Beacon

About

You play as a survivor stranded on a deadly alien world in this top-down shooter. Each run tasks you with scavenging resources, fending off waves of enemies, and navigating shifting terrain to reach an escape beacon. Death resets your progress but lets you merge enemy DNA you’ve gathered, altering your character’s abilities and stats for future attempts. The procedural layouts and escalating threats keep every session fresh while encouraging long-term planning. The DNA system stands out as a clever twist on roguelike mechanics, letting you experiment with builds that change how you approach combat and exploration. While the art style and pacing feel a bit dated compared to modern entries in the genre, dedicated players appreciate the depth in its progression loop. With a 72% critic score and a loyal niche following, Beacon works best for those who enjoy grinding through failures to unlock incremental improvements.

Storyline

You step out of the confined pod, disorientated and blinking. As your vision clears, a desolate view forms to greet you. The burning wreckage of your ship - your home - lies scattered cruelly across the surface of an alien landscape. You must have come down hard. Picking your way through the remains of the ship, you look for answers, a weapon, a radio. Instead, you find a body. Your body. Well, you think, at least the cloning bay still works. Unfortunately, it seems like that’s about all that does. If you want to get off this planet, you’re going to have to explore it. You need to find equipment. You need to build a beacon. The forests look hostile, but you’ve got your gun. And if the worst comes to pass, well, at least the cloning bay still works.