Space Gladiators

Starting at $3.85Buy now

Space Gladiators is a pixelated, action-packed game where you fight to escape the alien prison of Tartarus. Choose your gladiator, engage in brutal combat, and utilize a variety of weapons and abilities to survive. With procedurally generated levels and permadeath, each playthrough offers a new challenge in this homage to classic arcade games.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 148 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features fluid combat and movement, making it enjoyable and engaging to play.
There is a wide variety of items and characters, allowing for diverse builds and playstyles.
The art style and humor add charm to the game, making it a fun experience overall.

The game suffers from bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as enemies not spawning or doors not opening.
Some players find the item selection to be lackluster, with many items feeling weak or uninteresting.
The difficulty can be steep, with some bosses and enemy attacks being non-telegraphed, leading to frustrating moments.

graphics
18 mentions
56 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and hand-drawn art style that some players find appealing, while others feel it can be simplistic or difficult to interpret during gameplay. Overall, the visuals are praised for their fluidity and originality, with a mix of humor and a distinct aesthetic that resonates well with many players. Despite some mixed feelings about the art style, the graphics are generally regarded as a strong point of the game.
- “The graphics are great.”
- “Love the graphics, music is awesome and can't wait for the next releases from this team.”
- “The art style is extremely original with an almost hand-drawn feel to it.”
- “The art style is also a turnoff for me; I'm sure some people like it, but it's just not my thing.”
- “Honestly, no complaints, other than the art style sometimes making it difficult to understand what's going on.”
- “It's basically a Hollow Knight roguelite with the art style of Isaac, I guess.”
gameplay
15 mentions
40 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is fast-paced and mechanics-driven, drawing comparisons to titles like Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, with a focus on intuitive controls that are easy to learn but challenging to master. Players appreciate the short tutorial, variety in enemies and rooms, and the addictive, polished gameplay loop that encourages replayability through randomized items and character synergies. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics, simplistic yet appealing graphics, and a soundtrack that enhances the experience, despite some average sound effects.
- “The mechanics are just fun, and there are a lot of characters and items to make each run feel different.”
- “Once you get good, the game really starts to shine, and you begin to understand and appreciate the mechanics behind everything.”
- “This game is amazing and underrated; if you enjoy the gameplay of Hollow Knight and the difficulty, item synergy, gameplay loop, and replay value of Binding of Isaac, you will love this game.”
- “It is very mechanics driven with fluid controls that are easy to understand but hard to master.”
- “All mechanics are explained very clearly via tooltips, which makes sense because items will also have randomized stats and effects in addition to their default effects.”
- “The gameplay is very similar to that of Dead Cells with a fun and humorous art style more akin to Castle Crashers.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and creativity, featuring quirky elements like a "poop" item and amusing character designs. Players appreciate the blend of funny visuals and engaging gameplay, likening its comedic style to that of popular titles like Castle Crashers. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the experience, making it both entertaining and memorable.
- “It's charming, hard, funny, and bursting with creativity and careful considerations.”
- “The game also has a good sense of humor.”
- “Such a funny game and amazing that was created by one person!”
music
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its quality and ability to set the mood, with many users describing it as "awesome" and "groovy." While some noted that the sound effects could be average and suggested a desire for more variety, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience significantly.
- “Love the graphics, music is awesome and can't wait for the next releases from this team.”
- “The sound design is comical and unique, the music is groovy, and the action is consistently enjoyable, if a little stressful.”
- “The music does a very good job at setting the mood, and overall there isn't much I can really say negative about the game.”
- “The sound effects and music might be a bit average, but nothing smooth gameplay won't mitigate.”
- “Could use some more music and level design variety.”
replayability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game offers medium replayability, enhanced by distinct characters that promote varied play styles and a compelling gameplay loop reminiscent of titles like Hollow Knight and Binding of Isaac. With its current early access status, players are optimistic about future updates further increasing replay value.
- “This game is amazing and underrated even at 97% positive at the time of writing this; if you enjoy the gameplay of Hollow Knight and the difficulty, item synergy, gameplay loop, and replay value of Binding of Isaac, you will love this game.”
- “There's already so much replay value, and with the game only in early access, I'm beyond excited for future updates.”
- “You can probably expect medium replayability for this type of game.”
- “The existing characters feel very different from one another and encourage different play styles, which adds to replay value.”
- “There's already so much replay value and with the game only in early access, I'm beyond excited for future updates.”
story
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is ambiguous, with some users questioning its existence despite praising the graphics and gameplay. Overall, it appears that the narrative is either minimal or unclear, leaving players uncertain about its significance.
- “There is no story to speak of.”
- “The game lacks any meaningful narrative.”
- “The storyline is completely absent.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy in the game is heavily criticized, particularly for its reliance on intrusive ads during boss fights, which detracts from the overall experience. Players feel that the difficulty spikes and the need for excessive healing builds are exacerbated by these ads, leading to frustration with the game's design.
- “Later bosses rely too much on annoying ads (little enemy spawns), and their stats are so large that you learn you need to make a build with a ton of healing in some way.”
- “Why are we fighting this overpowered, cheating character with ads as the last boss?”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to complete it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding for minimal rewards.”