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STRAFE: Gold Edition

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2017

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Quick resume

STRAFE® is the worlds bloodiest roguelike first-person shooter! Featuring mind melting secrets and persistent gore that allows you to paint levels red with the excessive entrails of your enemies. 30+ weapons, 20+ enemies, & a red hot soundtrack.

Global score

72/100

Genres

Action, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Fast-paced and satisfying combat
    • Nostalgic retro aesthetic and music
    • Procedural level generation with secrets
    • Addictive roguelike progression
    • Active developer support and updates

    Cons

    • Steep difficulty and permadeath can frustrate
    • Limited enemy variety and ai simplicity
    • Scarcity of health and armor pickups
    • Some bugs and performance issues reported
    • Minimal narrative and social features

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Relaxation, Survival, Violence, Fellowship. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story, Expression.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose starting weapon and upgrade paths, plus procedural level generation encourages adaptive play rather than fixed routines."

    • Competence
      4

      "Game demands skillful movement, aiming, and resource management; players report a satisfying learning curve and rewarding mastery."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is primarily on individual runs and personal improvement rather than direct player-vs-player competition or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report addictive gameplay with repeated runs and desire to improve, though permadeath and difficulty may limit very long sessions."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Game is single-player focused with no multiplayer or cooperative elements."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Procedural generation and weapon upgrades allow some variation, but players follow established gameplay mechanics and level structures."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of power over others or dominance mechanics; gameplay is solo and self-directed."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a fast-paced, intense distraction with nostalgic aesthetics and immersive combat."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in roguelike FPS and retro style, despite some initial disappointment from mismatched expectations."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players explore different weapon upgrades, mutators, and movement techniques like strafe jumping to optimize runs."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Procedural levels and hidden secrets encourage discovery each run, though layouts reuse predesigned rooms."

    • Expression
      -2

      "Limited character or environment customization; focus is on gameplay rather than avatar personalization."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "Game features sci-fi and horror elements with exaggerated gore and enemy designs, evoking imaginative fiction."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community gameplay elements; strictly single-player experience."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills in movement, aiming, and strategy; game has a learning curve and progression through upgrades."

    • Health
      -5

      "Game promotes sedentary play with no physical activity or rehab elements."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires continuous attention and focus due to fast-paced combat and permadeath mechanics."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building; purely individual gameplay."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; solo player experience."

    • Progression
      3

      "Players accumulate weapon upgrades, items, and unlock modifiers across runs, though permanent progression is limited."

    • Relaxation
      -2

      "Gameplay is tense and challenging with sustained pressure, though some players find flow in mastering mechanics."

    • Sensation
      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation from fast action, gore effects, retro visuals, and energetic soundtrack."

    • Status
      -4

      "Achievements and unlocks exist but social recognition or popularity aspects are minimal or absent."

    • Story
      -3

      "Minimal narrative; focus is on gameplay and atmosphere rather than plot or character interaction."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Players must plan resource use, movement, and combat tactics to survive and progress."

    • Thrill
      4

      "High tension from permadeath, enemy hordes, and fast-paced combat creates suspense and excitement."

    • Value
      3

      "Players feel the game offers good entertainment value for price, especially after updates improved quality."

    • Violence
      5

      "Game emphasizes combat, gore, dismemberment, and destruction as core gameplay elements."

    • Survival
      4

      "Players must manage health, armor, and resources carefully to avoid death and complete runs."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026