Neon colors and prescription pills provide the base for the latest “retro-futuristic drugstep aracde shooter”, Intake.
Described by developer Cipher Prime as the “polychromatic love child of Dr. Mario and Ikaruga”, Intake puts you against wave after wave of cascading pills with catchy music tracks as you use powerups and quick reflexes to ensure no more than a few reach the bottom of the screen heralding a game over. If you’re wondering where you’ve heard of Cipher Prime, they’re the same dev group responsible for the abstract indie hits Splice and Fractal with their latest effort Intake certainly being one of the more approachable of the lot.
Aside from the pill aesthetic, at its core Intake is a simplified point and click version of Ikaruga where you’ll have to move your colored reticle over a pill and change its color between the two provided per level in order to shoot a pill and destroy it. The game will start slow enough giving you enough time to figure things out and get your fingers warm but soon you won’t just be worrying about what color you have currently selected. Progress through enough levels and you’ll be faced with pills with no color, mines, fast moving pills and more.
All in all, Intake is a neon-colored game of reflexes that will keep you coming back if you love having a constant challenge. And personally as someone who has fallen in love again with high score oriented games – I’m all in. And for another day or so you can pick it up for as little as $6 as part of the Humble Bundle Weekly offering so step to it!