Steredenn: Binary Stars

About

Steredenn: Binary Stars is an expanded version of the award-winning shoot 'em up game, Steredenn, offering infinite replayability through intense boss fights, randomly generated environments, and a vast arsenal of weapons. Play solo or with a friend in local co-op mode, choosing from 5 playable ships, each with unique abilities. The game provides quick, intense sessions featuring rock-hard boss battles that will keep you coming back for more.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+11

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,176 reviews

music267 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Beautiful pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
The game offers a high level of replayability with randomized levels, weapons, and upgrades.
Challenging but fair gameplay encourages players to learn enemy patterns and improve their skills.

The difficulty can be punishing, especially for new players, leading to frustration.
Some weapons and upgrades feel underpowered or situational, making runs feel reliant on luck.
The lack of permanent progression or checkpoints can make it tedious to restart after dying.

music
446 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its heavy metal and electronic influences that perfectly complement the fast-paced gameplay. The soundtrack is described as energetic, catchy, and capable of enhancing the overall gaming experience, making it a standout feature that keeps players engaged. However, some users noted that the music can become repetitive over time, and there is a desire for the soundtrack to be available for purchase separately.
- “The music is amazing, the upgrades and combination effects they have on each other, the enemies and bullet hell bosses are brilliant.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, probably one of my favorite video game OSTs.”
- “The music is serious headbanging material and exhibits all of the signs of a classic STG soundtrack, from the ominous and slow building synth-heavy title screen to the energetic and adrenaline pumping guitar riffs during the heat of battle.”
- “First of all, the music and sound effects are just awful for this game.”
- “The only flaw with the audio of Steredenn is that there's no soundtrack to buy on Steam, which it entirely deserves.”
- “Personally, I prefer to turn the game music off and just play something else in the background (perhaps a selection of songs from Deus Ex: Human Revolution, or Blade Runner 2049, or Velocity Ultra).”
graphics
276 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The graphics in "Steredenn" are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style, vibrant colors, and consistent aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the nostalgic 16-bit feel, likening it to classic titles while noting that the visuals effectively convey action even amidst chaotic scenes. However, some critiques mention that the retro graphics may not appeal to everyone, with a few finding them simplistic or outdated. Overall, the game's graphics contribute significantly to its charm and replayability.
- “The graphics are top notch and the hidden levels and bosses all add to the experience.”
- “Stereddens is a fun roguelike shmup with beautiful pixel graphics.”
- “The graphics have a great retro feel, while still being better than any 16-bit computer/console could have ever produced.”
- “Unfortunately, the choice to use lazy retro pixel graphics makes it impossible to recommend; the game just looks too ugly. It's 2017, let pixel graphics die.”
- “I also really just don't like the feel or look of the weapons, and the game has kind of a bland aesthetic in general.”
- “The graphics don't help at all.”
gameplay
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
55%
1%
The gameplay of Steredenn is a mix of engaging bullet-hell mechanics and roguelike elements, offering a smooth and addictive experience with a variety of weapons and ship options. While many players appreciate the game's challenging yet fair design, some criticize the random weapon system and lack of enemy diversity, which can detract from overall satisfaction. Overall, the game is praised for its tight controls, impressive pixel art, and a heavy metal soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
- “With a variety of ships each with a distinct feel and just enough weapons/upgrades to create meaningful gameplay variety, choices, and synergies, Steredenn absolutely nails the perfect balance between simplicity and depth.”
- “The roguelike mechanics, randomized bosses and environmental obstacles, and even the metal soundtrack all drive you to want to take one run after another for hours on end.”
- “Most importantly, the core gameplay is quite enjoyable, thanks to really tight controls, tons of fun and varied weapon types, great pixel art style and glorious metal soundtrack.”
- “After several hours of gameplay, I felt I progressed very little and became bored with the game.”
- “The non-sensical damage resistance mechanic gets more detrimental the deeper you get into the game, and it goes from being an annoyance to an abject frustration.”
- “If the game relied more on skill and understanding of the (little, but simple) mechanics/patterns rather than getting lucky with weapon drops and boss encounters, I would have kept my purchase.”
replayability
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its roguelite mechanics, which feature procedurally generated levels, random enemy encounters, and a variety of unlockable weapons and ships. Players appreciate the game's addictive nature, allowing for quick, engaging sessions and daily runs that enhance its longevity. Overall, the combination of challenging gameplay, diverse content, and frequent updates contributes to a virtually endless replay value.
- “The replay value is what puts this game in the highest of ranks for me, with daily runs to see how you fare against other players. You can boot this game up just a few minutes a day and easily see your playtime become worth the price of admission.”
- “Enjoy the infinite replayability of the game with its unforgiving gameplay, intense boss fights, (almost) randomly generated environments, twisted space events, and a surprisingly large arsenal of weapons.”
- “This game has the replayability that you would expect from any roguelike worth its salt, while still generating levels that feel full and well designed.”
- “The levels and upgrades are entirely randomized, which adds a degree of replayability, but can also make it very unfair.”
- “Additionally, the game's aforementioned scoring system feels pointless, because since the game is procedural, your score is also going to be randomized regardless of how good you are, so it does little to increase the replay value.”
- “The game is difficult, so prepare to die a lot, but this game also has a lot of replay value.”
story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
83%
7%
The game's story is minimal and often described as lacking depth, with most players noting that it consists mainly of a brief introduction without further development. While some enjoy the straightforward plot and subplots, many express a desire for a more substantial narrative experience, feeling that the current story detracts from immersion. Overall, the gameplay and aesthetics are praised, but the absence of a compelling story leaves players wanting more.
- “The plot is quite straightforward too and there are a number of subplots with enjoyable archetypes to be discovered.”
- “Story included here is of 'blink and you'll miss it' variety, but from the moment your base ship gets blown up by a mysterious enemy to that final showdown, action never relents in the slightest.”
- “One of the better shoot 'em ups available on Steam, making full use of the screen, a solid implementation of the basic bullet hell shmup gameplay elements and a fair storyline.”
- “The game has no real story outside of the tutorial level.”
- “Putting a massive roadblock in the story just pulls me right out of the immersion and destroys the whole thing.”
- “I kind of wish it had a story or that there was a larger game with the same graphics and mechanics, like an open world space thing.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The atmosphere in Steredenn is characterized by a rebellious and gritty space vibe, enhanced by a punchy remastered soundtrack and heavy metal influences that create an intense experience. Players appreciate the game's fantastic graphics and audio, which contribute to a nostalgic yet unique arcade feel, while the combination of tight controls and high-impact action keeps the gameplay exciting and engaging. Overall, the atmosphere is described as immersive and user-friendly, drawing players into its chaotic yet enjoyable world.
- “This rebellious and gritty space trash vibe combined with the tight controls and high impact action gives Steredenn a very nostalgic atmosphere similar to the legendary Jets n' Guns, but the random generation of levels and weapons strewn about creates a much more hectic, arcade-style play that stands out on its own.”
- “Steredenn has fantastic graphics, audio, atmosphere, and variety; it really drew me in when I started playing it, and I still love these aspects of the game.”
- “The difficulty is challenging but approachable, there is a big variety of fun weapons, and the art and sound make for a great atmosphere.”
- “Also features heavy metal and pretty severe screenshake if you like that kind of intense atmosphere.”
- “+ some rock-inspired tracks deliver an atmosphere of excitement as you go blow things up.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, often requiring a significant time investment that can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the random wave spawns that add variety during grinding, many feel that the repetitive nature of encounters and boss battles ultimately leads to a dull experience. Comparisons to other games, like Rogue Legacy, highlight a desire for a more balanced approach to grinding that maintains fun and engagement.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “For me, it just feels too tedious and grindy.”
- “The random wave spawns during the stage portions of the game make them less tedious when you're grinding, but after a while this is irrelevant when you see most of the possible waves or learn what enemies do.”
- “The homing missile, while underpowered, can still clean a screen and make boss battles easy, albeit tedious and dull.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a consistent and lighthearted sense of humor, evident in its witty subtitles and amusing weapon designs, which help to balance its challenging gameplay. Players appreciate the funny tutorial and the variety of humorous elements throughout, including engaging pixel art and catchy music that enhance the overall experience.
- “Plus, the pixel art is lovely, the music is fantastic (and catchy!), and a bit of humor pervades the whole package, adding a lighthearted air to counterbalance the brutal difficulty and pounding pace.”
- “Very solid arcade-style horizontal shmup with roguelike elements, tons of funny weapons and badass metal music.”
- “There are lots of variations, lots of fun weapon combinations, upgrades, scenario variations (meteor showers, asteroid/battle fields, laser rain), and it's funny to boot.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, particularly on Linux systems, where it runs smoothly on both older and newer hardware. Users have noted minor issues such as music glitches and scattered bugs, but these are expected to be addressed in future updates.
- “I appreciate the Linux support; the game runs great on my Ubuntu machine and recognizes my Logitech controller flawlessly.”
- “It runs great on any old laptop and especially the newer ones.”
- “A few of the cons include some weapons that feel weak, along with music glitches and a few scattered bugs, but these can be easily fixed when the release date rolls around.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its flawless performance and absence of bugs, but it is criticized for being overly punishing towards players who do not achieve perfect performance.
- “Zero performance issues or bugs.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express experiencing a "pac-man emotional effect," indicating a cycle of emotional highs and lows that feels consuming and relentless, similar to the gameplay of Pac-Man. This suggests that the game evokes strong emotional responses that can be both engaging and overwhelming.

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7h Median play time

6h Average play time

2-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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