A fast vertical shoot 'em up where boss victories shape your build.
Out now on SteamWindowsUS$4.99By Tiny Foundry
About the game
Nova Swarm is a fast vertical shoot 'em up for Windows. Fight through sectors of choreographed enemy formations, beat the boss, then pick one of three upgrades that stack, evolve and fuse as the run goes on. When the run ends, launch again and aim higher.
Nova Swarm takes the coin-op score chase and adds a build. In Arcade Tactical, every boss you destroy offers three upgrades. Take one and it stays with you for the rest of the run. Upgrades stack, evolve and combine into Fusion protocols, so two long runs rarely play the same way.
The fighting is built to be read. Shots are bright and clear against painted space, bosses signal their attacks before they fire, and the ship's hitbox is small and honest. Most encounters give you a decision as well as a target: free captured fighters, break shield projectors, destroy enemy guns, or wait for a core to open.
The swarm is not one species. Rift Stalkers, Wreck Mimics, Carrion Blooms and uncatalogued visitors slip into ordinary waves. The Veilborn, 56 strange visitors with their own movement and voices, can arrive mid-run. Space Snakes coil across the field with their broods, and super snakes carry their own health bars. Planetfall, an orbital fortress held together by four anchors, can be pulled apart one piece at a time. In the background, 42 harmless cosmic creatures drift past, mostly minding their own business.
Every pilot starts with three ships and earns the rest of a 30-ship fleet through their career. Chase a personal best on the Steam leaderboards, take on the Daily Signal, or open the Threat Codex to read up on whatever just destroyed you.
Short description, ready to paste
Nova Swarm is a fast vertical shoot 'em up from Tiny Foundry. Beat a boss, pick one of three upgrades, and build a ship that can survive the next sector. Out now on Steam for Windows.
Readout
Key features
Tactical Draft
Destroy a boss and choose one of three upgrades. They stack, evolve and combine into Fusion protocols, so every decision changes how the next sector plays.
Planetfall
Planetfall is a colossal orbital station held together by four anchors. Destroy the anchors and pull it apart, or gamble on the core when its shutters open. Power runs along its conduits, its machinery recoils as it fires, and it breaks up in a long, rolling collapse.
Species and encounters
Fights come with choices. Cut a tow cable, stop a pursuer, break shield projectors or unmask a disguised attacker. Free the captured fighters and they can fly back into the battle with you.
Career
Start with three ships and unlock the rest of a 30-ship fleet as your pilot career grows. Every hull has its own firing pattern and a trait that changes how it handles. Pilot Orders, Run Reports and the Threat Codex keep track of what you have learned, and Save & Exit lets you put a long run down and pick it up later.
Comfort
Bright, distinct projectiles, clear boss tells and an honest hitbox keep the screen readable when it fills up. Comfort settings cover interface size, Reduced Motion, screen shake, flash intensity and separate volume for music, voices and effects.
Threat Codex
What pilots meet out there, as recorded in the in-game Threat Codex. The ordinary waves alone draw on more than 1,700 enemy variants.
Ways to play
Arcade Tactical, Arcade Pure and Onslaught Tactical post to the Steam leaderboards. The other modes are for practice, a daily challenge or a specific sector.
| Mode | What it is | Upgrades | Leaderboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade Tactical | The main event. Start at Sector 1 and build your ship from boss rewards. | Tactical | Ranked |
| Arcade Pure | The same climb with no upgrades. Just your ship, your reflexes and the score. | None | Ranked |
| Onslaught Tactical | Drop in at Sector 51 with three upgrades of your choice and the late-game swarm already awake. | Tactical | Own board |
| Onslaught Pure | Sector 51 with no upgrades, for pilots who want the late game straight. | None | Career only |
| Daily Signal | A new challenge every day, with the same rules for every pilot. | Tactical | Unranked |
| Scout Run | Lower pressure, for learning patterns and exploring. | Tactical | Unranked |
| Sector Run | Start from a checkpoint sector you have already reached. | Tactical | Unranked |
Since launch
Nova Swarm has had more than 50 free updates since launch. The major ones:
Hangar
Every ship in the fleet, as it appears in the hangar. Three are available from the start; the rest unlock through the pilot career.
Screenshots
Captured in-game at 1920 × 1080 with the regular HUD. Select a screenshot to view it full size.
Full-quality 1920 × 1080 JPEG files, free to use in coverage of Nova Swarm.
Logos and art
Please use the wordmark as supplied, without recolouring or stretching it. It works on dark and light backgrounds.
Screenshots, wordmark, app icon, key art and the factsheet as text. Fleet renders are a separate download above.
In the press
The studio
Tiny Foundry is an independent game studio. Nova Swarm is its first game on Steam. It is self-published, launched on 9 June 2026, and has been updated regularly since, with new encounters, bosses, ships and modes shaped by player feedback.
Press and content creators can request a Steam key by email. Please include your outlet or channel and how you plan to cover the game.
