Sky Rogue

About

"Sky Rogue is a rogue-lite action flight simulator where you can customize your aircraft with an array of weapons and engage in combat over procedurally generated islands. The game offers a challenging experience with its immediate accessibility and tough gameplay, providing a wide open space for intense air combat. Join the discussion in the official subreddit, /r/skyrogue."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+12

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,788 reviews

story48 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Fun and colorful arcade aerial combat with a nostalgic feel.
Variety of planes and weapons to unlock, allowing for customization and different playstyles.
Engaging gameplay with a good balance of challenge and satisfaction, especially in dogfights.

Difficulty spikes significantly after early levels, making progression frustrating.
Permadeath mechanic resets progress, which can be discouraging for players.
Limited variety in mission objectives and environments can lead to repetitive gameplay.

story
608 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
87%
5%
The game's story aspect is minimal, with most players noting the absence of a compelling narrative or plot, as missions primarily revolve around straightforward objectives like "destroy X." While the campaign consists of 12 days of procedurally generated missions, the lack of variety in mission types and the repetitive nature of gameplay detract from any potential storytelling. However, the game compensates with engaging arcade-style combat and a robust modding community that allows for custom missions, enhancing replayability despite the simplistic framework.
- “The missions are fun and challenge you to get through as many 'days' as possible.”
- “You’ve been put on a series of missions to take down key opposition targets on your way to some nebulous secret weapon that could spell doom for your faction.”
- “Each mission also presents numerous optional objectives which you can destroy for additional credit towards unlocking the next tech, which can be new aircraft, weapons, or utility items like afterburners and IR flares.”
- “Sky Rogue has just 13 short levels with no story or plot (at least besides 'destroy x').”
- “Unfortunately, the missions get repetitive after a bit, as does the music.”
- “Another thing I didn't expect from Sky Rogue is the absence of a story, or at least some form of story-centered series of objectives within each consecutive mission.”
gameplay
306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The gameplay of Sky Rogue is characterized by a simple yet engaging loop that involves taking off, completing missions, and upgrading planes, with a roguelite structure that encourages replayability. While the mechanics are accessible and enjoyable, some players find the pseudo-RPG elements and checkpoint system lacking, leading to frustration during progression. Overall, the game offers a satisfying arcade-style experience with solid flight mechanics, though it could benefit from more content and polish in certain areas.
- “Very rewarding gameplay, simple to learn with its arcade style controls and difficulty feels like the best 'curve' I've ever seen, levels get harder but at a very smooth rate, with a final boss that is very balanced and gives a fair fight, mixing air to ground and air to air combat.”
- “The gameplay seems simple, but hides a lot of depth; you can fiddle with the loadouts for many different playstyles.”
- “Sky rogue is perhaps best described as 'pick-up and play,' offering just the right amount of bite-sized gameplay in as little as a few minutes per sortie.”
- “I'm just not wild about its pseudo RPG mechanics where you can upgrade equipment, but it only lasts for that playthrough.”
- “The game could be passable with its solid gameplay framework, but with the complete lack of gameplay variety and horrible unbalance, it's not worth anything.”
- “The gameplay itself is quite quirky, something like a '1cc game' where if you die, you lose all your upgrades that you spent some time blowing up for.”
graphics
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The graphics of "Sky Rogue" feature a charming low-poly aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic arcade games, reminiscent of titles like "Star Fox" and early 3D flight simulators. While not photorealistic, the simplistic yet colorful visuals are well-executed, making the game visually appealing and easy to navigate, even on lower-end systems. Overall, the art style is praised for its clean design and retro charm, enhancing the gameplay experience despite its lack of high-end graphical fidelity.
- “Sky rogue is an addictive air combat game with some ace combat vibes, stylized visuals right down to first-person cockpit views for flyable planes ranging from fighters to cargo haulers converted to gunships, and a wide variety of weapons.”
- “The graphics are low poly, but clean and satisfying; sharp notes of primary and secondary colors with a spicy napalm finish.”
- “With gorgeous cartoon visuals to a soundtrack that takes you back, this game’s great if you feel like a quick dogfight, or just flying across a pretty skyline.”
- “The graphics in the preview videos and pictures look cheesy, but once you're playing, you lose that sense of 'cheesy.' Once you get flying, you'll really get into it and not really pay attention to the fact that it's not Ace Combat-level graphics.”
- “The graphics are about on par with late 80s / early 90s.”
- “If it was at least mid-2000s level graphics, it had true takeoff/landing, and more mission variety, it would be a 10/10.”
music
174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic 80s/90s synthwave style, which enhances the overall experience and keeps players engaged. However, many reviewers noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, with limited variety in tracks for different gameplay scenarios. Despite this, the catchy and energizing tunes contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal, making it a memorable aspect for players.
- “The music is also a lot of fun and very energizing.”
- “It's 80's/90's style synthwave music that is beyond words for how pumped up it makes me.”
- “Sky Rogue boasts a pumping retro soundtrack, with some good old 16-bit sounding beats to perfectly highlight the carnage across the skies.”
- “The music occasionally glitches a bit and starts playing over itself too, but neither of these things are deal breakers by any means.”
- “The soundtrack got a little repetitive at times (you can toggle it on/off), but other than that it was a really awesome game.”
- “As much as I love this game, it still really needs some serious polish to actually play well, the difficulty increase is phenomenal, the music and visuals become very repetitive after several hours of play.”
replayability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a variety of aircraft, customizable loadouts, and procedurally generated missions that keep gameplay fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the community-created content and the ability to experiment with different playstyles, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially during sales. While some note that the core missions are relatively short, the overall experience is enhanced by cooperative play and a rogue-lite upgrade system, ensuring plenty of replay value.
- “The customization and procedural generation makes this game infinitely replayable and fun.”
- “Ace Combat expertly distilled to a highly replayable run-based arcade game, with plenty of aircraft and weapons to unlock and upgrade.”
- “Great arcade shooter with great aircraft design, great workshop support, and endless replayability; would recommend to anyone.”
- “I'd get it on sale as there isn't a ton of replayability once you've finished the fairly short sequence of missions (i.e. more random levels but nothing new to see or do).”
- “I bought the game for replayability but I don't think it's for me.”
- “Although it's limited to one set of play, the different types of 'aeros' and weaponry allow for a lot of replayability.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with users reporting smooth performance on various systems, including the Steam Deck and lower-end PCs. While some minor bugs and glitches, particularly in split-screen mode and music playback, have been noted, they are not considered significant enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. Players find it mostly playable and fun, with only occasional hiccups.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Runs great, even on my potato of a PC.”
- “Fun, not buggy or crashy.”
- “The music occasionally glitches a bit and starts playing over itself too, but neither of these things are deal breakers by any means.”
- “Edit: oh and before I forget, split-screen is very buggy.”
- “My only complaints were that the enemy variety is somewhat lacking as you progress through the days, and how split-screen was a tad buggy at first, though through trial and error, we got it working after like 20 minutes (with no problems since).”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The game's optimization is generally praised, allowing it to run smoothly at 60 fps even on low-end hardware, with good performance and minimal impact on visuals. However, it suffers from a Unity physics tick issue that causes stuttering at frame rates above 60 fps, although it maintains stability under 144 fps. Overall, the developers have effectively addressed performance concerns, leading to a lightweight and enjoyable experience.
- “Regardless of the mod support, added content, increased challenge, and insane optimization that allows this game to run at a smooth 60 fps on a $60 hunk of scrap is astounding.”
- “Normally, Unity games kick the fan on your machine quite hard, but this has been coded well to run smoothly.”
- “It looks great and doesn't seem to impede performance too much.”
- “When you inevitably die, you gain tech points based on your progress and performance, which can then be used to unlock new weapons and planes.”
- “When you inevitably die, you get to spend your tech points based on your performance.”
- “When you inevitably die, you get XP based on your performance.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
The grinding aspect of the game is described as somewhat tedious but not excessively so, with players noting that while it doesn't take long to unlock everything, the process can feel repetitive, especially when upgrading aircraft. Some players appreciate the sense of progress, while others find the loss of upgrades upon dying frustrating. Overall, the grinding is manageable and does not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “You start out with nothing but some basic weapons and a starter plane, and you're expected to kill enemies to get tech points, die, then use those points to unlock research, in an odd manner of grinding.”
- “Also, if you don't like the idea of grinding to upgrade your aircraft, and then lose that progress when you are shot down, or in my case kamikaze into a blimp, then this game may be a little frustrating since that's a part of the game.”
- “It was tedious destroying land and sea targets at first, especially when I wasn't facing any opposition from the air, but I soon learned how to destroy them efficiently, and to switch back and forth between air and land targets, and it wasn't so much of a problem.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is a nostalgic throwback to the 90s, enhanced by fluid framerate, excellent controls, and immersive audio, creating a sense of realism in flight. While the gameplay can be unforgiving, particularly during bombing runs, the overall experience feels authentic and engaging, reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles. Players appreciate the lack of cutscenes, allowing for continuous action in a richly designed environment.
- “The 16-bit throwback made me feel like a child again playing a SNES Ace Combat game that I never had... and boy... they hit every note right. It is atmospheric of a time where these kinds of graphics using the Mode 7 chip were top of the line... it's like I am in the 90s again.”
- “The fluid framerate, excellent controls, and atmospheric audio all combine to make this a game that you will be coming back to again and again.”
- “The atmosphere is very unforgiving at times - if you've spent ten levels meticulously blowing up all kinds of stuff to get cash, upgrading like crazy, and then while you're going in for a bombing run against, say, a boat or something, and you simply fail to pull up fast enough... you're going to blow up, no questions asked.”
- “Battles are restricted to the atmosphere, and take place on islands, which allows enemies to defend in the land, sea, and air.”
- “The flight feels good, realistic, natural... (except for when you stall - it feels a little like you get 'tossed' into a stall sometimes rather than just stalling out - but not to the degree that it spoils the atmosphere, to be honest.)”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, reminiscing about the nostalgia of 16-bit graphics reminiscent of their childhood. The atmosphere effectively transports them back to the 90s, evoking feelings of joy and excitement despite some gameplay issues. Overall, the game is seen as fun and addictive, with the potential for a deeper emotional impact as players engage with it further.
- “The 16-bit throwback made me feel like a child again playing a SNES Ace Combat game that I never had... and boy... they hit every note right... it is atmospheric of a time where these kinds of graphics using the Mode 7 chip were top of the line... it's like I am in the 90's again.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical tone, with players enjoying the absurdity of flying comically designed planes in an arcade-style flight simulator. The modding community contributes to this humor by creating amusing and outlandish aircraft, enhancing the overall playful experience.
- “Funny little arcade flight simulator for fights between bigger games :)”
- “Sky Rogue has a modding community that seems fairly talented and dedicated to making up some ridiculously cool or funny looking planes.”
- “That is do you, the reader with the funny eyebrows and the tendency to rudely throw a writer off his train of thought, like to blow stuff up?”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Sky Rogue prioritizes gameplay over character development, offering a straightforward experience without deep or complex narratives. Players should not expect significant character growth or introspection within the game.
- “Sky Rogue doesn't need to impress you with deep, introspective character development or a complex narrative.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features a straightforward monetization model with no microtransactions or downloadable content (DLC), resulting in a drama-free experience for players.
- “It has no microtransactions, no DLC, no drama.”

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10h Median play time

62h Average play time

2-232h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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