Highway to the Moon

Highway to the Moon

Vernacular Games · 2016 · Action, Indie, Shoot 'Em Up, Twin Stick Shooter

PC
Mixed68% · 25
Best price 74 All-time low
$0.22-78%
⭐ lowest tracked
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Standard Edition · Steam
$0.99
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Standard Edition · Steam
$0.22
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Standard Edition · Steam
$1.16
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About Highway to the Moon

Highway to the Moon is a fast-paced scrolling arcade shooter where you take control of Jacob Helaway, stunt man and thrill-seeker extraordinaire, as he makes his way to the Moon in pursuit of the interstellar criminal known only as the Moon Man. You’ll have your work cut out for you though, because between the Unger Max Gang, Air Traffic Control, Alien Affairs, and Leadersquad, it looks like everyone wants a piece of the Moon Man.

One of this game’s defining features is the highway that it takes place on. The player must do what they can to keep Jake on it while destroying whatever gets in his way. A tall order under normal circumstances, but luckily, Jake has an ace up his sleeve: the Phase Shifter. Using the Phase Shifter, Jake can phase in and out of existence, becoming intangible and unaffected by physics. This allows him not only to fly over gaps in the road but also to pass through bullets unharmed. Using this ability in conjunction with a myriad of powerful and unique weapons, Jake might just get to the Moon Man first. Are you ready to fight your way to the Moon?

• Use the Phase Shifter to dodge enemy attacks and cross gaps in the road.
• Lay down waves of destructive force with all sorts of varied and unique weaponry
• Fight complex and engaging Bosses
• Customize your gameplay experience using the Reality Alternator
• Unlock new weapons, characters, and more as you play!

Compatible with Windows (XP and up)
Playable with Xbox 360 controller or Keyboard and Mouse

What Steam players say

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

Not recommended Nov 12, 2017
The game itself is decent, it is a scrolling twin stick shooter, the graphics and overall polish of the game are a little on the cheap side, but nothing that can't be overlooked. The premise is simple enough, one stick moves, one strick aims and you have a shot, super shot(that charges pretty quickly), a dash, and a phase. When you are phasing you are totally invincible but you cannot damage enemies so you will phase through bullets and have to phase back in in order to damage the enemies. Each level is decently long, roughly 20-25 minutes and have several bosses with an end boss consisting of several phases. I enjoyed my short time with this game, but I cannot recommend it because of one simple fatal flaw: no save feature. The game has 5 levels, the 2 I played each took about 25 minutes, so assuming you don't die(and assuming all levels are roughly the same length) you could beat the game in roughly 2 hours. I did not know there was no save feature when I started, so I played campaign, beat the first level and went off to do other things. I came back later, hit campaign and was put back to level 1, I noticed there was a level select option so I checked that out. Level 1 a…
3 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 11, 2025
Highway to the Moon, developed and published by Vernacular Games, is a frenetic and eccentric arcade shooter that feels like a fever dream of speed, chaos, and cosmic ambition. At its core, it tells the tale of Jacob Helaway, a thrill-seeking stuntman who embarks on a literal highway to the moon, pursued by an array of bizarre antagonists that include rival gangs, government agencies, alien enforcers, and otherworldly powers. The game embraces absurdity as part of its identity, blending over-the-top storytelling with high-velocity gameplay and a distinctly indie sense of humor. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet beneath its loud and colorful veneer lies a demanding and skill-based experience designed for players who crave constant motion and challenge. The gameplay fuses classic side-scrolling shooter mechanics with endless-runner energy, constantly propelling the player forward through waves of enemies, shifting terrain, and obstacles that test reflexes and precision. Jacob rides along a “highway” suspended in a surreal cosmic space, firing at enemies while dodging collapsing sections of road and incoming projectiles. The central mechanic that defines the experience is the…
2 found this helpful
Recommended Feb 7, 2024
I am 32 years old. My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and we adopted our son together. Both are now 4 years old. When we were going through our separation, I felt lost and unhappy. I was self-destructive. One day, I was so angry with everything spiraling out of control that I punched a concrete wall in a moment of overwhelming emotion. This resulted in breaking my fifth metacarpal in my right hand—the hand I worked with, played games with, and used to carry my children to bed—the hand I desperately needed to ensure I could continue providing. Upon learning the severity of the self-inflicted damage, I became almost suicidal. Keep in mind that just a few months before this, I was the happiest man, with no history of depression or anxiety. I had never experienced anger outbursts, nor was I the type to break down and cry, but I was in a tough situation that truly prevented me from seeing the light on the other side. With nothing better to do, I looked for a game I could play WITH ONE HAND while recovering. Somehow, I stumbled upon this game and read some of the comments. I decided it was worth a try... I must admit I didn't beat the game, nor did I play as much as some of y…
2 found this helpful
Not recommended Apr 19, 2020
This is a vertical scrolling 2D retro pixel twin stick bullet hell shmup with a futuristic highway/motorcycle theme. The game does not display correctly in 16:9, being limited to what looks like a 5:4 aspect ratio, which would be fine if my PC was in an arcade cabinet... but it isn't. Not sure how many people have their PCs in arcade cabinets with 5:4 CRTs, but Vernacular Games seems to think that's a lot of people. They are wrong. Fixed controls, fixed resolution, ugly retro pixel graphics all top off this shovelware mess that isn't worth playing, let alone buying. Hopefully they did make enough money from selling this in bundles to buy a 16:9 monitor.
2 found this helpful
Recommended Jan 19, 2023
A trippy as hell shoot-em-up drawing from psychadelic motor gang space wars
Not recommended Jul 16, 2018
https://youtu.be/Vg78-f-MjJE The slow pacing for this twin stick shooter prevent it from building any real excitement. The limited enemy types and wave layouts quickly exhaust the encounter variety.

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