Swarm

Swarm is a 2D arcade-style space shooter developed and published by Reflexive Entertainment for Windows. The player takes control of Rawl Masteson, a criminal offered a choice between imprisonment and piloting an assault/mining ship through a dangerous nebula. Gameplay is centered around collecting all available energy crystals (EZT) on each level while dodging enemies and environmental hazards, then reaching a jumpgate to proceed. The game is controlled entirely with the mouse: moving the cursor steers the ship, with a red dot indicating thrust level, and left-click fires weapons. A red bar and a blue dot around the ship point toward the nearest enemy and energy crystal respectively, keeping the action focused on the center of the screen. Power-ups hidden in asteroids provide enhanced weapons and shields. One notable feature is the ability to restart from any previously reached level after losing, eliminating the need to replay earlier stages. The graphics and sound are simple, reminiscent of classic arcade cabinets, and the installation process is notably clean. Swarm was sold directly through Reflexive’s website for $29.95 and received praise for its instantly accessible gameplay and addictive quality.