Stick Rush

Observed in play

Each wave drops a group of enemies into the arena. You move, your figure fires, and the wave ends when the last one is down. Gold is left behind on the floor and has to be picked up, so a clean wave is worth more than a scrappy one.

Between waves the gold goes on weapons and upgrades. This is where the difficulty is really set. Skipping a purchase to save for something better is a real decision, and one that can cost you two waves later.

Pressing F calls the next wave early. That is useful once your loadout is comfortably ahead of the arena, and a bad idea before it.

Space equips a weapon, which matters more than it sounds. A wave that starts with the wrong thing in hand is usually a wave you lose.

The arena itself stays much the same between waves, so what changes is you. That puts the whole difficulty curve in the shop screen. A run that goes wrong usually went wrong two purchases earlier, not in the wave you died in.

Movement is the other half of it. You can move with the keyboard or by holding and dragging with the mouse, and the two feel different enough that it is worth trying both in the first couple of waves. Dragging tends to suit players who want to circle; the keyboard suits players who want to back away in a straight line.

Notes for a first attempt

• Sweep the floor for gold before pressing F. Dropped gold is the only income, and it is easy to leave half of it behind.
• Keep moving even when nothing is near you. Standing still is what turns two enemies into five.
• Buy one clear upgrade rather than three small ones. Spreading gold thin is the usual reason a run stalls.
• Do not call the next wave early until you have finished a wave without losing health.
• Check what is in your hands before the wave starts. Space is quick, and mid-wave is the wrong time to find out.