issues, and awkward or verbose story writing reduce immersion and gameplay fluidity.

gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The gameplay is widely praised for its fun, satisfying, and addicting loop that innovatively expands on the "vampire survivors"-style with a unique dual-character swapping mechanic, adding strategic depth and build diversity. Though still early access with limited content, the combat feels polished and engaging, blending smooth, varied abilities and weapon synergies with challenging moments. Players appreciate the fresh mechanics, replayability, and thoughtful design despite some minor bugs, eagerly anticipating future updates.
- “The combination of giving characters a basic kit of three actions (primary, special, burst), a dash, and a swap mechanic between two characters ups the player expression and build diversity quite a bit.”
- “A vampire slayer-like with character switching mechanic, so the player is building two different characters with different sets of weapons at the same time, while switching one in while the other heals makes for a unique gameplay identity of its own.”
- “The gameplay flow is fun, the out-of-run upgrade systems are straightforward and easy to understand, the characters are close enough in style that no character ever feels mandatory to play or learn, yet different enough that actually learning them still has payoff.”
- “The gameplay does get a little slow and repetitive, especially with the mini bosses, but I think that's to be expected with such an early version.”
- “Given its alpha state, this is no surprise, but some of them are bad enough to affect gameplay, such examples are glitchy weapon VFX, enemies able to take you out when you are picking upgrades, or still able to launch range attacks even if they are already dead, or unable to stop mid-fight because the menu got bugged, etc. There might be more, but these are what I have managed to catch during my playtime.”
- “The swap mechanic is neat but I found myself sticking to one character with the first weapon I chose and going for builds that have the partner attack while not deployed or to simply use their burst move.”
story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The story in the game is generally praised for its intriguing and emotionally engaging narrative, especially by fans of related mods, though it is currently brief and somewhat incomplete due to early access status. While the storytelling is often subtle, delivered through environmental cues and character interactions, some players find the writing uneven or difficult to follow, with occasional typos and clichés. Overall, the story serves as a compelling backdrop that enhances the gameplay and leaves players eager for future updates and expansions.
- “What began as "I'm not sure about this" became a 3 hour session of playing the game to its currently available completion (for the story at least) and being genuinely disappointed that there wasn't more.”
- “While the story remains understated and incomplete at this stage, it serves as an intriguing backdrop that frames the player’s repeated descent into danger as part of a larger mystery rather than a purely mechanical loop.”
- “After beating Stars Above last year I have been extremely hyped to play Second Steller and now that I've beaten chapter 1 I can safely say the hype was worth it. This is one of the best roguelikes I've played in years; this game has been a blast with an amazing story and I can't wait to see how both the game and its story develop!”
- “Nonexistent storytelling and the story itself is kinda just bad although can be interesting.”
- “Thirdly, this might be a hot take from me, but currently the story is not that interesting, the writing feels odd sometimes, and it doesn't really make much sense. Maybe I’m a little bit too critical about this but the story writing right now is terrible. Plus, there are also minor typo errors which I’m uncertain whether I’m an idiot or it's truly wrong; either way, give it a check, and you will see what I mean.”
- “My biggest complaints are probably that the story screen gives no indication it can be moved to see more story to the right of what displays when you open it, leading me to believe I had softlocked myself on story due to leveling my observatory past the apparent next requirement.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
47%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, nostalgic, and energetic soundtrack that enhances the sci-fi atmosphere and complements the gameplay without overpowering it. Many players find the soundtrack deeply meaningful, relaxing, and enjoyable, often describing it as a collection of standout tracks that evoke strong emotions and nostalgia. Overall, the music is considered a major highlight and key factor in the game's appeal.
- “Music is superb, every song is a banger by itself.”
- “The soundtrack leans into energetic, futuristic tones that reinforce the sci-fi atmosphere, keeping players locked into the flow of battle.”
- “Weapon effects provide crisp feedback, enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed through audio cues, and the music underscores the pace of combat rather than dominating it.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The graphics feature a polished retro anime pixel art style that is visually appealing and well-animated, drawing positive comparisons to Terraria mods. Players appreciate the clear, charming character designs and overall presentation, which complement the gameplay and story mode effectively.
- “It's like Vampire Survivors, but as minigame levels rather than an infinite roguelike, and with a great retro-style anime pixel art graphics, and a story mode.”
- “Visually, Second Stellar embraces a refined pixel-art style that balances clarity with flair.”
- “Beautiful art style and character design, great animations, overall nice presentation.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game features beautiful and visually appealing character designs with great animations, contributing to an overall strong presentation. However, it lacks the depth and volume of character development content compared to other games in the genre.
- “Beautiful art style and character design, great animations, overall nice presentation.”
- “I also love the character designs and the music, the developers did a great job.”
- “The game is visually gorgeous, especially with the character designs, and the main gameplay is incredibly fun and quite varied.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability, especially through its voyage gameplay, which is expected to increase with the addition of more levels and unique content. While some characters' abilities feel less distinct currently, ongoing development promises greater variety and depth, enhancing long-term engagement. Overall, fans of the genre find the game highly enjoyable with good potential for replay value.
- “Just focusing on the voyages, the gameplay has a strong amount of replayability and that seems like it will only increase as more levels are introduced.”
- “This is a really fun survivors-like game with high replayability. Plus, I'm a fan of the game because I was a fan of the original Terraria mod.”
- “The game is amazing overall, and there will probably be more replayability as it gets more developed and more unique items and weapons are added.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted through amusing weapon designs and playful fire gimmicks, adding a lighthearted and entertaining element. Players also joke about the game's completion timeline in a fun, tongue-in-cheek manner.
- “Funny weapons with fire gimmicks”
- “Hehe gun funny”
- “It would be funny if this game gets completed before we fight Yharim in Calamity.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect is engaging, with a compelling main plot that balances intrigue and a darker tone toward the end. Players appreciate the thoughtful, wholesome survivor vibe and the strategic decision-making that evokes a sense of cleverness and immersion.
- “The emotional tone and intrigue of the main plot is definitely there too.”
- “Even though I haven't played the Terraria mod yet as of this writing, I wholeheartedly support this wholesome survivors-esque game, though the story is a bit dark at the end.”
- “Constantly swapping out for optimal safety made me feel smart.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is enhanced by an energetic, futuristic soundtrack that effectively reinforces the sci-fi setting and immerses players in the intensity of battle.
- “The soundtrack leans into energetic, futuristic tones that reinforce the sci-fi atmosphere, keeping players locked into the flow of battle.”