Cycle 28
A downloadable game for Windows and Linux
Cycle 28 is a classic arcade space combat game where you have six minutes to beat your high-score. Simple controls, powerful upgrades, and intense dogfights. Perfect for when you just need to switch off and shoot something.
Nominated for Best Game at BAFTA Cymru 2019
As Olivia Bergen – a flight lieutenant that has become separated from her fleet – you only know Cycle 27. You live it over, and over, and over again. And if that wasn’t bad enough, every time you drop from warp they are waiting for you.
You don’t know who they are or what they want. You just know you’re the only thing between them and home. So you get better, faster, stronger. Maybe one of these Cycle’s you’ll figure it out. Until then, you can only keep dying.
Key Features
Kaleidoscopic space combat — Power slide your way between more bullets than any lesser pilot could handle. Nothing feels better than using your ship’s gun to propel you through enemy-infested space as you grip the trigger ever tighter.
Upgrades — Beat your personal high score in a run to unlock upgrades. With 45 possible configurations, customise your ship and master new tactics to live just a little longer.
Evolving story — Uncover the secrets of why you’re stuck in Cycle, why they’re hell-bent on destroying everything you love, and just who they really are.
Epic original score —A powerfully atmospheric mix of modern orchestral and retro electronic sounds by Jordan Rees. (Composer of trailer music for The Mummy [Universal Pictures], Mother [Paramount Pictures], The Defenders [Marvel Studios]).
Reviews
“...we kept coming back to it again and again - and so will you.”
“I can’t help but recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a healthy, arcade-style challenge.”
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Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $6.99 USD. Your purchase comes with a Steam key. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- What’s got PC gamers looking for their library cards?May 29, 2018
- Vote for Cycle 28 in the GDWC2018 fan favouriteMay 04, 2018
- More Like This... Dave and Sean sit down to play games like Cycle 28Apr 22, 2018
- Cycle 28 Launch Week Wrap UpMar 16, 2018
- Cycle 28: from school book doodle to indie game in just 22 yearsMar 09, 2018
- From Writing Books to GamesMar 08, 2018
- The first person to solve the mystery of Cycle 28 gets every Pill Bug game – p...Mar 07, 2018
- Dev Shoot-Out #8 Milk goes sour in ONE SECOND!Mar 03, 2018
Comments
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Okay, Pillbug, I feel like you owe a lot of us an explanation. See, I'm the guy who made the 100% achievement guide on Steam, and people are asking ME how to 'get to Cycle 28' and I thought I knew. If you have to change your STEAM name to do it, how do you do it on the version you get here on ITCH? Do you change your ITCH NAME? Does that even make SENSE? What am I supposed to tell people? It's YOUR game, you tell me. I already got the achievements a million years ago and I don't remember. I'm not going to reverse engineer the game and dive through the assembly code trying to figure it out. I've already spent WAY too much time trying to figure out what ways to change your Steam name. Enquiring minds want to know! If nothing else, please go to the Steam forums and help me answer that guy's question.
Heads up: if you try to install the Mac version via the Itch app, the only download it will offer is the soundtrack, even if you navigate to the downloads page within Itch and select the correct Mac build.
I'm confused. I followed the brown ships to the wall, assuming maybe they'd start shooting there, but nothing happened. Should I have shot first and asked questions later? Nothing implies the brown ships are malicious...
Okay, so the timer ran out and I flew around for a really long time before deciding to shoot my gun once, at which point the cycle reset and the message I got at the start of the next one talked about how I "take a few more of them with me each time". I mean yeah, flying along the wall definitely means the drones die...
Hi! I can't wait to play but I was unable to get the Mac version to launch on a M1 Mac running Big Sur. Has anyone got tips for getting it to work on one of the new macs?
I really enjoyed the game and included it in my second Hidden Gems Video. A like/subscribe would help me a ton to continue with this series <3
I'm playing Steam version.
I love this game, so cool! Fantastic music and great challenge. It keeps you pushing for a high score!
My best score: 17978
Thanks! Spotted your video last night 🙂 nice score!
Controls suck. No one does asteroids controls in shmups anymore for a reason. Making your shots influence movement was an even worse idea.
Upgrades only occurring when you beat your high score means that the better you do the worse off you are.
No explanation as to where ally forces are coming from. They can't be other fighters because I was separated from the fleet according to the game description. Only until first upgrade you find out they're drones.
No clear goal to advance to. Existing plot and gameplay not enough to carry player to vague goal of "see what happens."
Damage system not clear. Smoking and beeping are not an acceptable substitute for a health bar, especially in a game in which how much health you have left is a deciding factor in how to approach an encounter.
tl;dr there isn't enough here to be fun.
Surprising little gem. Asteroids style space shooter that quickly throws you into the fray. Clean graphics, frantic action, challenging gameplay. The main draw is besting your own highscore, but as simple as it seems at first, the game actually throws some cute little touches at you in form of the way it tells its story and the upgrades you unlock. Fun game. Could use a bit more visual variety, but I really enjoyed this one even if the mechanics/difficulty might not be everyones cup of tea. 4/5
More Racial Justice Bundle impressions:
https://itch.io/c/915453/quick-impressions-bundle-for-racial-justice
Thanks for your kind words Toma! It means a lot to us.
I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing. I can't leave the area. There are no enemies (unless I start shooting first, but why would I?). I guess I can keep waiting?
I'm playing Mac version.
For some reason, whenever I take enough damage, my ship keeps drifting while smoking forever, and I can't do anything else. Not even the esc key works. Don't know what to do.
this happened to me as well! Bummer bc it looked very fun.
Yep, the Linux build I tried seems to do this as well. I let the clock run out to see what would happen, but it just kept counting into negative seconds, negative minutes. I want to like it, but it's pretty trashy, even by games biz standards.
I played this on Steam. Very cool, but I never figured out how to win it.