Shadow Bug

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Arcade, platformers, 2D, indie games, singleplayer

7.8

OpenCritic

93%

Steam

Rate It!

A mobile platform game from an independent Finish studio Muro, which evolved from a simple but successful project initiated by a few Alto University students. In Shadow Bug, we assume the role of a militant worm armed with two swords. The protagonist's job is to clear the forest of the hostile bugs and other opponents.

Videos and Screens

[0:34] Shadow Bug launch trailer

7.8

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 71% of Critics. There are 15 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Indie Ranger: 3.5 / 5 by Ali Abdullah

Every stage features beautiful backgrounds and scenery. The game slowly goes from luscious forests with enemy creatures to toxic sewers with mutated fish and turrets to a city with robots and lasers.

Full Review

PS3Blog.net: 80 / 100

Shadow Bug is a great looking and fun platformer that stands out from the crowd with its "you can't jump in this one" gameplay mechanic. There's plenty to do in this one, and the challenge will increase at a steady pace as you complete the 36 stages in the game. The game is available for only $8.99, so hopefully you can give it a try.

Full Review

Nindie Spotlight: 8 / 10 by Justin Nation

When everything is clicking the fun and flow of ShadowBug is quite a rush...

Full Review

93%

STEAM Score

All Reviews: Very Positive (67)

STEAM

Shadow Bug is a platform game placing a huge emphasis on action elements, released on mobile devices using the Apple iOS operating system. The title is the debut production of an independent, Finish studio called Muro. The game evolved from a simple project of students from Aalto University, which after receiving a number of honors, motivated the young developers to further expand their project.

Plot

Plot of Shadow Bug is kind of penurious, being only a pretext for the proper gameplay. We assume the role of a ninja-like worm, who is armed with two lethal swords. He faces the forces of evil, which have seized his home-forest.

Mechanics

The game combines typical platform game elements with an innovative way of fighting, based on the functionalities of touch screens. During the gameplay, our task is to traverse successive levels, which are filled by heaps of varied enemies. Also, in order to avoid a large number of traps, we will have to strain our brain cells. The characteristic feature of the game is that the hero cannot jump; he can move left or right only, sometimes pushing various objects. But we only have to touch the encountered enemy, in order for the protagonist to jump, and dispose of potential threat with the grace of a ninja warrior.

Finishing each stage is rewarded with an adequate number of stars (from one to three), similarly to other mobile games. The achieved result depends on many elements, such as playtime or the amount of gathered gleaming balls. You can always repeat the chosen stage, in order to improve the achieved result.

Technical aspects

Shadow Bug, released on mobile devices using the Apple iOS operating system, is characterized by an original graphical layer, similar to productions like Badland. This means that during the game we are accompanied by colorful, hand drawn backgrounds, but the whole foreground is black.

Last updated on April 22, 2016