Centipede Gun Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-09-08
  • Addictive and fun gameplay
  • Well-crafted visuals and effects
  • Excellent music and soundtrack
  • Game is too short
  • Lack of enemy variety
  • Balance issues are prevalent
Centipede Gun header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

Steam review verdict

Addictive gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and a stellar soundtrack make this a blast, but its short length, sparse enemy variety, and prevalent balance issues hold it back.

What players like

Addictive and fun gameplay: Players consistently describe the game as addictive, fun, and charming, with a strong urge to keep playing. This sentiment is echoed across multiple clusters, indicating a highly engaging core experience.

Well-crafted visuals and effects: Players appreciate the well-made visual effects, sound effects, and overall graphics, noting the attention to detail and captivating 2D aesthetic. The visual and audio polish enhances the overall experience.

Excellent music and soundtrack: The music is repeatedly praised as great, phenomenal, and even 'way too good', with a killer soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere. This highlights a standout audio component that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

Interesting creature building mechanics: The creature building mechanics, where players stitch together a centipede from parts, are found to be appealing and creative. This unique mechanic is a standout feature that drives experimentation and build variety.

Enjoyable build experimentation: Players enjoy testing different builds, comparing combinations, and finding synergies that make them unstoppable. The freedom to experiment and the satisfying results are major highlights.

Common complaints

Game is too short: Many players note that the game is very short, with several mentioning a playtime of around 3 hours. This brevity, combined with limited content, leaves players wanting more and reduces replay value.

Game becomes boring quickly: The game is described as easy and lacking in difficulty scaling, which leads to boredom setting in quickly. Repetitive gameplay and a lack of diversity contribute to this issue.

Lack of enemy variety: Players consistently report that the game suffers from a lack of enemy and stage variety, making combat feel repetitive and boring. This is a common complaint across multiple clusters, indicating a significant design flaw.

Balance issues are prevalent: There are widespread complaints about poor balance, with certain modules and units being overpowered. This makes the game less strategic and reduces the satisfaction of building a strong character.

Lack of unlockables and content: Players note the absence of unlockable items, cosmetics, and achievements, which reduces long-term engagement. The game also feels incomplete with limited content and progression.

Gameplay and performance

Centipede building with upgrades: Players create and upgrade a centipede by adding various units and equipment, which buff their units. This core mechanic is highlighted across multiple clusters.

Strategy for builds: Players engage in strategic build creation, combining different units and abilities to create powerful synergies. The game supports various builds and encourages experimentation.

Roguelite with quick runs: The game is described as a roguelite or roguelike shooter with quick, easy-to-understand runs. It features waves of enemies and progression through multiple rounds.

Low difficulty and casual: The game is considered very easy and casual, often unbalanced in the player's favor. Difficulty increases slightly after finishing, but remains low overall.

Gold and shop system: Gold drops from defeating enemies and can be used in the shop to buy abilities, reroll, and sell body parts. This allows players to optimize their builds.

Performance issues on weak hardware: Players report crashes when their PCs cannot handle intense gameplay moments, such as the powerful centipede encounter. Additionally, the lack of graphics options prevents users from adjusting settings to improve performance on lower-end systems.

Unplayable on Steam Deck: The game is reported as unplayable on the Steam Deck OLED, indicating significant compatibility or performance problems on that platform. This limits accessibility for a portion of the player base.

Recommendations

Good value for price: Multiple reviewers state the game is worth buying at its current price, with some noting it is a nice game for the cost. A few mention it is more than worth the cost, while one advises waiting for a sale.

General recommendation: Several reviewers give a general recommendation, simply stating the game is recommended or highly recommended. This indicates overall positive reception.

Recommended for roguelite fans: Reviewers recommend the game to fans of roguelite shooters and top-down roguelites, as well as those who enjoy roguelikes in general. This suggests the game fits well within the genre.

Appeals to SNKRX players: Reviewers who enjoyed SNKRX are likely to enjoy this game, suggesting similar gameplay mechanics or style. This is a specific comparison that helps potential buyers.

Recommended for shooter fans: One reviewer strongly recommends the game to all fans of shooting games, highlighting its appeal to the shooter genre audience. This is a strong endorsement.

Buying context

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 3.5h.

Story completion: 3.0h.

The game has a mixed reception: some players find it immediately addictive and fun, but others report it becomes boring after a few rounds due to lack of variety and tedious progression.

Friction: tedious progression to overpowered build; lack of enemy variation; unsatisfying weapon synergies; progression feels meh.

Player profiles

The Build Theorist: Analytical and methodical, planning builds and making calculated sacrifices. Motivation: Mastering the game's systems and discovering powerful synergies. Stance: buy.

The Casual Experimenter: Casual, easy-going, trying different setups without pressure. Motivation: Relaxation and stress-free experimentation. Stance: buy.

The Completionist Grinder: Grinding for completion, optimizing runs for efficiency. Motivation: Achievement completion and the addictive grind loop. Stance: buy.

Platform notes

Steam Deck: The game has mixed feedback, but a critical issue with the default controller configuration on Steam Deck renders the game unplayable for some users. While some players find the controls intuitive after a learning curve, the broken mapping is a significant technical barrier that contradicts the 'playable' status.

Other review notes

Comparisons to SNKRX: Several reviewers compare the game to SNKRX, with mixed opinions: some say SNKRX is better, while others note similarities but different gameplay. This suggests the game is in a similar genre and may appeal to SNKRX fans.

Entertains for few hours: Reviewers mention the game provides a few hours of entertainment, which is consistent with its short length. This may be suitable for casual play sessions but not for extended engagement.

OST pack requested: A reviewer requests a purchasable pack for the original soundtrack, indicating interest in the game's music. This suggests the music is appreciated and could be a selling point.

Lacks Japanese support: One reviewer notes that Japanese is not supported in the game. This could be a limitation for Japanese-speaking players and may affect the game's accessibility.

Update 1.1 exists: A reviewer mentions the game has a 1.1 update, indicating ongoing development and potential improvements. This is a positive sign for the game's future.