Impulse

Impulse (2021)

Joel Kelley · October 1, 2021 · Action, Puzzle, Physics, 2D, Arcade

Impulse is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Positive92% · 12
Best price
Free
Get it free on Steam

Prices last checked

Cheapest Impulse keys — keyshops

Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.

Gameseal
Standard Edition · Steam
$0.98
Buy
Kinguin
Standard Edition · Steam
$1.04
Buy
Eneba
Standard Edition · Steam
$1.18
Buy
CJS CD Keys
CJS CD Keys
Standard Edition · Steam
$2.33
Buy

Screenshots

Impulse price

Impulse is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About Impulse

Picture a mash-up of Super Meat Boy and Lunar Lander. Or N+ meets Asteroids. That’s Impulse.

Impulse — game info

Platforms
Windows
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Player modes
Single-player
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

Impulse is a minimalist physics-based puzzle game where players guide a circle through obstacle courses by clicking to thrust away from the cursor, with mechanics that cleverly shift across levels to keep gameplay fresh and challenging. Players consistently praise the simple but satisfying level design, elegant vector-art aesthetic reminiscent of arcade machines, and the included level editor, though some feel the shallow gameplay is more suited to mobile experiences and wish there were more content. Since the game is completely free, players find it worth trying regardless of reservations.

Not recommended May 3, 2022
Impulse is a minimalist "line-art" action-physics/maze negotiation game where you control a little circle by clicking your mouse button, which causes it to "thrust" away from where you click. Using this propulsion method you must negotiate various obstacles and hazards to reach the goal zone at the end of each level. Surprisingly, support for varying resolutions is there, and you can turn off the garish blur/neon effects. Unfortunately the minimalist line art might have looked okay for an oscilliscope in the 1960's, it 2022 and computer graphics have advanced a lot since then. Gameplay is simple, and this is really the kind of shallow gameplay you'd expect from a mobile app rather than a serious PC game. The game is completely free. Nothing speaks more to a developers belief in themselves and their product than making their game available for everyone without remuneration. This is certainly a gesture that shows dedication to the gaming industry. It's a shame in this case that the implementation is below the minimum standards a dedicated PC game should offer to enthusiasts. There's no "maybe" option in Steam, unfortunately, but I hope to see more work from this developer,…
4 found this helpful
Recommended Jul 16, 2022
good
2 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 2, 2021
A deceptively simple and satisfying little gem. Simple enough on the surface - avoiding obstacles and hazards, you have to guide your little ship to it's goal. But each new level, you have to rethink your assumptions as the rules change - could be gravity is jacked up, could be a high drag co-efficient, could be the ship is suddenly a fragile little egg. It's part puzzle game, part physics based skill-tester. Has a small set of mechanics but combines them in very satisfying ways. Great fun.
2 found this helpful
Recommended Jun 18, 2023
A really well made and fun game. Originally released in 2012, this steam version includes support for high resolutions. The graphics are simple and elegant, they remind me of old vector based arcade machines. There is a fair amount of special particle effects and other dynamic effects going on. The levels designs are very unique. There is a level editor to unleash your creative powers on. The soundtrack includes songs from several artists, mostly in electro-classical theme, adding to the style and feel of the game perfectly.
1 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 30, 2021
Can someone please post a walkthrough for level 82 I can't figure out how to beat it, also this game is sick, download it EDIT: Finished the game, 9/10 too short :)
1 found this helpful
Recommended Mar 24, 2023
[h1]Before I played Impulse, I had a small pp, no friends, no gf, depression, and no life. These things havent changed, but the game is pretty good[/h1]

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like Impulse

News

All news →
Games like Black Myth Wukong: the boss, not the worldPC

Games like Black Myth Wukong: the boss, not the world

Games like Black Myth Wukong have to replace the fight, not the setting: the deflect window, the transformations, the one-more-try pull. These do, from Ashina to Tsushima.

Nov 7, 2026
Games like Hollow Knight: one kingdom you have to learnPC

Games like Hollow Knight: one kingdom you have to learn

Games like Hollow Knight are judged on one thing: whether the world is a single place you learn or a menu of levels. These keep it connected, from Pharloom to a well full of secrets.

Nov 7, 2026
Anno 117 price: free to try on Xbox, and what a key has costXbox

Anno 117 price: free to try on Xbox, and what a key has cost

Anno 117: Pax Romana is free for every Xbox member until Sunday. The Anno 117 price on PC is another matter: 32 readings since late September, and the floor has moved.

Nov 7, 2026
Games like Borderlands 3: guns that roll, trees that branchPC

Games like Borderlands 3: guns that roll, trees that branch

Games like Borderlands 3 have to do two things at once: roll a new gun every few minutes and make a skill tree worth planning. These manage both, and one asks you to craft instead.

Nov 6, 2026
Games like Dragon Age 2: one city, ten years, three actsPC

Games like Dragon Age 2: one city, ten years, three acts

Games like Dragon Age 2 are hard to find because almost no RPG keeps you in one city while it rots. These come close, from Neketaka to the streets of Serene.

Nov 6, 2026
Games like Remember Me, for the memory remix more than the cityPC

Games like Remember Me, for the memory remix more than the city

Games like Remember Me, picked for the Memory Remix rather than the neon: minds you can break into, a vertical city to climb, and combos you build yourself.

Nov 5, 2026
Games like Noita, where the physics is the real enemyPC

Games like Noita, where the physics is the real enemy

Games like Noita for the two things it really does: spells you assemble yourself, and a simulated world that takes nobody's side. Seven picks, from a slugcat to a dwarf fortress.

Nov 5, 2026
No Rest for the Wicked price: buy in Early Access, or wait?PC

No Rest for the Wicked price: buy in Early Access, or wait?

No Rest for the Wicked price: Moon Studios says it goes to $60 at 1.0 in March 2027. Our record shows one discount window since late September, bottoming at $25.44 on 15 October.

Nov 5, 2026

Top games right now

All rankings →
  1. 1Counter-Strike 2Free
  2. 2Dota 2Free
  3. 3PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSFree
  4. 4Grand Theft Auto V Legacy—
  5. 5Terraria$2.15
  6. 6Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeFree
  7. 7Rust$19.99
  8. 8Garry's Mod$5.00
  9. 9Team Fortress 2Free
  10. 10Black Myth: Wukong$36.49
  11. 11HELLDIVERS™ 2$23.99
  12. 12ELDEN RING$38.88
  13. 13Apex Legends™Free
  14. 14Left 4 Dead 2$9.99
  15. 15Stardew Valley$13.70
  16. 16Wallpaper Engine$3.99
  17. 17Cyberpunk 2077$23.92
  18. 18Euro Truck Simulator 2$9.69
  19. 19Dead by Daylight$6.73
  20. 20Red Dead Redemption 2$13.33
  21. 21The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt$18.65
  22. 22Baldur's Gate 3$55.78
  23. 23Phasmophobia$13.64
  24. 24War ThunderFree