
Cortex Command
In the world of Cortex Command, many humans have opted to amputate their entire natural bodies in order to prolong their lives and enable interstellar space travel. Their disembodied brains are hardly helpless, however, as they can remotely control all kinds of machines and craft through artificial interfaces. Playing as one of these people's brains, you can quickly switch control between many different expendable bodies in order to complete otherwise dangerous tasks - all from the physical safety of your command bunker. Use these technological powers of telepathy to collect gold out of the fully destructible terrain, then purchase even more bodies and materiel with those newly acquired funds! You can even program the crude A.I.s of your puppet army to complete simple tasks (patrolling, digging, etc.) while your attention and direct control is somewhere else. Use your accumulated forces to protect your brain, explore the world, and defeat your competition!
What it feels like
The premise of expendable puppet bodies and experimental arsenal encourages experimentation and mischief. The body-horror premise and gore elements lend a dark, harsh edge to the fiction.
What it's about
Disembodied brains, artificial bodies, and interstellar colonization form the core sci-fi premise. Body amputation and remote control of machines explores technology's relationship to human survival.
How it plays
Fully destructible terrain and ragdoll-physics-based soldier control are core to moment-to-moment gameplay. Mining gold and budgeting funds to purchase bodies, weapons, and materiel is a central strategic loop. Shooting and firearms combat are central to controlling expendable soldier bodies and defeating enemies.
How it looks and sounds
Pixel graphics aesthetic is a signature visual style emphasized across all materials. The primary view is a side-profile perspective of the destructible game world. 2D side-on gameplay with destructible terrain depth creates a 2.5D spatial feel.
How it's structured
Single-player campaigns and solo control of a brain commander are primary modes. Destructible terrain, freeform unit control, and player-set objectives create open-ended systemic play. Multiple factions, unit types, and destructible terrain variation support meaningful replay.
Kindred games
Shares Science Fiction, Pixel Art, Side View, Resource Management.
Both lean into Science Fiction, Pixel Art, Side View, Resource Management.
Shares Physics-Driven, Side View, Real-Time Strategy, Gunplay.
Both lean into Physics-Driven, Side View, Real-Time Strategy, Gunplay.
Shares Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Physics-Driven, Gunplay.
Both lean into Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Single-Player, Physics-Driven.
See all games like Cortex Command →
Closest hidden gems
A lesser-known kindred — Real-Time Strategy, Science Fiction, Resource Management, Physics-Driven. 96% positive across 4,811 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Real-Time Strategy, Science Fiction, Resource Management, Physics-Driven.
A lesser-known kindred — Pixel Art, Side View, Base Building, Resource Management. 86% positive across 4,627 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Pixel Art, Side View, Base Building, Resource Management.
A lesser-known kindred — Gunplay, Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Local Co-op. 91% positive across 4,562 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Gunplay, Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Platforming.





