Space stations and asteroids curve and loop around themselves. Up? Down? Who needs those when you’ve got a spaceship, guns and swarms of bugs to blast?

Curved Space takes the classic twin-stick shooter formula and plunges it into the weirdest reaches of space. Battle giant enemy spiders across curved landscapes where your bullets hug the terrain while the horizon drops sharply out of sight.

Inspired by arcade classics, players will have to hunt for weapon power-ups and upgrades while dodging enemy fire, blasting interdimensional bugs and wrangling some enormous boss monsters. Simple to learn as you fight your way through the branching story-driven campaign, but tough to master as you chase high scores in Survival mode.

Lucky PC players can get a first taste of the synthwave-tinged neon fun to come today, and help shape its future. Players can try a demo on Steam here and collect their access code for the beta on the Only By Midnight Discord channel here.

The beta version contains the first act of the story mode, taking players through basic training, several stages of spider-wrangling action and culminating in a massive boss battle. Beta players will also have access to a content-restricted version of the endless Survival mode, for those who really want to put their ship through its paces. Lastly, beta players will be invited to vote on which of six tracks from synthwave label FiXT Neon will accompany the game’s dramatic final battle.

The tracks in the running to accompany the story mode’s mind-bending finale are:

• “Abyss” by 3FORCE (feat. Scandroid)
• “Nexus” by Cassetter (feat. Mari Kattman)
• “Nuke (VIP)” by 3FORCE
• “Carrier Signal” by Soul Extract (Cliff Lin Remix)
• “Giant Drill” by Cassetter
• “Guardian Angel” by 3FORCE (feat. Robin Adams)

Players can listen to all six tracks here & find for details on how to cast your vote in-game.

Key Features

• Precision controls for mouse/keyboard and controller alike. Accessible but demanding.
• Unique and Innovative Gameplay: Mapping 2D gameplay to any 3D surface is unheard of for most shooters. Climb ceilings, flip over to the other side of the environment and experience breathtaking vistas in space with a unique gameplay experience.
• Ride the Synthwave: Get in the zone with a high-energy soundtrack courtesy of FiXT Neon, featuring artists like Scandroid, 3Force and Fury Weekend.
• Out-of-this-world (literally) effects: Behold bizarre laser spiders that stab you with their faces and the glittering energy barrages that you’ll use to demolish them. Curving energy beams wrap around the level, missiles swarm your foes as you navigate impossible glowing superstructures.
• Adapt & Exterminate
  • A massive arsenal of high-tech weaponry. Equip two weapons at a time out of a pool of over twenty, from machineguns to beam lasers, exotic particle sprays and magnetic melee blades.
  • Powerful ship abilities: Even before you go hunting for new guns, you can lasso spiders with your energy lash, dance around them with dash-boosters and just obliterate them all with Overdrive mode when you’re tired of playing with your prey.
  • Customise your ship with your personal cocktail of ability upgrades through the campaign, or as rewards for clearing waves in survival mode - better than fuzzy dice!
• Three Ways to Play
  • Story: Step into the void and guide a multidimensionally jinxed energy-miner/spider-hunter through a multiverse of misfortune. Battle monstrous cosmic monsters, and choose which time-stream to follow the story down as reality splinters around you.
  • Survival: Think you know your way around an energy tether? Prove it. Pick an arena and hang on to the bitter end against randomly generated and increasingly deadly waves of alien arachnids, customising your ship as you fight.
  • Daily Run: What’s best in life? To stand tall on the leaderboards and hear the lamentations of your peers. Tackle a fixed survival match every day, the same waves and challenges face every player. With lady luck on vacation, skill alone will carry you to fame and glory.

Curved Space is coming to PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One in Fall 2020.