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Swarmbound

Unleash pixel-art hell in a high-performance bullet heaven. Command 5 classes against massive 1,500-unit swarms with zero lag. Loot, level, and spec your way to Wave 30 with chain lightning and spiral hammers. Fully moddable, Steam Deck optimized, and built for pure retro destruction.

Steam Page
Developer
Mathew Newport
Publisher
MNgame
Release
June 26, 2026
36 days ago
Steam Reviews
1 user reviews1 reviews0.0%

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About the Game

What if an 8-bit console had unlimited power and an open-door policy?

Swarmbound is a high-performance "Bullet Heaven" roguelite built on a simple premise: Retro aesthetics, modern scale, and total moddability. Face off against impossible swarms of up to 1,500 active enemies at a buttery-smooth 60fps, then change the entire game without ever hitting "Quit."

No bloated engines. No long load times. Just pure, unadulterated arcade chaos.

Features

  • The "Impossible" Swarm: Battle massive waves of enemies that would have melted original hardware. Our custom MonoGame engine handles 1,000+ mobs and hundreds of projectiles without breaking a sweat.

  • Five Classic Classes: Master the frontline Paladin, the crowd-clearing Sorceress, the entity-commanding Necromancer, and more.

  • Deep Tactical Survival: It’s not just about moving in circles. Balance class-specific abilities, manage area-denial spells, and hunt for shrines to turn the tide.

  • Lo-Fi, High Fidelity: Immerse yourself in a world of chiptune SFX and MIDI compositions. Toggle the integrated CRT Post-Process Shader for that authentic scanline glow.

  • Optimized for Handhelds: Built specifically for the Steam Deck, offering "pick up and play" sessions with near-instant loading and zero-compromise performance.

The "Open Engine" Experience

Swarmbound was built to be broken. We believe the community makes the best content, so we built the game as a modular platform.

  • Full Mod Support: Every sprite, sound effect, item, and spell is mod-loadable.

  • Hot-Swappable Content: Swap mods in and out live without restarting the game.

  • The Druid Example: To prove the power of our modding tools, the entire Druid class—including its 8x8 sprites, unique spells, and SFX—was built and loaded using the same external mod system available to you.

The "Unlimited NES" Philosophy

Swarmbound is a love letter to the 8-bit era, stripped of its technical constraints. We’ve traded high-res textures for high-density simulation. Every 8x8 sprite and 1x1 pixel projectile is part of a massive, synchronized world designed to test your reflexes and your build.

How long can you survive the swarm?

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