SphereFace

SphereFace is a retro-styled 3D vector shooter set on the inner surfaces of spheres. You destroy asteroids to open hyperspace portals, then travel through a vast, procedurally generated space toward the disturbance that woke you from slumber. Its play ranges from strategic sniping to frantic rock-dodging, with exploration, progression, discovery and permadeath.

Flight and exploration

You pilot a ship across each sphere’s inner surface using inertial flight dynamics that take agility, awareness and reflexes to master. You can look around with mouselook, a controller, a keyboard or a VR headset. Choose your own pace: progress cautiously or charge in with guns blazing. Venture too deep into the hyperspace tunnel network, and you may encounter something that shoots back.

Weapons and upgrades

Collect and upgrade weapons including the spreadGUN, gaussRIFLE, guidedROCKETS, spaceMINES, flameTHROWER and singularityCANNON. Destroy enemy ships and catch their powerups to improve your weapons. You can also fashion armour from smashed asteroid rock and find movement upgrades such as reverseTHRUSTERS. Each weapon has its own strategy and learning curve, and mastering the game means learning to use them together.

Story and score

The game has a dark science-fiction storyline, a single-save system with permadeath, and an arcade-style top-10 high-score system. Its original, full-album-length score is by five professional musicians and combines ambient electronica, deep techno and chiptune.