Space Grunts

About

Space Grunts is a single player arcade role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Orangepixel and was released on January 12, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

Space Grunts is a turn-based strategy game with pixel art graphics, where players lead a team of space grunts to investigate a mysterious transmission from an abandoned space station. Combat is grid-based, with a variety of weapons and enemies to encounter. The game features procedurally generated levels, adding to its replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay with a low learning curve, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre.
Charming pixel art and engaging sound design enhance the overall experience.
Offers a good balance of strategy and action, with moments that require careful planning and resource management.

Limited replayability and depth, leading to a feeling of having seen everything the game has to offer after a few runs.
Poor user interface and control issues, particularly for keyboard and mouse users, detracting from the gameplay experience.
Some frustrating design choices, such as linear level design and cheap deaths, can lead to unexpected frustrations during play.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The gameplay of "Space Grunts" is characterized by fast-paced, turn-based mechanics that allow players to navigate through levels while clearing enemies. However, many reviewers noted that the gameplay feels somewhat shallow, heavily reliant on item drops rather than player maneuvering, and lacking in early challenge. While the game features charming pixel art and smooth controls, some aspects remain rough around the edges, suggesting room for improvement.
- “Space Grunts is a fun little roguelite with charming and unique pixel art and fast turn-based gameplay.”
- “Butter smooth gameplay with either a mouse/keyboard or from the couch with a controller.”
- “The gameplay loop is that you spawn into a level and you move room to room clearing out baddies.”
- “Unfortunately, this game isn't for me, as I felt the gameplay felt relatively shallow.”
- “This means that your gameplay is pretty much completely defined by the drops you get or don't get throughout a given run.”
- “I didn't find the overall gameplay as exciting as in DoomRL, in particular due to a lack of early challenge and controls I dislike.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The graphics are generally well-received, with many praising the art style and overall aesthetic, though some feel they could be slightly more advanced. While the explosion effects are visually appealing, they lack clarity in conveying damage, leading to some confusion during gameplay. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, despite a few shortcomings.
- “It plays exactly as I imagined, and I love the graphics and art style.”
- “Artwork is pretty great.”
- “Explosions graphics are cool.”
- “It is rather shallow, but that is to be expected. Though the graphics are meant this way, they could be a tad more advanced.”
- “The music is pretty bearable and not at all what you would expect with such graphics.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The music in the game is generally well-received, complementing the vibrant pixel art and enhancing the overall atmosphere. Reviewers note that it effectively supports the sci-fi theme and contributes to the game's charm, making it a pleasant surprise given the graphics. Overall, the soundtrack is described as cool and fitting, adding to the engaging experience of the gameplay.
- “Space Grunts ticks all the right boxes: turn-based combat but still fast-paced; well balanced; sci-fi theme; cool music, and last but not least, gorgeous colorful pixel art.”
- “The pixel art is nice and bold, the music works for the settings, creates some nice atmosphere, coupled with really nice weapon sound effects.”
- “I'm very impressed with the art for the game, the level design, weapon sounds, music, and effects all reek of charm.”
- “The music is pretty bearable and not at all what you would expect with such graphics.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game has mixed reviews regarding replayability, with some players feeling it lacks depth and becomes repetitive after a few attempts, while others find it offers significant replay value. Overall, the consensus leans towards low replayability, as many users feel they quickly exhaust the game's content.
- “Tons of replayability.”
- “Doesn't feel like it has a lot to offer in terms of replayability. After one or two failed attempts, I felt like I'd seen everything the game had to offer, and it wasn't very intriguing.”
- “-2: low replayability.”
- “Doesn't feel like it has a lot to offer in terms of replayability. After one or two failed attempts, I felt like I'd seen everything the game had to offer, and it wasn't very intriguing.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been criticized for experiencing frequent and annoying glitches, which detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- “Annoying glitches.”
- “Annoying glitches.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, as it often requires excessive ammo usage and frequent switching to a limited-use crowbar for cleanup, which disrupts the flow of gameplay.
- “You spend a lot of ammo that way; there's a crowbar, but it has limited uses, and switching to the crowbar every time to clean up a room is tedious.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its bold pixel art and fitting music, which together create an engaging environment. Additionally, the sound effects for weapons contribute positively to the overall ambiance.
- “The pixel art is nice and bold, the music works for the settings, creating a captivating atmosphere, coupled with really nice weapon sound effects.”