StarVaders Review

StarVaders blends the unrelenting enemy attacks of Space Invaders with the depth of a modern deck builder. Set in a pixelated galaxy under siege, you take on the role of a rebel pilot fighting against an alien onslaught. But instead of frantic button-mashing, victory depends on prudent planning and clever positioning, as well as a bit of mercy from the old random-number generator.

Gameplay feels like a cross between a deck-building roguelike and a tactical grid-based battler. Each mission is a puzzle, with enemies descending down the battlefield during their turn. But instead of gunning them down, you maneuver across a battlefield, utilizing cards that let you attack, move, or activate special abilities before the intruders approach the bottom three rows. Even on the game’s easier mode, a single careless decision can push you toward defeat.

In Space No One Can Hear You Whine

There’s a rewarding sense of progression built into Vader’s roguelike structure. You’ll fail often, but over time, you unlock new cards, learn enemy patterns, and sharpen your tactics. While the difficulty can be punishing and you’ll occasionally be dealt a losing hand, there’s a sense that you’re progressing. At first, I wasn’t effectively using the overheat system, which let me play additional cards, at the cost of randomly burning one. Pleasingly, enemy attacks are all clearly telegraphed on-screen, so you’ll always know when a foe will also nullify one of the cards in your deck and increase your doom gauge.

Visually, StarVaders embraces a clean, retro pixel style that’s charming and makes everything easy to read, even on portable PCs like the Steam Deck. Largely, the sprites are expressive, the animations are smooth, and the soundtrack delivers a driving cadence. Save for the inability to back out of some decision, Vaders seems to expect players to play their cards quickly.

‘Ace ‘Vaders

If there’s a weak spot, it’s in the story, which is serviceable but largely forgettable. This game is more about mechanics and moment-to-moment strategy than any kind of narrative immersion. Some card combos can also feel a bit unbalanced, and you can habitually feel out-tooled after the first boss. Hopefully, Montreal-based Pengonauts injects a bit more lenience into the proceedings.

SpaceVaders was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.