Space Codex

About

"Space Codex" is a challenging top-down shooter with retro pixelated graphics and a chiptune soundtrack. Survive waves of enemy spaceships with unique behaviors while collecting power-ups. The game increases in difficulty, pushing your skills to the limit.

Genres & Tags

Casual

Play Modes

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

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

music22 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Great for achievement hunters, with easy 100% completion in under 20 minutes.
Fun retro aesthetic and catchy soundtrack that evokes nostalgia.
Simple gameplay that is enjoyable for short gaming sessions.

Lacks depth and variety, making it repetitive and boring after a short time.
Technical issues such as no windowed mode and unresponsive controls.
Feels like a copy of better games in the genre, offering nothing new or innovative.

music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
34%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its retro 8-bit style and catchy tunes that evoke classic arcade vibes. However, some users find the soundtrack repetitive or annoying after extended play, suggesting it may not hold up over time. Overall, while the music enhances the game's nostalgic feel, its reception varies among players, with some considering it a highlight and others feeling it detracts from the experience.
- “A fun, little shoot'em up game with brilliant music!”
- “The soundtrack is really good, very reminiscent of old arcade games, and the visuals are nice as well.”
- “Great game for the price, soundtrack is badass and it really does feel like a retro arcade shooter.”
- “The music makes me want to bury myself in a hole.”
- “My only concern is the music; though it is made to emulate 8-bit classic arcade, it falls short, sounding too modern.”
- “What’s worse is, the soundtrack is annoying.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
61%
13%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its basic mechanics and limited variety in enemies and power-ups. While some appreciate the nostalgic arcade feel and smooth controls, others find it boring and unengaging for extended play. Overall, the game offers a quick, casual experience that may entertain for a short time but fails to provide significant innovation or challenge.
- “The game itself has decent music, gameplay, and aesthetics and will keep you entertained for about an hour, maybe.”
- “Space Codex is a nice throwback to old arcade games with some pretty good soundtrack, and a very simple (but fun!) gameplay.”
- “The basic gameplay is simple but pretty solid, and the music is surprisingly good.”
- “Cannot recommend this game; it is something below the demo in real gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is boring.”
- “There aren't enough enemies to make it interesting, and there isn't enough variety in the enemies and power-ups. The mechanics of the game are sluggish and very primitive.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro aesthetic that effectively captures the essence of classic arcade titles, featuring simple yet charming visuals and a vibrant color palette reminiscent of the 80s. However, players have noted the lack of customization options and resolution settings, which limits the ability to enhance the overall graphical experience. Despite these constraints, the graphics are generally well-received for their nostalgic appeal and complement the engaging chiptune soundtrack.
- “The retro aesthetic is captured well in this small title; all the bleeps, boops, etc. are fitting.”
- “It feels retro and modern at the same time, with such graphics and chiptune music.”
- “Good old style arcade game, with good graphics, nice soundtrack, and a fair challenge.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- “Graphically, it is totally uninspired.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's story is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for its arcade shooter gameplay, emphasizing themes of perseverance and unexpected life outcomes. While some players appreciate the fun and well-crafted nature of the game, others note the lack of narrative depth, progression, or cooperative elements.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Really fun game with a lot of side missions, super well made!”
- “The story is engaging and keeps you invested throughout the gameplay.”
- “After all, there's nothing in terms of story or plot (not that it's something bad), since it's more of an arcade shooter.”
- “There is no progression whatsoever, there's no co-op, there's no missions/challenges/anything.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game offers limited replayability due to easy achievements and a lack of competitive elements like leaderboards. While players can experiment with different ships and power-ups for higher scores, the absence of challenging goals diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “Achievements are quick and easy, so the replay value comes down to trying different ships, power-ups, and getting the highest score.”
- “Fun game, but not much replayability, and the achievements are too easy to achieve.”
- “Easy achievements, but not too much replayability.”
- “No leaderboards, which limits replayability to your own score.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs related to alt-tabbing and the Steam overlay, as well as glitches in the UI when achievements are unlocked. Additionally, players report unresponsive controls and a lack of gamepad support, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The UI is generally stable and not buggy, with only a minor glitch in the bottom right corner when achievements are unlocked.”
- “Quite a buggy game as it struggles to maintain stability with alt-tab and the Steam overlay.”
- “Buggy gameplay, unresponsive UI, no gamepad support, and overall poor aesthetics. You likely have at least seven better twin-stick shooters in your backlog that didn't try to sucker you into playing them by handing you a pointless achievement upon first launch.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate that the game is relatively short and does not involve frustrating grinding, contributing to a more enjoyable experience.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found myself spending hours on repetitive tasks just to progress, which really took the fun out of the experience.”
- “The amount of grinding required to level up is frustrating and feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in this retro-style top-down shooter is highlighted by its amusing space battles and nostalgic design, reminiscent of classic 90s computer games. Players appreciate the variety of power-ups, weapons, and ship types, which add a playful and entertaining element to the gameplay.
- “A funny space fight top-down shooter game designed in retro style with lots of power-ups, different weapons, and various ship types with unique characteristics. It reminded me of my first computer games played on an x286 Intel CPU system back in the '90s.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing throughout the gameplay.”
- “I love how the game incorporates absurd scenarios and silly puns that make even the most intense moments feel light-hearted and fun.”