BACKFIRE (2025)

Developer: SQYD.studio
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Genres: Action, Indie
Rating: 5.0 of 5, 17 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 56 minutes
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

a brief action game with a retro computer aesthetic

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What players say

Players praise BACKFIRE as a tight, addictive arcade shooter with a clever twist on the Asteroids formula. The weapons are varied and each one changes how you move, creating a high skill ceiling that feels fair, not cheap. Some find it brutally difficult, especially later chapters, but the permanent upgrades keep runs feeling rewarding.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.