I jumped into Straimium Immortaly with curiosity and excitement, ready to explore its weird and wonderful world—the Cubicus. As someone who enjoys open-world games, I expected surprises, and this game delivered. Made by solo developer caiys, this indie roguelite mixes fast-paced shooting, dungeon crawling, and pixel-art weirdness. The result is a fun and quirky ride that feels both familiar and refreshingly strange.
Overall Thoughts
Straimium Immortaly stands out because it’s so creative and unusual. Instead of small stages, the whole game takes place in one huge, connected maze. It reminded me a lot of Rogue Legacy, with its castle-like structure. You can dive into harder zones early if you feel brave, which I liked. The basic gameplay—go into a room, fight enemies, grab loot—might seem simple. But the many special rooms and random items keep each run exciting. One downside is that boss fights don’t change, so they get predictable over time. Still, compared to classics like The Binding of Isaac, this game focuses more on exploring and less on repeating the same fights, though it doesn’t go as deep with its story.
How It Plays
You move in any direction, but shoot only left or right. That might sound limited, but it actually works really well. Dodging enemy bullets in tight hallways feels exciting. One of my favorite moments was a bizarre rock-paper-scissors battle with a monster that looked like Cthulhu—totally unexpected and super fun. Items range from silly food to powerful weapons. I unlocked a few characters with different styles—one uses rapid fire, another casts spells. Some item descriptions are hard to understand, which was a bit frustrating. But finding cool item combos always felt worth it.
Story and World
The story is short and simple: beat the Queen Emperess. That’s it. But along the way, you get bits of lore through weird text and character unlocks. There are no long cutscenes, but the game builds its world through creepy murals, strange rooms, and the big door leading to the final boss. It trusts you to connect the dots, and I liked that. It’s more about the atmosphere than a detailed plot.
Graphics and Style
The game uses rough-looking pixel art that fits its strange vibe. Enemies are a mix of slimy and robotic, and some rooms have giant background art that’s really cool to look at. The map is color-coded, so it’s easy to track your path. The visuals feel like something from a ’90s PC game, but without the annoying bugs. Everything runs smoothly. If you’re into clean 3D graphics, this might not be for you. But if you like weird, scrappy-looking games, it has charm.
Sound and Music
The music is all chiptune—simple, electronic, and a bit trippy. Each dungeon area has different tracks, and they help you feel the mood, especially when danger ramps up. Sounds like bullets flying, monsters growling, and item pickups are all sharp and clear. There’s no voice acting, but funny text adds personality. Even during intense battles, the audio stays stable and immersive.
Challenge and Replay Value
The difficulty feels just right. My first full playthrough took about four hours, but there’s still plenty to do. You can turn on “Asian Mode” to make bullets faster or pick “small cube” for quick runs. The game even includes a speedrun timer for competitive players. Other fans report similar playtimes and love the many special rooms—there are over 50 unique ones. Bosses stay the same, which hurts replay a little, but the random level layouts and item combos make it worth coming back.
Fun Facts and Behind the Scenes
Straimium Immortaly came out on October 10, 2016, and was the first game from caiysware. Developer caiys built it alone, pulling ideas from classic indie shooters and roguelikes. He kept updating the game after launch, adding more stuff and fine-tuning the balance. The odd English in item descriptions comes from his one-man style—and many fans now see it as part of the game’s charm.
Final Thoughts
Straimium Immortaly is full of imagination, fast action, and strange humor. The boss fights could use more variety, but everything else makes up for it. If you’re looking for a roguelite with a twist—something fast, funny, and full of secrets—this is a great pick. I’m always excited to start another run and see what weirdness I’ll find next.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
