Galactic Vanguard (2025)

Developer: TopGame
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Casual, Indie
Rating: 4.4 of 5, 26 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 3.4 hours
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 nostalgic side-scrolling shooter that feels like a 90s arcade cabinet brought to modern screens, with relentless enemy waves and responsive run-and-gun action.

retropixel artfast-pacedshootingchallengingnintendo-hardsingleplayerarcade-like

What players say

Players are sharply divided. Many call it a straightforward Contra clone with decent music and retro appeal for the price, but several reviews, including heavily-upvoted ones, accuse the publisher of directly stealing assets and code from the freeware game G Warrior, with the co-op mode removed. Those who enjoy it note bugs like invisible enemies and bad respawns.

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.