Available on PC, Mac
We played on PC
Games that look like they were originally created in the 80s are making a big comeback as of late. Pixel Galaxy is one such game. When you first get started, it looks a lot like Asteroids or Galaga. But instead of flying a spaceship around and shooting at enemies, you have a different goal.
In Pixel Galaxy, nothing is ever the same twice. That’s because every time you play the game, regardless of difficulty, everything is randomly generated. So each time you start, you’re going to see different enemies at different times. But that’s not what really makes Pixel Galaxy stand out from the competition.
Rather than controlling a dedicated ship that looks and behaves the same each time, you instead control a single white pixel. However, each other pixel that you collide with becomes attached to your ship at the spot you made contact. This allows you to not only build your ship over time by touching other pixels, but you can strategically place pixels to provide the best protection. Every color pixel has different features. Some emit large waves of bullets for you to attack with. Some can take up to three bullets before disappearing, and some just shoot single bullets every couple of seconds.
While touching other pixels adds to your ship, touching bullets destroys the pixel it touches, and if a bullet hits your white pixel, then it’s game over. This dynamic creates a frantic and exciting rhythm of grabbing pixels to add onto your ship while trying to avoid bullets from those same ships you try to “eat.” Luckily, you can also rotate your ship as it grows, similar to how you rotate blocks in Tetris. Due to this mechanic and the benefits of using a control stick, I highly recommend plugging a gamepad or controller into your PC.
The most interesting aspect is how these competing facets—small and fast versus large and powerful—coexist with one another. The larger your ship gets, the more difficult it is to maneuver. But your white pixel in the middle is more protected and your ship shoots more bullets. But if you keep your ship smaller and more agile, it’s easier to dodge bullets and keep track of the action as it unfolds.
Regardless of the tactic you choose, Pixel Galaxy is a frenetic experience that never slows down. With six different difficulty modes that alter the experience and an epic boss rush mode, there’s plenty to love in Pixel Galaxy.
