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Cosmic Mart is a new action rogulite from developer whipli. It’s out now on Steam, priced at around $4, and we’ve been putting it through its paces, playing the first couple of hours. Cosmic Mart plays like many other recent dungeon-exploring roguelites where progression is all about survival, skill, and learning the best way to take down enemies. You’ll start by selecting one of five characters, each with their own weapon and skill, with more to be unlocked as you progress through the game.
Your character in Cosmic Mart will start slow and be underpowered, but as you progress through each room of the dungeon of the infested supermarket, you start to grow in power. The opening few rooms are tough, and it’s mostly about using your dash to avoid enemies and gradually take them down. At first, we were dying and needing to restart a lot, but after we got used to the controls and hitboxes, we started getting deeper in. Progression through each dungeon room felt like a small victory, and the level of difficulty sits just right for an arcade-style game.
The real fun began when we reached the first boss and took him down to gain access to the next level. By then, our character had grown in stature and having a faster shot, as well as more power behind it, allowed us to be clearing rooms much quicker. The overall gameplay loop is well balanced, and the shop upgrades are interesting, as they have positive and negative effects. The tight controls really help to make this a good experience, especially at this budget price point. At times, it feels like a game that could cost as much.
Some rooms in Cosmic Mart don’t have actual enemies, but traps and puzzle-like elements that require you to solve before being able to move on. One of our favourites was a giant moving spotlight that must be avoided or risk dying. Many of these rooms have loot crates that usually give you a substantial upgrade, so it’s always worth the risk to try and complete them. The other aspect is to make sure you destroy as much of the scenery as possible, as health packs and store credit are sometimes hiding inside.
The presentation in Cosmic Mart is great, with colorful pixel art that is clear and varied. Some of the enemies are a little small on screen, but you get used to them. The dungeon rooms are also quite varied in how they look, especially as you move between floors, and the HUD is clear with everything laid out exactly where you would want it. The music and sound effects are lacking a bit on Cosmic Mart, but for a budget title they do a good enough job and match the action well.
Overall, Cosmic Mart is a solid roguelite title that isn’t doing anything particularly new, but nails all the genre tropes. The controls are tight, any deaths are your own, and the graphics have a certain budget charm that retro fans will enjoy. The upgrades, characters, and bosses are varied enough for a game at this price point, and there is certainly enough longevity here to make this a good value title. We recommend Cosmic Mart to those who enjoy a tough rogulelte with slow progression or those who love a good arcade challenge.
