Swarmlake

About

Swarmlake is a single-player shooter game with masterful gameplay, outstanding graphics, and splendid music. Players fight a record-breaking swarm with an overpowered weapon, soaring through the sky by jumping off of enemies in an infinite, deterministic arena pulsating to the original music. The game offers a smooth and fun highscore-chase with countless enemies and online replays, making it very replayable.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 938 reviews

gameplay69 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Swarmlake is a fun and addictive game that offers a unique blend of fast-paced gameplay and chaotic enemy swarms.
The game features a simple yet engaging mechanic where players shoot and collect points while avoiding overwhelming numbers of enemies.
With its low price point and frequent updates from the developer, Swarmlake provides great value and a satisfying experience for players.

The game can feel repetitive after a while, as the core mechanics do not change significantly, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
Some players find the hit detection and mechanics unclear, leading to frustrating deaths that feel unfair.
The game currently lacks variety in enemy types and gameplay modes, which may limit its appeal for some players.

gameplay
174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
59%
2%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and addictive nature, offering fast-paced, chaotic action that encourages players to improve their skills and scores. While some players appreciate the straightforward mechanics and engaging loop, others criticize the lack of variety and clarity in gameplay elements, leading to confusion and frustration. Overall, the game provides a satisfying experience for those who enjoy arcade-style shooters, though its frequent updates and changes to core mechanics have drawn mixed reactions from the community.
- “The gameplay is simple: you have a machine gun as well as the ability to double jump, and you must survive as long as possible thanks in particular to the bombs present on the map (which appear from time to time).”
- “The gameplay is really nice.”
- “A simple yet incredibly refined gameplay loop makes for a highly addictive game that makes you go for another round over and over again.”
- “I can't really see any patterns, any strategic or tactical gameplay; I can't even tell if I'm going to be hit or not.”
- “The game has no guide at all and doesn't teach you even basic mechanics and better ways to play; you have to keep playing and understanding bits by bits of its mechanics and how the enemies work.”
- “From a gameplay perspective, it's mindlessly shallow.”
music
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
36%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its energetic and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players describe the soundtrack as a standout feature, with some considering it one of the best in gaming history, while others appreciate its seamless looping and ability to maintain engagement during intense gameplay. Although some players noted a desire for more variety, the single track is often praised for its fitting and motivating nature, contributing significantly to the game's addictive appeal.
- “The soundtrack is great, and so is the way it seamlessly transitions between runs.”
- “The music is amazing, and the dev should really put the soundtrack up on the game page.”
- “The gameplay is great and the graphics with the music make for an amazing experience.”
- “Wasn't too into the music or art style.”
- “I can't remember any of the music at all.”
- “Swarmlake is pure adrenaline, set against the drum'n'bass music (unfortunately, only one track for now).”
graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and low-polygon aesthetic, which some players appreciate for its simplicity and smooth performance, especially during chaotic gameplay. While the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they effectively support the gameplay experience, with colorful effects and a pleasing art style that enhances immersion. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and detail, suggesting that the graphics feel like an afterthought or a retro throwback rather than a deliberate artistic choice.
- “From its captivating gameplay mechanics to its stunning visual aesthetics and immersive audio design, every aspect of the game is a testament to the talent and vision of the developer.”
- “The graphics are simple: the enemies are geometric figures, like pyramids and spheres, and the arena is empty, but this keeps the game running smoothly even when there are thousands of objects on the screen, and helps you focus on the swarm itself and how it’s moving.”
- “The graphics are simple, but the color and lighting are used to great effect here and help convey the sheer number of entities chasing after you.”
- “Graphics tweaks don't matter much with such lazy, shortcut/afterthought graphics, however.”
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent/interest in doing the graphics properly and trying to disguise it under the name of 'art', or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
- “The graphics aren't exactly mind-blowing, but they're really cool.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, driven by fast-paced action, engaging gameplay, and a competitive high score system. However, some players note that the repetitive nature of the content can diminish the replay value for those seeking novelty. Despite this, many find the game enjoyable enough to return to for extended play sessions.
- “A solid shooter with a lot of replayability as well as a really frantic and cool style.”
- “Awesome soundtrack and intense gameplay, got the hang of it pretty quick and can see hours of replay value even when I complete the 10k achievement.”
- “Tight and responsive controls with a pretty simple core concept that gives you endless hours of replayability.”
- “The only problem is that the game has the repetition and replayability of a mobile game.”
- “Replay value isn't that high unless you are really seeking high scores.”
- “Zero replay value for me.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting its impressive performance even on older hardware, allowing for smooth gameplay with tens of thousands of entities on screen without any noticeable drops in frame rate. The developers have been commended for their continuous updates and commitment to optimizing the game, resulting in a seamless experience that combines aesthetic graphics with engaging mechanics. Overall, players appreciate the game's efficient engine and the lack of bugs or performance issues.
- “In order for a game like this to run smoothly and deterministically, the engine was programmed from scratch specifically for this game.”
- “I'm fairly positive this game was made with black magic as there's probably tens of thousands of entities on screen at once and still somehow runs smoothly on the laptop equivalent of a potato.”
- “It also runs surprisingly well on my old computer: it's not a miracle or anything, but it does show that optimization was at least a concern in the development, and I appreciate that.”
- “Firstly, I would like to give applause to the developer for continuously updating this game and optimizing the performance.”
- “It's also impressive how it can display a tremendous amount of enemies on screen at the same time without experiencing any drop in performance.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The game's story is often described as minimalistic, with some players appreciating the emotional depth conveyed through pixel art, while others note the lack of a complex narrative. It emphasizes themes of perseverance and personal growth, but many reviews highlight that the gameplay experience can be enjoyable even without a significant story. Overall, the game offers a quick and fun experience, appealing to those who prefer gameplay over narrative depth.
- “I would honestly say that this is a testament to the power of pixel art as a storytelling medium, proving that beauty can be found in even the smallest of pixels.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Short story is that it is a very great value and a super fun experience, but the video goes into much more depth.”
- “In comparison to those big games, Swarmlake does not need a large world or a deep story to keep you playing.”
- “It's a quick experience, play as little or as much as you like with no story and no need to fuss.”
- “Now for a story.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's atmosphere is significantly enhanced by its beautiful music and sound effects, creating an engaging and colorful experience that immerses players in intense gameplay. While some reviewers note that the casual nature of the game may limit its atmospheric depth, the overall combination of visuals and audio contributes to a captivating environment, particularly during high-stakes moments.
- “The game's music and sound effects enhance the atmosphere and enrich the gaming experience.”
- “The visuals are colorful and the music is pumping, making for a great atmosphere.”
- “I think the music in this game adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “So if you're looking for an arcade game like Daggers but with less of the horror atmosphere, then Swarmlake is for you.”
- “[b]Atmosphere - [i]Okay[/i][/b] - (The game itself doesn’t create an atmosphere because it's meant to be played casually; however, you do get quite involved when trying to beat a score.)”
- “[b]Atmosphere - [i]Okay[/i][/b] - (The game itself doesn’t create an atmosphere because it's meant to be played casually; however, you do get quite involved when trying to beat a score.)”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players express frustration with grinding in games, noting that the reset of leaderboards undermines the satisfaction of achievement grinding. Additionally, some games require excessive time investment, likening the experience to a relentless and exhausting endeavor.
- “The satisfaction of achieving a top-level score after hours of practice and grinding is completely thrown out the window when a leaderboard is constantly being reset, thus killing the game's only purpose.”
- “And that, by the way, is not that easy for achievement grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of frustration and tension in the game's emotional landscape, as the mechanics create a constant sense of danger and vulnerability. The challenge of balancing survival with the need to engage with the environment evokes a heightened emotional response, leading to feelings of anxiety and urgency. Overall, the game elicits a complex emotional experience that combines fear with the thrill of navigating its challenges.
- “I'm not scared to play a game where you die in one hit, but it's kind of hard to parse when your brain constantly tells you something's touching you.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players noting that even in moments of failure, they find themselves laughing and enjoying the experience. Overall, it is described as a hilariously fun game that keeps players entertained.
- “And yet, whenever I die, I'm smiling and laughing like a madman!”
- “A hilariously fun game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly at high frame rates even on low-end systems. This contributes to a positive gameplay experience.
- “Unique gameplay, runs great.”
- “Being able to play a game like this at a high FPS is also important, and it seems the requirements are very low; it runs great for me.”