Shardpunk: Verminfall

About

Do you plan your route to reach the stack of boxes shielding you from the two rat snipers on overwatch? Or do you take the sole fusion core in your possession and hurl it at your enemies? You go with the latter and watch core’s powerful charge annihilate enemies that were blocking the way to a door. It’s a door that sadly won't budge. The door needed a fusion core inserted in its ever-hungry socke…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 548 reviews

story19 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Engaging and strategic gameplay that combines elements from XCOM and Darkest Dungeon, providing a unique experience.
Well-designed characters with distinct abilities, allowing for various team compositions and strategies.
Challenging yet fair difficulty that keeps players on their toes, with a strong sense of tension during missions.

Limited replayability due to repetitive mission structures and lack of significant variation in enemy types.
Some characters feel overpowered compared to others, leading to imbalance in gameplay.
The UI can be clunky and difficult to navigate, making it hard to access important information during combat.

story
188 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
87%
3%
The game's story is generally considered basic and underdeveloped, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a driving narrative force. While the setting is intriguing, players often find the plot thin, with minimal character development and repetitive mission objectives that detract from long-term engagement. The dark ending and occasional impactful choices add some depth, but many reviewers express a desire for a more substantial and varied storyline to enhance the overall experience.
- “My path through the story took about 4 tries, with my final crew using a veteran soldier, sword-wielding mechanic, and hardened combat medic who found a fanatical imperial officer and sociopathic gunslinger during their travels through the war-torn city, fitting hordes of ratmen. The final hour of the game was a suitable finale requiring lots of tough choices, plenty of preparation, and more than a little luck.”
- “As the Warhammer IP tends to have a lot of hit and miss releases, this game was a welcome way to transport myself into the world of humans vs. ratmen and build a solid story through experiences along the way.”
- “The story remains the same, of course, but apart from that, the maps and enemy spawns are random, as are the dark events and special encounters.”
- “The story is minimal as far as I've played.”
- “The storytelling and characterization is light.”
- “The game gets boring, fast - my first run is going on about 8 hours and every mission for the last four of those hours feels like every other mission with minimal challenge, threat, creativity, depth or satisfying progression or accomplishment.”
gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
67%
2%
The gameplay of the game is a well-executed blend of XCOM-style tactical combat and Darkest Dungeon-inspired resource management, creating a dynamic and engaging experience. Players appreciate the depth of mechanics, including character progression and strategic decision-making, though some note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, it offers a satisfying challenge with a mix of familiar elements from other successful titles, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
- “The gameplay and worldbuilding are fantastic, and it actually got me to care about my squad (not an easy thing for these games to pull off).”
- “The mechanics are well-thought out; it combines elements from a choice selection of games which came before in a refreshing manner.”
- “The gameplay is addictive and very fun.”
- “Gameplay started to suffer from repetition fairly early on; other than the chapter finale missions, the objective is only ever to reach and unlock the safe house.”
- “The gameplay loop was just the same - mass waves of enemies you mow down, advance a little, more waves.”
- “The gameplay is a bit too shallow and repetitive to compete with the XCOMs and similar games.”
graphics
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro pixel art style that resonates well with fans of tactical turn-based games, evoking a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles. While some players appreciate the unique visual identity and atmospheric design, others express a desire for more detail and higher resolution, noting that the simplicity of the graphics can sometimes hinder gameplay clarity. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and complementing its engaging mechanics.
- “The grimdark pixel art aesthetics combined with simple yet effective animations work perfectly together.”
- “The graphics are perfect for this kind of game/setting in my opinion.”
- “Brilliant squad-based tactical game with a charming steampunk aesthetic that I think any fan of X-COM/Xenonauts and any other similar game might want to at least give a cursory glance.”
- “Main problem is, probably because of the graphics, you can't tell easily what the lay of the battlefield is.”
- “The graphics are pretty bad but most importantly: the fonts are hard to read, info is hard to get and overall the UI makes the game tedious.”
- “A lot more could have been done with the art to put together a better atmosphere and aesthetic for the game.”
music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
44%
6%
The music in "Shardpunk: Verminfall" receives high praise for its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere and immersion, with many reviewers noting its intensity and emotional resonance during gameplay. While some find the soundtrack repetitive, the overall consensus is that the music effectively complements the game's narrative and mechanics, contributing to a memorable experience. However, a few critiques mention that certain sound elements can be annoying, indicating a mixed reception in specific contexts.
- “Shardpunk (or shardpunk:verminfall as it was titled on release) gets a 10/10 for intense tactical turn-based combat, strong narrative drive through showing, not telling, detailed pixel art, and incredible music & sound.”
- “The music and sounds along with the visuals provide an amazing atmosphere, where I'm able to immerse myself in the world to enjoy it.”
- “The intense music really enhances the experience and sends the good stress hormones through the roof.”
- “Sound is decent, but music is subpar at best.”
- “The only downside is the music.”
- “I found the 'percussion' sound for music in tense scenes incredibly annoying.”
replayability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting that while there are unlockable characters and skills that enhance replay value, the linearity of the maps and repetitive gameplay can diminish the overall experience. Many appreciate the variety of characters and playstyles available, which can encourage multiple runs, but some feel that the campaign's brevity and lack of significant changes in settings limit long-term engagement. Overall, while there is potential for replayability, it may not be as robust as in other titles within the genre.
- “Lots of replay value after you unlock new skills and try different roster combinations.”
- “The story is simple and you can run through it pretty quick, but you unlock a lot of new characters, weapon mods, and team skills, so there's lots of replay value.”
- “Despite its rather short campaign (about 5-6 hours on normal difficulty), the wide variety of characters, skills, tactics, quirks, campaign map, and overall types of playstyles give it so much more replayability!”
- “Since you unlock new characters and machines, you do have replay value, but I believe the settings do not change, and you do not unlock 'new' areas after completing a run.”
- “Not that much replayability - it gets a bit samey at the end - but very tense, and surprisingly well balanced (i.e. you tend to be on your toes all the time, but still just manage to barely scrape through).”
- “There is not much replay value, and maps are very linear.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
24%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design, detailed environments, and captivating visuals, which together create a rich and engaging experience. Players appreciate the blend of tension and style, enhanced by a strong soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some feel that the art could be improved, the overall ambiance is described as intense, atmospheric, and enjoyable, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The sound design is snappy and complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
- “The music and sounds along with the visuals provide an amazing atmosphere, where I'm able to immerse myself in the world to enjoy it.”
- “This is complemented by an excellent soundscape and a fantastic soundtrack, which creates a wonderful atmosphere of perpetual tension — which really comes to the forefront in the lulls between combat encounters.”
- “A lot more could have been done with the art to put together a better atmosphere and aesthetic for the game.”
- “It's a pure gameplay experience with no drawn-out cutscenes or dialogue, just atmosphere and turn-based tactical combat.”
- “Lovely pixel art and loads of character and atmosphere!”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to large tactical maps and permadeath mechanics that force them to restart from the beginning. While the game offers more possibilities with each attempt, it often requires repetitive gameplay to reach enjoyable content, and some mechanics can complicate rather than enhance the experience. Overall, expectations play a significant role in how grinding is perceived, with some players appreciating the depth while others find it frustrating.
- “It was tedious from the start, and then I progressed to the next chapter, and the tactical maps got twice as large/long.”
- “Permadeath that sends you back to the beginning of the game makes it a bit tedious; the UI is far from informative and it's a bit sloppy.”
- “Every subsequent attempt has more possibilities but requires tediously repeating the same content over and over again to get to the good stuff.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some users report smooth performance at 60fps and a pleasant experience on the Steam Deck, others note that it lacks optimization in certain areas, particularly with control responsiveness.
- “Controls need tightening for the Steam Deck, but it runs smoothly with no crashes.”
- “Absolutely lovely XCOM-lite game that is wonderfully optimized.”
- “It's also just... not optimized.”
- “Optimization - ran at 60fps for all my partial runs and up to the first act of chapter 2.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with smooth performance on the Steam Deck and fewer bugs compared to similar titles like X-COM. However, some users report occasional freezing when exiting levels, which can be a minor inconvenience.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck and is a fun game.”
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “The game occasionally freezes when you leave the level.”
- “It's less buggy than X-Com, so you can safely play Ironman.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being minimal, with players noting that the narrative prioritizes survival mechanics over deeper character exploration. While the game features appealing music and character design, it lacks substantial story progression and character growth, leaving players wanting more depth in this aspect.
- “The character design is impressive, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
- “The game features well-developed characters that evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel meaningful and engaging.”
- “The inclusion of special events and curveballs in missions enhances character interactions, allowing for dynamic development and strategic rethinking.”
- “Limited story development: while the setting is compelling, the narrative focuses more on survival mechanics, which may leave players desiring deeper character development.”
- “No real character development, or even character exploration.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with some players finding it frustrating and overly complicated rather than genuinely funny. The overall tone is described as dark, contributing to a sense of disappointment in the
- “This game is darker than a black hole's sense of humor.”