Deadstone

Deadstone is a combat and defense game set on Mars, where colonists are fighting an infected enemy. You play Blake, a private security operative who crash-lands near the colony of Deadstone after an outbreak on the Icarus space station and takes on the role of sheriff. Deploy defenses, choose weapons and equipment, and fight to keep infected from reaching the colonists; every colonist lost when an infected gets through your defenses is a death you could not prevent.

Game modes

The 50-mission Campaign lets you decide the fate of Deadstone’s colonists. Its battles span three mission types: Patrol, Arena and Colonist Rescue. Survival Mode drops you straight into the fight: build your character, choose a loadout and aim for the highest score. Death grants additional starting resources based on your performance, making you stronger for the next attempt.

Both modes support local co-op with a friend. The game also has online leaderboards, and six difficulty settings accommodate different skill levels.

Build your fighter

The S.C.A.M. system lets you develop your character through four primary stats—Speed, Constitution, Accuracy and Mechanics—along with 11 secondary stats and 70 perks. You can spend credits on 16 upgradable weapons across four classes: pistol, shotgun, automatic and precision. Six equipment types, including flares, explosives and armor, let you round out your loadout.

Defend the colony

You face six kinds of enemy, including soldiers, commanders and the fearsome phase shambler. Infected attack under cover of night and dust storms, and some burrow underground to ambush you. Mines and four types of turret help you build a defensive line; you can upgrade turret stats and research new abilities, including the Kinetic Thumper, which releases recoil energy in a shockwave that pushes infected back.

Stories and missions

The game offers two storylines: a straightforward survival narrative and a tongue-in-cheek version of events. You can also play without a narrative if you want to focus on the action.