Obludia (v2014.12.23)

A compact dungeon arena turns every room into a frantic fight for survival, with monsters pouring in from every direction and barely any time to breathe. Obludia channels the spirit of 1980s coin-op shooters, pairing its simple presentation with a darkly playful demon-hunting premise. You control a small but determined warrior descending through hostile chambers packed with undead, spiders, and other fantasy horrors. The tone is brisk, bloody, and knowingly old-school, built around chasing high scores and surviving the next overwhelming wave.

Combat revolves around constant movement, fast aiming, and deciding which threat needs to die first before the arena closes around you. Across 50 stages, the hero gathers temporary boosts, upgrades through RPG-style leveling, and switches between eight weapons and a selection of spells that dramatically change how a crowded room is handled. Enemies arrive in dense swarms rather than carefully staged encounters, so success comes from learning their patterns, preserving space to dodge, and grabbing power-ups at the right moment. Five major bosses punctuate the climb, while local cooperative play lets a second player join the chaos and makes the toughest encounters more manageable—though also considerably messier.

Its strongest appeal is the directness: Obludia does not bury its action beneath crafting, open-world busywork, or complicated systems. Every level is an immediate arcade challenge, but character growth and changing equipment provide enough progression to keep the run from feeling completely repetitive. The deliberately modest visuals and tongue-in-cheek story, including a rescue mission that may not be as straightforward as it seems, give it a charming indie personality. Fans of Robotron: 2084, Smash TV, and uncomplicated top-down horde shooters should feel at home, while newcomers looking for a short, accessible couch co-op action game can also get a lot from it.