Rheum

Quick Score: 4/5 Notes: The UI is interesting, but also not super practical, I played for 2 hours before realizing there actually was a tutorial in the game. the tutorial should definitely be enabled by default for your first playthrough because i had a million questions and none of them were being answered. Bosses are fun, the 3 stages are all kind of the same thing though, and because of the power scaling the final stage actually ends up being the easiest aside from the boss. For 3$ the game is definitely worth it, you will get at least 2-3 hours of enjoyment out of it, maybe a bit more if you go for the achievements. Speaking of which, I would have liked to seen just a handful more interesting achievements. Such as a 1cc hard mode with TLB, or some score goal, etc.

Rheum, developed and published by SpaceMyFriend, is an unconventional vertical shoot ’em up that embraces surreal biological imagery and fast-paced arcade design to create a memorable and eccentric experience. Instead of piloting a spacecraft through outer space, players control an eyeball descending through the interior of an infected body. This unusual premise immediately sets the tone for a game that prioritizes originality and bold aesthetic choices. The environment is organic, visceral, and intentionally strange, immersing players in a fleshy world filled with hostile microorganisms and pulsating hazards. At its core, Rheum follows classic shoot ’em up structure. Players navigate downward-scrolling stages while firing continuously at waves of enemies that appear in increasingly complex formations. Dodging projectiles becomes essential as bullet patterns grow denser and more aggressive. The gameplay leans into bullet-hell intensity at times, requiring precise movement and quick reflexes to survive chaotic encounters. While the mechanics are rooted in traditional arcade shooters, the unusual setting and visual presentation give the action a distinctive identity. Progression in…

Rheum is yet another of literally hundreds of lazy amateur 2D retro bullet hell shoot 'em ups infesting Steam and lowering the average quality of all video games everywhere. This one has an oesophagus theme, which is a terrible idea, but then again, so is reskinning a shoot 'em up template from the GameMaker Studio construction kit and pretending to be a game developer. And then inflicting that on Steam gamers after paying $100 to publish garbage through Valve's disastrous Steam Direct program. Yet here we are. Anyway this is a really badly made shmup. There's a slew of defects on top of the shallow, mediocre gameplay and craptastic "art". From a technical perspective, the game doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard. A choice was made to use obsolete, decades old retro pixel "art" as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics. It's unclear if this is due to lack of budget or talent, regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result. There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks. There's no way to ensure this is running at the native resolution of your display. There's no gua…

I'd say SpaceMyFriend has done it again but this is an older title (2018) that I've just discovered. I love his visceral themes and just the quirky nature of his games, and all the hidden little extras you can find if you delve deep enough. Bosses are hard as nails! Replayable. Rheum's a superb top-scrolling shooter which quickly turns into a bullet hell. Super challenging; has secrets if you can survive long enough to find them. Love the visceral theme, great little game. For more niche curation, follow me at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/27440015-CSH-Picone/

Pretty cool game. Hope you try it out.

Don't really know why the game has a mixed review score, as it definitely is good enough to get a positivie imo.