Action · May 31, 2018
Just Shapes & Beats (2018)
'Just Shapes & Beats' is a chaotic co-op musical bullet-hell based on three simple things: avoid Shapes, move to the kick-ass Beats, and die, repeatedly. It’s a new spin on the SHMUP genre, adding a layer of cooperation that’s at the core of the game: because everything is better with friends. Play alone or with up to four players, local or online, through the game’s Story Mode or Challenge Runs. You like music? SO. DO. WE. That's why we have 48 hand crafted stages with licensed tracks from over 20 chiptune and EDM artists. Hits like a ton of brick straight into your eardrums and your eyeballs; BAM . Gather up your squad and play up to 4 player co-op, drop-in drop-out, either all on your couch for a house party, or an online party! Don't have/like your friends? WE GOTCHU MY DUDES, make new or BETTER friends by playing a few quick online challenge runs. Let us pick your new best buds for the next hours; strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. Kind of a lone wolf, back hurts from carrying people, would rather play with yourself? Do it , the game is just as fun, just a different experience waiting for you; ain't nobody judging here yo. We have many different game experiences to offer! Story mode helps you learn the ropes with our intermediate-ish tracks and the optional Casual mode. When you think you’re ready, Challenge Runs is where you get to prove yourself: get judged on your skills by playing through randomly picked tracks. Need some kind of training montage to get better? Rip off your sleeves and practice the tracks you’re struggling to master in the Playlist. Literally the soundtrack for your party! Let the game play in Party Mode and light up your social gatherings, + you can even have people playing those cool party stages while the music plays if they're into that, because WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING. So yea, go ahead and throw the most epic party of your life thanks to us, you are welcome .
Action releases from 2018
175 Action titles launched in 2018 — top 6 by review volume.
Position in Action
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 22.2k Steam reviews | Top 22% in Action |
| Positive rating | 98% positive | Genre average: 83% — this title sits in top 3% |
| Metacritic | 83/100 | Genre average 77 — top 27% of Action titles |
| Concurrent peak | 220 players | Top 23% in Action by live player count |
| Engagement hours | 10 h average | Top 46% for session depth among Action |
Peer Action titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Rhythm · 410
- Great Soundtrack · 399
- Music · 373
- Bullet Hell · 361
- Difficult · 343
- Multiplayer · 272
- 2D · 258
- Indie · 236
- Action · 207
- Co-op · 195
- Singleplayer · 180
- Local Multiplayer · 166
- Online Co-Op · 145
- Local Co-Op · 142
- Fast-Paced · 137
Reception Metrics
Steam community
98%Overwhelmingly Positive · 22.2k reviews
21.7k positive · 443 negative
Metacritic
83/100 critic aggregate
Metacritic user score
8.7/10
Curator recommendations
22.3k
Peak concurrent players
220
Localization Coverage
Interface / Subtitles (12)
- English
- French
- Japanese
- Korean
- German
- Russian
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Italian
- Spanish - Spain
- Spanish - Latin America
- Polish
Features & Capabilities
Multiplayer
- Multi-player
- PvP
- Online PvP
- Shared/Split Screen PvP
- Co-op
- Online Co-op
- Shared/Split Screen Co-op
- Shared/Split Screen
Community
- Steam Achievements
- Steam Trading Cards
Input & Comfort
- Full controller support
Other
- Single-player
Press Quotes
“Just Shapes & Beats is a magical hybrid between a bullet hell shoot-'em-up and rhythm game.” Alissa McAloon, Destructoid “Just Shapes & Beats is as intense as any bullet hell game [...] But it's one that's easy to get into, not just because of the simple control scheme and the growing desire to escape alive, but because of the catchy soundtrack.” Ozzie Mejia, ShackNews “Just Shapes and Beats is a mesmerizing rhythm game with an exceedingly simple idea.” Neal Ronaghan,…
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
10h
short (5–15 hours)
Median
5h
Typical completion time
2-week avg
0h
Current engagement
Achievements
26
Steam unlocks available
Release & Availability
| Release date | May 31, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Berzerk Studio |
| Base price | $11.99 -40% |
| DLC / Add-ons | 1 released |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Estimated owners | 1M–10M |
| External links | Official site · Support · [email protected] |
Editions & Packages
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