Swarm Grinder

About

"Swarm Grinder" is a fast-paced, procedurally generated game where you navigate an alien mining system filled with hostile bugs. Your goal is to collect upgrade parts and extract valuable resources while avoiding being overwhelmed by the constantly changing and evolving swarms. With a variety of skills and upgrades to choose from, you can customize your playstyle and build unique synergies to help you survive and thrive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,068 reviews

gameplay116 positive mentions

optimization26 negative mentions

The game features a unique gameplay loop that combines resource management with enemy spawning mechanics, making each run feel fresh and engaging.
The art style and soundtrack are well-executed, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers a satisfying challenge, requiring players to balance aggression and caution as they navigate through swarms of enemies.

Currently, the game lacks content, with only a few characters, weapons, and maps, leading to repetitive gameplay after a short time.
The upgrade system feels unbalanced, with many upgrades providing minimal impact on gameplay, making progression feel slow and tedious.
Performance issues, especially on lower-end systems and the Steam Deck, can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, particularly during intense moments.

gameplay
282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by a unique loop that combines resource management with engaging mechanics, such as a fuel system that influences player strategy and enemy spawning. While many players appreciate the fresh take on the genre and the variety of mechanics, some criticize the fuel mechanic as overly demanding and distracting, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation with potential for improvement, but it currently suffers from optimization issues and a lack of late-game content.
- “Whether you're experimenting with new combinations or perfecting your favorite strategies, the variety keeps the gameplay dynamic and engaging.”
- “The gameplay is challenging yet addictive, requiring quick reflexes and strategic movement to survive the onslaught.”
- “This game brings a fresh perspective to the genre, offering new mechanics and twists on old favorites that make for a truly thrilling gaming experience.”
- “Another big issue is the game's severely demanding fuel resource mechanic, which makes the fuel-related skill a requirement, not a choice.”
- “Fuel mechanics end up being an annoyance that never comes back around to be anything but a second health bar, making the game even less fun when you're getting screwed. I know they exist so you can stall, but all that means is if you lose half your runs to a timer, which just feels like shit (either dying to fuel loss or being forced to dive into a group of enemies to get the quickly fading fuel pickups).”
- “The fuel mechanic doesn't add much and the main conceit of the game (enemies spawning as you approach instead of over time like in similar games) really doesn't do anything besides make it much more cramped and claustrophobic in a genre where maneuvering around enemies is top priority.”
music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and engaging quality, particularly during intense gameplay moments like swarm attacks, which enhances the overall experience. However, many reviewers noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to limited variety across stages, suggesting a need for more diverse tracks to maintain freshness. Overall, while the music is considered a highlight, its repetitiveness may detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “The music is excellent!”
- “Can't really get enough of that metal tune, especially the drums when the swarm waves attack you... it will make you bob your head to the music and give you a very nice dose of endorphins!”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive, but okay.”
- “Music style fits the theme but repetitive.”
- “Maybe I'm just early, but a little more soundtrack variety would be tight; the current stuff I've heard is still pretty good, just can definitely see it getting a little stale.”
graphics
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and polished visuals, while others criticize performance issues such as low frame rates and stuttering during intense gameplay. Some players find the aesthetics charming and cohesive, though repetitive color schemes and simplistic graphics detract from the overall experience for a few. Overall, the art direction is highlighted as a strong point, contributing positively to the gameplay despite technical shortcomings.
- “Graphics: amazing.”
- “With its vibrant visuals and smooth performance, it’s a perfect fit for the Steam Deck, allowing you to enjoy the chaotic action anytime, anywhere.”
- “It has the best graphics I've seen in its genre.”
- “The final big issue is that the game heavily stutters when there are a lot of enemies on screen, which for a game with this basic of graphics, seems ridiculous.”
- “After 3 runs, I will say for how low quality the graphics are... it doesn't take much for the game to start dragging fps-wise.”
- “Now I know this isn't a rocket or anything, but I really expect a pixel graphics game to work in 75 fps (vsync) without any issues.”
optimization
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
53%
30%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance drops, particularly during longer sessions and when numerous enemies are on screen. While some users noted improvements in recent updates and found it well-optimized for certain systems, others reported severe stuttering and lag, especially on the Steam Deck, leading to an overall sentiment that the game requires further optimization to enhance playability.
- “Perfectly optimized for macOS, great for quick gaming sessions, and a true candy for fans of bullet hell games!”
- “On top of that, I've noticed a significant improvement in optimization with recent updates.”
- “With its vibrant visuals and smooth performance, it’s a perfect fit for the Steam Deck, allowing you to enjoy the chaotic action anytime, anywhere.”
- “I love the gameplay loop, progression, and style, but this game seems very poorly optimized.”
- “The game is okay with good potential; unfortunately, it currently suffers greatly from a stuttering issue, making it unenjoyable and headache-inducing.”
- “With the current state of the game's performance, I can't recommend it despite loving its ideas.”
grinding
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and unfulfilling, often feeling like a waste of time due to slow progression and minimal rewards. While some appreciate the unique mechanics that shift focus from traditional grinding to objective-based leveling, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grindy nature of upgrades and achievements, which can feel overly repetitive and lacking in variety. Despite these criticisms, a few players noted that once initial upgrades are obtained, the gameplay can become more enjoyable, though the grind remains a significant hurdle.
- “Progression is uninteresting, grindy in the worst way and far too slow for the minor payoffs.”
- “Grindy, not in the stimulating and dopamine-inciting way this genre is reputed for, but in the tedious, tangibly time-wasteful way.”
- “But it's grindy in a way that is incredibly disrespectful of your time.”
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
81%
12%
The game's story revolves around piloting a mech to clear alien-infested zones and establish mining operations, but players find the narrative lacking in variety and depth, as it primarily revolves around repetitive missions with limited mission types. While the dynamic of enemy encounters adds some interest, the overall experience is marred by a grindy gameplay loop and a reliance on a few weapon builds, leading to frustration among players.
- “The great tie between mission objective and enemy encounter by popping cells adds a great dynamic to the game I haven't seen before.”
- “You keep on grinding through missions with too little variety.”
- “So far, there's only one mission type to choose from: establish 25 mining zones by clearing the area around them.”
- “In this game, your mission is to pilot a mech through a field of relentlessly respawning alien eggs to clear a total of 25 mining zones.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with some players finding it "meh" due to a lack of character and skill variety. While the roguelike elements and potential for future updates offer some promise, many feel that the current content is thin and could benefit from additional characters, weapons, and game modes to enhance replay value. However, the game's early access status leaves room for improvement and expansion in this area.
- “Rogue-like element makes it very replayable.”
- “Replayability has been on their minds, and it sounds like they've addressed it more than I expected.”
- “The game is still in early access for the time being, but honestly there are enough characters, maps, and ascension levels for increased difficulty that there's plenty of replayability and content even without the rest of the game, whatever that may be (likely different game modes and increased permanent upgrade options).”
- “Not saying the game is a piece of shit or anything like that, and I get that even little things like art and animations can be time-consuming, but in a genre that relies on replay value, you could do better than three lazy and generic characters.”
- “There are a few bots to uncover, a few weapons/abilities, some difficulty scaling, and purchases which can offer permanent enhancements to your bot - but it seems a little thin, like replayability won't be huge.”
- “While there's not a huge variety of skills and characters to choose from right now, the potential to diversify the builds and increase the replayability with future updates is incredibly promising.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by several bugs and glitches, with one particularly problematic issue causing characters to get stuck on walls, significantly hindering gameplay. While it remains playable, players have reported freezing upon death and unregistered achievements, leading to frustrating experiences during progression. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further stability improvements to enhance the user experience.
- “Looks very promising, but unfortunately when I die, the game more or less freezes, and this makes progression impossible.”
- “There are a few glitches and performance issues as of the current patch. It's still playable, but please be aware that this can be very upsetting at certain points during gameplay.”
- “To add insult to injury, some of the skills and related achievements are buggy, so you could potentially waste your time grinding for 30 minutes to an hour, only to realize it didn't register.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its cohesive and harmonious design, effectively evoking a sense of swarm warfare through its music and mechanics. Players appreciate how the consistent balance and pace contribute to a dire and immersive experience, enhancing their enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “The mechanics, balance, pace, and atmosphere of the game are consistent and harmonious.”
- “It feels cohesive and contributes to the dire atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and music of the game evoke the sensation of swarm warfare.”
- “It feels cohesive and lends to the dire atmosphere.”
- “The mechanics, balance, pace, and atmosphere are all consistent and in harmony.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players' frustrations with mechanics that disrupt gameplay, such as being slowed down by touching walls or enemies, which detracts from the overall experience. This evokes feelings of annoyance and confusion, impacting players' emotional engagement with the game.
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game's humor to be entertaining and engaging, often leading to amusing outbursts during gameplay. However, technical issues like framerate drops can detract from the overall experience, even if the comedic elements remain a highlight.
- “The amount of obscene words I have yelled at my monitor while playing this game is hilarious.”