Void Miner is built around a simple idea that works surprisingly well. At its core, it mixes the feel of a classic top-down asteroid shooter with an incremental upgrade loop that slowly pushes you forward. You control a small ship, dodge incoming dangers, blast through asteroids, collect the resources that fall out of them, and then use those resources to buy stronger weapons, better tools and even an automated tower that helps you fight.
Even with that, Void Miner is still very much like many other incremental games on the market. It does not try to hide this, but it handles the formula well. If you enjoy the genre and like watching numbers grow, Void Miner is worth playing. The art is pleasant, the backgrounds stand out nicely, and some of the enemy ship designs have a fun personality to them. But do keep in mind that this genre might not be for everyone.
Your own ship reacts to damage in a tactile way, slowly degrading as the hits stack up, but enemy ships mostly just turn more and more red when they are close to breaking. The same goes with the asteroids you shoot at. Enemy bullets can also blend into the chaos when the screen fills with debris which provides a certain challenge.
Incremental side of the game is where Void Miner feels most confident. Upgrades scale at a steady pace and it becomes obvious early on that oxygen is the stat you want to increase first. Oxygen determines how long your attempt can last before the run ends on its own. Having more time means more money, which means better upgrades in the long run. Of course, if you simply cannot survive, extra oxygen will not save you, so there is some room to pick whichever upgrade you need most.
The upgrades do add up in a noticeable way, which becomes especially clear when you unlock the small mothership in the middle of the map. At first it feels weak and fragile, barely able to help you at all. With more upgrades, though, it turns into a real partner during the tougher waves. Later waves get chaotic, enemy health goes up, and asteroid numbers rise quickly, which makes every improvement feel meaningful.
Enemy attack patterns remain very basic throughout the game. Most ships fire a single projectile straight at you and nothing more. Oddly, this never becomes a major issue because the asteroids themselves are the real threat. They constantly block your path and force you to fight through them just to reach your targets. More enemy variety would make the game stronger, but even as it is, the core idea carries the experience well enough.
Because games like this tend to be short, Void Miner fits right into that space. You can clear the main content in a few hours and then jump into endless mode for a bit more challenge. Sadly, endless mode scales in a way that feels rough. Instead of increasing enemy difficulty, the game mostly increases asteroid health and quantity. This makes it hard to push deeper into the mode because you cannot clear the screen fast enough to reach enemy ships.
There is an issue with the borders of the screen. Sometimes upgrades drop off the edge and become hard to spot. Your ship can also slip slightly off-screen when you cross at an angle, which can be confusing. But generally speaking, the game doesn’t have much bugs or massive issues. Even with these small problems, Void Miner is a fun micro-roguelite with a fast loop and a steady flow of perks to unlock. Players who love classic Asteroids will likely enjoy how this game refreshes that old formula.
The early game can be quite challenging and feel a bit rough, with sessions ending quickly. However, the experience improves significantly once you start acquiring upgrades and stacking items. While it can eventually become repetitive, a characteristic common to this genre, the game is designed for quick play sessions, not long hours. Think of it as a game you’ll enjoy revisiting from time to time.
Void Miner will not blow anyone away, but it offers a few hours of light, enjoyable fun. It is short, simple, and rough around certain areas, but the core loop is strong and the upgrades feel rewarding. For fans of incremental shooters or anyone who wants a quick and satisfying roguelite to play in short sessions, this game is a good pick.
Review copy provided by the publisher
