Update []:
Polygon Bird's debut shoot 'em up Birdcage released yesterday on Steam (November 18th), and it's already getting some wonderful reviews online.
Right now, on Steam, it has 34 reviews a day out from release, the majority of which are positive. This includes comments calling it "One of the most refreshing releases in a long time" and "genuinely one of the coolest games I have ever played".
STG Shmups, meanwhile, who is a curator of shoot 'em up games on Steam and is involved in several initiatives around the genre, has labelled it "one of the best shmups from this year" on social media, stating that "There’s a Radiant magic coming out of this one", in reference to the game drawing influence from Treasure's 1998 arcade classic Radiant Silvergun.
If you want to grab the game, it costs £11.79, with a 10% discount also being available, knocking the price down a little bit more (£10.61) for the next week or so.
Have you played Birdcage yet? What do you make of the game? Let us know in the comments!
Original Story: A Steam demo is now available for Polygon Bird's upcoming Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga-esque shoot 'em up Birdcage, giving players a chance to try out the promising title ahead of its launch on November 18th, 2025.
Originally announced back in November 2022, the game, which has been previously described as "an arcade-style, vertically scrolling shooter" in which you "shoot, slash and weave through countless bullets and enemies," ended up catching our attention two years ago, thanks to a development update on Twitter/X.
It centers on a story about a war between two opposing factions, named Selene and Radon, with players assuming control of a pilot who awakens inside an experimental gunship and is tasked with destroying a powerful Radon weapon capable of ending Earth’s reign and birthing a new universe.
The new demo, which is nicknamed Birdcage -Dryad Ecophene Module Object-, has been released to coincide with this month's Steam Next Fest and features an opening cutscene for the in-development shoot 'em up, as well as a playable tutorial, two full stages, four boss fights, and a choice of difficulty (Easy, Normal, and Hard).
The developer estimates it features 15 minutes of gameplay content in total, though we imagine you'll be wanting to dive back in again and again to get to grips with the ship, the Halcyon, and its combination of long-range, rapid-firing lasers and its close-range sword attacks.
Here's where you can download the demo, if you fancy giving it a go.