🔍 Summary:
“Desktop Survivors 98,” a new game developed and published by Brandon Hesslau, offers a nostalgic trip back to the aesthetics of late ’90s Windows operating systems. Released on May 20, 2025, for Windows and priced at $4.99, this game combines the charm of old-school computing with the excitement of a “bullet heaven” autoshooter, similar to the Vampire Survivors genre.
The game’s visual and interactive elements are steeped in nostalgia, featuring iconic ’90s desktop icons, backgrounds, and interfaces, such as a faux Start menu and Visual Basic-style settings. The gameplay revolves around using a mouse-controlled pointer to navigate through waves of enemies and projectiles, collecting gems from defeated foes to unlock new weapons and powers. These weapons are creatively inspired by classic computing elements, like screensavers and Solitaire animations.
“Desktop Survivors 98” distinguishes itself with its precise mouse-based controls, allowing for swift and accurate movements, and its setting on single-screen battlefields without significant obstacles, which simplifies the strategy to some extent. However, the game introduces complexity with optional boss rooms that challenge players with intricate attack patterns requiring nimble dodging.
Despite some balance issues with weapon and item progression, the game’s engaging mechanics and deep arsenal of unlockable content provide a satisfying experience for both nostalgia enthusiasts and fans of twitch-based shooting games.