Grapple. Throw. Destroy! Try out the Demo Now!
It was the AI that turned first, corrupting the fleet to fire on it's own colonies throughout the belt. Then came the horrific tentacled creatures. In the wake of destruction, a crew of salvagers at the Grid 38 asteroid base fight to survive the Cosmic Destroyer that threatens to wipe out humanity.
Equipped with a Salvage Claw, your ship can turn the enemy’s chaos against them. Rescue your scattered team, cut through collapsing bases, and chase the invaders back to their source through the ruins of the worlds they have consumed.
From scrapper to savior - you’re the one thing the aliens never prepared for. Your journey starts in the wreckage.
What makes it different?
Cosmic Destroyer is a precision horizontal SHMUP (STG) with a bullet hell core which adds a few major twists - your Salvage Claw is as deadly as your guns, and stages twist and turn. Snatch special weapons, deflect enemy projectiles, toss enemies into hazards - or hurl them into each-other to cause deadly chain reactions for massive damage.
Grappling Hook combat - Make chaos your weapon. Salvage weapons from wreckage, hurl debris that blocks swarms of bullets and sends enemies reeling, toss enemies into chain-reactions that instantly reshape the entire battlefield. The claw itself even deflects bullets!
Handcrafted Curving Stages - race through twisting routes, navigating asteroids and obstacles, discover alternate paths.
Streamlined control - Three primary actions (Shot, Grapple/Throw, Special Attack) keeps the control action-focused so play is about timing and decisions not complex button combos.
Arcade at its core - 1CC Leaderboard, arcade mode with limited continues, Practice/Training mode with Unlimited Continues and Max Weapon Power to master sections and bosses.
Skill + Scoring built around Risk vs Reward - build up your score multiplier, cancel bullets using grappling, grazing and opportunistic bombing, earn big bonuses for throw kills.
Local Co-Op - two player local co-op on one screen (one keyboard + one controller or two controllers)
Every bit of the game has been built through close and meticulous study of arcade SHMUP/STG bullet hells (danmaku), and feedback from community and streamers who are passionate about them.
There are currently three ships to choose from, each with their own distinct primary weapons.
V Spec Mk. I - Fires Blue Crush Shell, it's a well-rounded ship with a powerful focus shot. Special Weapon: Mega Bomb
Prototype L2-B - Fires Reflecting Lasers, or a large beam in Focus Mode which reflects off the target. Special Weapon: Mega Bomb
E.M.A. - An experimental Electro-Magnetic Assault craft which uses a Plasma Link weapon to spread balls of Plasma and Chain Lightning which link between enemies. Special Weapon: Plasma Bomb
The E.M.A. Ship's new Plasma Bomb.
Game Modes
Arcade (1CC) - Limited Continues, leaderboard scoring based on first credit only.
Hard mode - One hit death, increased speed and enemy health
Co-Op - Arcade mode Co-Op Normal or Hard (no leaderboard)
Training / Practice - Unlimited continues, maxed power-ups, start and restart from any stage and any section and hone your skills, and practice vs Bosses.
V-Spec Mk. I fighting against the Flesh Horror mid-boss.
Shot - fires a Wide Shot or a Focused Shot, while adjusting the player's speed.
Tapping the button fires a Wide Shot which is weaker, but allows the player to move at full speed.
Holding the Shot button down fires a Focused Shot that is more powerful, and also slows the player's movement speed.
Focused and Wide shot also apply to any Options or Mounted Items, which have varying behaviors for each fire mode.
Grappling Hook & Throw - reach out and grab an enemy or object such as a Mountable Item from the world and attach it to your ship.
If you already have a special weapon held, they will be swapped.
If holding an an enemy or object, pressing this Action button will throw it. Hold the throw button for up to one second, charging the throw up for more speed and damage.
Special Attack / Bomb - release your ship's special attack. While this attack is active all damage to the player is nullified. Bombs will wipe all bullets from the screen, and each bullet canceled is scored.
Auto-Fire Toggle / Hold (Configurable)
Controllers
Gamepads - PS4/5, Xbox 360/Series supported.
Arcade sticks - Keyboard-mapped and Modern XInput sticks supported (older DirectInput joystick support coming soon)
Co-op ties each player to a device, so valid configurations are
One player on keyboard, one player on Gamepad/Controller
Two players each on their own Gamepad/Controller
In-Game full key/button mapping.
Depth in Mechanics
Bullet Grazing - Bullets which come close to your ship but don't hit are scored, and also deflect back at enemies with a high-accuracy, high-damage deflected shot.
Bullet Sealing - Small "popcorn" style enemies and most turrets won't attack you point-blank
Armor System - Bosses are not just bags of hit points, small damage is reduced at first but can be piled on, overcoming their armor. Enemies defeated by a projectile allow the projectile through to hit the next enemy with any remaining damage.
Damage Types - Explosive, Kinetic, Energy, Collision - the damage types of different weapons allow for enemy strengths, weaknesses, and more interesting enemy interactions.
Bomb Save - releasing a Special/Bomb, even after starting to die will save the player (if pressed before the 3rd explosion sound).
Quality of Life Options
Scanline/CRT Effects
VSync, Brightness, Screen Shake Options
Show Hitbox Option
Separate SFX, Music, Announcement and Master levels
Auto-Fire Modes: Toggle or Hold, 15hz 30hz and 60hz trigger rate modes
Arcade Marquee (In-Game Screensaver)
Play the demo now, which includes the full first stage, and half of the 2nd stage (up to the Flesh Horror mid-boss fight)
Active Development
Dedicated developer focusing exclusively on Cosmic Destroyer
No AI Slop, No 3rd party content / Asset Packs. Every element is original and hand-made from scratch.
Early Access News & Releases every week, maintaining a Public Test and Previous Stable branch
Current EA Game State: 3 Stages currently available in Early Access, Stage 3 end boss currently in development.
Check News page for more Release News and Updates.
