Just staying as a jam game for now!
I've got a very busy 2021 planned, so as much as I'd like to expand this I unfortunately won't have the time.
Thanks for checking it out though :)
Cosmic Crystal Games
Creator of
Recent community posts
Awesome feedback, thanks for checking out the game!
There is definitely a few bugs here and there, and some balancing to be done. Getting all the info to the player via the UI was definitely the biggest challenge.
I'd like to do more updates on this, but 2021 is looking very busy for me so far! We'll see how we go :D
Adorable little concept. Feels like a really good Mario Party or WarioWare minigame!
Perhaps could use a little tightening on the controls. Might be better on a gamepad, but the rotation felt like it needed some acceleration ramp up/ramp down. And the liquid's response to vertical movement of the blender was a bit too sensitive/unforgiving for my liking.
The graphics were great, very cute aesthetic. Music and sfx were on point as well. Overall a very "juicy" game :D
This was a very good time! I was a little directionless at first but with a bit of experimentation I was able to figure it out and eventually beat the game :)
Very polished entry, the graphics are very cute and the audio is fantastic. Simple and addictive little gameplay loop, and the ending was a wonderful touch! Good job!
Great puzzle gameplay! Really intuitive tutorialization of the new heroes as well. Unfortunately I got softlocked on a level where there was no available use for Shockwave :(
Could use a quick restart button perhaps?
The only real negative was the sound effects, they gave me a chuckle at first but grew annoying pretty quickly. Overall a really fun game, good entry :)
A very interesting concept that I think can be developed further.
Very nice and simple graphics, easy to read. The meta-maze idea is very cool but in it's current incarnation has some flaws. My immediate thought on seeing the full maze was "oh sh*t this will take hours", and upon clearing another screen I thought "well how do I even remember where I'm going?". Perhaps a pause/map screen would alleviate this.
However I think instead of a traditional labyrinth maze the concept could be tweaked into a more straghtforward non-linear map, like a metroidvania or zelda dungeon. Reach different areas to open up new ones, etc.
Hi! I assume this is through the itch desktop app?
If so, I am unfortunately unable to provide an up-to-date installer package as I no longer have access to the game's project files. As an alternative solution, you should have recieved an email from itch with a link to the bundle list on purchase. If you use that link, you will be able to search for the game by title and direct download from there :)
Really sorry about these issues guys. I have been informed that I'll need an installer package for it to run through the itch desktop app, however the file I've included is a single runtime executable. After some digging, I've unfortunately found that I no longer have access to an up-to-date build of this project and am therefore unable to provide said installer package :(
As an alternative solution, you should have recieved an email from itch with a link to the bundle list on purchase. If you use that link, you will be able to search for the game by title and direct download from there!
Okay I have uploaded an additional build titled 'HellStar_Squadron_v1.01_altSync.exe' with a fix that should hopefully resolve this game speed issue. Thanks so much for your patience while I hunt down this bug! Let me know how this version goes for you :)
One more quick question, is your monitor refresh rate greater than 60Hz?

Trailer
Description
The year is 207X AD. The galactic government entity known as Paradise is at threat from a terryfying, demonic rebellion! Join the HellStar Squadron on this epic adventure as you dodge wave after wave of bullets, shoot the demons back to hell, and save the galaxy in this fresh, retro-inspired arcade shoot 'em up/bullet hell experience!
- Three playable characters/ships to commandeer!
- Eight cosmic stages to blast your way through!
- Big bosses with heaps of bullets and explosions!
- Retro arcade experience including CRT shader and TATE mode options!
- A jammin' chiptune soundtrack!
The galaxy needs you. The HellStar Squadron awaits.
Links
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/843740/HellStar_Squadron/
itch.io: https://cosmiccrystal.itch.io/hellstar-squadron
Screenshots
Fantastic game with a beautiful style. One complaint/feedback: I messed up my first slingshot in the tutorial and couldn't access another ghost :( It might also be worth considering putting the ghost jump mechanic on a separate key to jump as I also accidentally used my ghost numerous times and had to backtrack to get a new one which was a little frustrating. Overall I loved it though!