IKARUS casts you as a lone and ancient guardian flying to the rescue of the Sun-goddess Amaterasu, fighting through hordes of hostile machines as the clock ticks to Armageddon. It fuses the lightning-fast, skill-based chaos of classic arcade shoot 'em ups with the deep strategy of a rogue-like deck-builder. Plan your attack, execute it with precision, and see how close to the sun you can fly. PLAN YOUR ATTACK. EXECUTE WITH PRECISION Every battle is a two-phase dance of strategy and execution. Before each wave, craft your attack plan by queuing cards in the perfect sequence. Once the chaos begins, it's pure adrenaline as you dodge, parry, shoot, and unleash your planned combos at the perfect moment to dominate your foes. MASTER THREE UNIQUE ARCHETYPES Each run begins with a choice: pick your Archetype, each a combination of 2 card colours, which allow for unique playstyles: The Architect (Blue/Green): Heal yourself and allies, use shields and parries to protect yourself and overwhelm your foes with the help of your constructs. The Berserker (Green/Red): Brute force your way through enemies with damage dealing cards, buffs and health-related mechanics. The Catalyst (Red/Blue): High-Risk = High-Reward, aggressively draw and burn through your offensive spells for explosive rewards. DISCOVER DEVASTATING SYNERGIES Discover run-defining synergies by combining cards and augments from your chosen Archetype, such as: The Final Gambit: Use Hubris to sacrifice health for a massive hand of cards, then unleash Bonfire to burn that entire hand away in exchange for a screen-filling volley of missiles that obliterates everything. Health Hurts: Use Spurting Growth and the Bear.exe construct to stack your maximum health, then unleash the Gaia Hammer - a n attack that deals more damage the healthier you are, turning your lifebar into a weapon. Missile Swarms: Equip the Butterfly.exe construct, which fires missiles every time you draw a card. Then, use cards like Pyre and Flash of Genius to churn through your deck, unleashing a continuous and deadly swarm of homing missiles. DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING Every run makes you stronger. Earn experience to level up and permanently expand your arsenal for all future flights. Turn failed runs into future victories by unlocking new cards, upgrades, player skills. Push your limits by activating difficulty modifiers for greater rewards and prove your mastery on the leaderboards. YOUR FLIGHT TO GLORY INCLUDES: Two-Phase Combat: A unique system that rewards both strategic foresight and mechanical skill. Three Core Archetypes: Master the Sentinel, Berserker, and Maverick, each with a distinct playstyle and card pool. Endless Synergies: Discover hundreds of cards and augments, creating unique and powerful builds on every run. Skill-Based Action: Weave through bullet-hell and master a challenging but rewarding parry system. Persistent Progression: Earn experience to level up and permanently unlock new cards, augments, and modifiers. An Unforgiving Robotic World: Battle through multiple levels, each with themed waves of unique robot enemies, mini-bosses, and titanic final bosses. Climb the Leaderboards: Activate score-boosting modifiers and compete for the top spot against friends and the world. Fly towards the sun IKARUS, one last time.
