Section 13

Blackout Protocol, despite being in early access, is already an incredibly fun game to play, with the caveat that you have two friends to play with or don’t mind playing with random strangers online. If you’re a solo player, you might want to look elsewhere.

71%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

grinding, optimization

75% User Score Based on 354 reviews

Critic Score 62%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $5.44

Buy NowGet on Steam €12.67 Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

Section 13 is a single player and multiplayer survival shooter game with a thriller theme. It was developed by Ocean Drive Studio, Inc. and was released on May 26, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Unravel a thrilling sci-fi mystery in this action-packed twin-stick roguelite shooter. Select your load-out, stack up temporary and persistent upgrades, and delve into the depths of a sinister, shifting, subterranean base in the midst of an interdimensional crisis.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+12

Skip User Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 354 reviews

gameplay40 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

The game has a solid foundation with engaging gameplay mechanics and a fun cooperative experience, especially when played with friends.
Recent updates have improved the game significantly, adding new features and addressing community feedback, which shows the developers are responsive to player concerns.
The art style and atmosphere are appealing, and the game offers a unique blend of roguelike elements with tactical shooting.

The game has undergone significant changes that have shifted its focus from a tactical co-op experience to a more action-oriented single-player narrative, which has disappointed many players.
There are numerous bugs and balancing issues, particularly with difficulty scaling, making solo play frustrating and often unmanageable.
The removal of certain gameplay mechanics, such as limited ammo and tactical decision-making, has led to a less engaging experience for players who enjoyed the original concept.

gameplay
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The gameplay has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the solid mechanics, engaging combat, and fun roguelike elements, while others express disappointment over recent shifts away from tactical co-op gameplay towards a more single-player focus. Many highlight the game's difficulty and the need for balance adjustments, alongside concerns about bugs and repetitiveness. Overall, while the core gameplay loop is seen as enjoyable, it suffers from inconsistencies and a lack of polish that detracts from the experience.
- “Great gameplay (shooting and movement feels really good).”
- “The gameplay loop has been adjusted several times now in the short amount of time the game has been out and each change has been for the better.”
- “Overall the gameplay is great.”
- “This slow and tactical co-op shooter looked promising until they removed the slow and tactical co-op gameplay from the shooter.”
- “Now with their newest announcement and rebranding, they have completely spun away from the gameplay and difficulty that I bought this game for.”
- “This would have been a nice game, but the three issues up top: boring repetitiveness, single-player imbalance, and too-grindy progression make the gameplay loop too much of a chore and absolutely un-fun.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players feeling that the narrative focus detracts from the core gameplay experience, which was originally designed as a challenging co-op roguelike. Critics argue that the story elements are unnecessary and that the shift towards a narrative-driven single-player experience alienates the game's original audience. Overall, players seem to prioritize gameplay mechanics over story, suggesting that the narrative could be simplified or even skipped entirely.
- “This game is kind of like an alien shooter with a cooperative story mode.”
- “Only the one 'mission' at the moment, but the map has multiple paths and which path you take is randomly determined at the start of the mission, so it feels different each time.”
- “From the new demo, the new hub area is quite nice, but beyond that, the new story parts are completely unnecessary.”
- “Bought for the coop aspect, this same story has been repeated before - see Liberdade (great coop roguelike, changed into single player slop).”
- “Just don't focus too much on the story in the future, it's the least important thing and I don't think many people care.”
- “It's because they decided a year after making their fun, challenging coop roguelike game public, then pulling a massive 180 focusing on the narrative, story-driven singleplayer experience, pandering to a group of people who weren't going to buy the game anyway because they thought the game was 'too hard'.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
19%
12%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with many players praising the clean art style, beautiful visuals, and unique camera perspectives. While the overall aesthetic is appealing and fits well within the roguelike genre, some users expressed a desire for improved graphical fidelity and more UI options. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, especially for an early access title.
- “Amazing visuals, great sound, unique camera perspective changes and a great rogue gameplay.”
- “Beautiful graphics, effects and sounds.”
- “It feels like a completely different game with just the art style remaining.”
- “Would like more graphical fidelity and for the UI to be more tightened up, or given more accessibility/UI options (ammo count under panic gauge).”
- “Loving the graphic style of the game, always drawn to the rough-like titles and this one scratches my gaming itch very well.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game. While some enjoy the process of collecting blueprints and upgrading their characters, many find it tedious and overly repetitive, with spongy enemies that detract from strategic gameplay. The reliance on RNG for blueprint farming and the grind-heavy progression system have led to frustration, making the overall experience feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “Single play is slow, tedious, and kind of brutal.”
- “This would have been a nice game, but the three issues up top: boring repetitiveness, sp imbalance, and too-grindy progression makes the gameplay loop too much a chore and absolutely un-fun.”
- “Blueprint farming is such a RNG drag and only spawns after the 3rd level.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
12%
75%
The game's optimization is generally effective for 3-player co-op, providing a fun and varied experience based on team composition. However, players report significant stuttering issues that can feel like impending crashes, and the game is poorly optimized for solo play, leading to frustrating gameplay where solo players are overwhelmed by enemies.
- “The game is definitely optimized for 3 player co-op, and co-op feels very fun as you can have different experiences depending on your team composition.”
- “Stuttering as if going to crash.”
- “This game is not optimized for solo play, and you as a solo player will be swarmed and killed by enemies in an endless cycle of death that isn't fun.”
- “No tinkering with minor stuttering, but fun nonetheless.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game currently suffers from a lack of depth and replayability, with players expressing a desire for additional features like leaderboards and new maps to enhance the experience. Many believe that these additions could significantly increase the game's replay value and overall enjoyment.
- “On another note, it lacks any depth, replayability, or people to play with.”
- “I reckon it could turn out to be one of my favorite games of all time if things get added to aid replayability.”
- “But once leaderboards and new maps are added, all of a sudden maybe a hugely replayable challenge will be there, and that's when this game can start fulfilling its potential.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game, currently in early access, is praised for its appealing atmosphere and visuals, effectively capturing the intended mood. However, some reviewers note that it prioritizes aesthetics over gameplay functionality.
- “It nails the atmosphere and looks, creating an immersive experience.”
- “The game currently in early access has a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “Nails the atmosphere and looks, but is completely form over function.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly enjoying the comedic potential of friendly fire during multiplayer sessions. The top-down perspective enhances the fun, making interactions with others even more entertaining.
- “The humor in the game is fantastic, especially with the friendly fire mechanics that lead to hilarious moments with friends.”
- “Playing with others adds a layer of fun, and the friendly fire just makes everything even more amusing.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a high level of stability, noting that the game is largely bug-free and functions well during cooperative play. While some find the gameplay repetitive, it still offers unexpected elements that enhance the experience.
- “Can't recommend this enough! Great price and co-op. As far as I've seen, it's bug-free, repetitive but keeps surprising you with something new, and there are no microtransactions.”