| UFO 50 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
| September 18, 2024 More Details |
|
| Genre | |
| Indie, Arcade | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
 |
$24.99 |
| Developer | Publisher |
| Mossmouth | Mossmouth |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1-2 Players | TBD |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform Play |
| 5-10 Hours | No |
| Official Website | Official Website for UFO 50 |
UFO 50 Latest News
⚫︎ The Game Awards 2024 GOTY Nominees are Here
⚫︎ UFO 50 Just Got Released And Gets High Ratings
⚫︎ Spelunky's Derek Yu talks crafting UFO 50 and creating an entirely fictional developer (Eurogamer)
⚫︎ 'There's a lot of psychological hurdles': Why Mossmouth charged $25 for 50 games (PC Gamer)
UFO 50 Overview
UFO 50 is a retro-inspired indie game developed and published by Mossmouth, featuring a compilation of 50 titles. Positioned as a product of UFO Soft—a fictional, obscure 1980s video game company ahead of its time—the collection includes platformers, RPGs, puzzle games, roguelites, shoot-’em-ups, and more. All 50 games are available from the start, and it supports single-player, local multiplayer, and co-op play for select titles.
Developed over eight years, the project involved contributions from six indie developers like Derek Yu (Spelunky) and Ojiro Fumoto (Downwell). It was initially conceived as a series of small game experiments. However, Derek Yu, recognizing the potential challenges of releasing these smaller games individually, believed that a compilation format would be a more suitable approach.
Released on September 18, 2024, UFO 50 has already garnered critical acclaim, earning nominations for Best Indie Game and Best PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, and Best Independent Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024.
| Steam |
|||||
| Price | $24.99 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UFO 50 Gameplay
UFO 50 contains 50 unique titles, each crafted as a standalone experience rather than microgames or minigames. These games span a wide array of genres, including platformers, shoot 'em ups, RPGs, roguelikes, and puzzle games. Each game features its own mechanics, art style, and objectives, ranging from quick arcade challenges to more in-depth experiences like open-world adventures or a full-length JRPG that can take hours to complete.
The games emulate a retro, 8-bit aesthetic with a mix of modern game design elements. Many of the titles emphasize player discovery, much like many of the games developed back in the 80s, and gameplay can often shift its pace depending on the chosen game. For instance, some games might involve navigating procedurally generated levels, while others focus on solving puzzles.
UFO 50 harkens back to the classic gaming era with local multiplayer for up to two players, offering both cooperative and competitive gameplay, including split-screen PvP and co-op.
UFO 50 Reviews
Critic Scores of More than 50
UFO 50 has garnered critical acclaim, achieving a Metacritic score of 91 out of 100. Many reviewers assessed the compilation as a whole rather than individual games. The Guardian awarded the game a perfect five-star rating, commending its ambitious design and talented development team. Eurogamer also bestowed a five-star rating, highlighting the exceptional value offered at just $25.
Digital Trends, however, took reviewing the game to the extreme by choosing to rate each game. Many of these games received scores above 80%, with Party House topping the list at 94% simply for its fun gameplay. Onion Delivery was the lowest-rated game, scoring 45% due to its poor controls.
While critics were overwhelmingly positive, user reviews on Metacritic average at 7.9 Many users appreciate the game’s vast content, but some criticize the lack of depth in many individual games.
UFO 50 Announcement Trailer
Announcement Trailer
UFO 50 Trivia
⚫︎ Beyond the 50 officially listed games, a hidden 51st game, Miasma Tower, can be accessed by typing a specific command into the in-game terminal.
⚫︎ In an interview with Eurogamer, Derek Yu disclosed that the collection was originally planned to include a cyberpunk RPG but was ultimately replaced with Magic Garden. Yu explained that the decision was made because he felt that they "had one too many RPGs."
⚫︎ Ironically, UFO 50's eight-year development mirrored the game's fictional release period of 1982 to 1989.
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