Astro Burn is the debut game from new indie studio Beyond the Pixels

• Astro Burn is the debut space shooter release from Beyond the Pixels
• It sees you step into the shoes of feline space pilot Astro
• Blast your way through multiple levels of roguelite action in this upcoming release

When it comes to debut releases, a studio has to make an impression and fast. And with London-based Beyond the Pixels, they've certainly got something eyecatching with the fast and furry-ous bullet hell Astro Burn. Set to arrive in 2026, Astro Burn has ambitions beyond just gaming as well.

Astro Burn sees you step into the furry shoes of Astro, a feline space pilot. Accompanied by her robot companion Al, she finally returns to Earth after a deep-space mission, only to find it swarming with rogue war machines. You'll not only have to blast your way out of danger but also find out why all the humans have disappeared.

It's pretty clear that Astro Burn is evoking the old-school 16-bit space shooters of yore. And in terms of artwork, it certainly hits the mark with roguelite action set over nine levels. These levels range from deep space to the skies of Earth, underwater and beyond.

Feline fine

As far as gameplay and content go, Astro Burn looks to be a relatively small-scale but engaging take on the space shooter genre with plenty to sink your teeth into, including the requisite mastery of different systems and levels.

But Beyond the Pixels has even bigger ambitions for Astro Burn, up to and including an actual animated show based on the characters. It certainly seems they're not shying away from big ideas, but it may be that it's biting off just a little more than they can chew before we even see how Astro Burn is received.

Astro Burn will certainly have a lot of competition when it comes to mobile. It should only take a brief glance at our list of the best mobile games of 2025 (so far) to see how many top picks we've already made before the year is out!