Cortex Command cover art

Cortex Command

2012Data RealmsPC (Microsoft Windows), Mac

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.

Playful48%
Grim35%

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.

Science Fiction80%
Technology & Humanity60%

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.

Physics-Driven72%
Resource Management68%
Gunplay65%
Real-Time Strategy62%
Base Building55%
Loot & Drops40%
Platforming35%
Melee Combat28%
Air Mobility25%

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.

Pixel Art75%
Side View70%
2.5D50%
Gritty40%

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.

Single-Player60%
Sandbox55%
High Replayability50%
Local Co-op50%
Handcrafted World45%
Starbound58% match

Shares Science Fiction, Pixel Art, Side View, Resource Management.

Both lean into Science Fiction, Pixel Art, Side View, Resource Management.

Science Fiction95%Pixel Art90%Side View85%Resource Management75%
Forts50% match

Shares Physics-Driven, Side View, Real-Time Strategy, Gunplay.

Both lean into Physics-Driven, Side View, Real-Time Strategy, Gunplay.

Physics-Driven85%Side View85%Real-Time Strategy80%Gunplay60%
CrossCode50% match

Shares Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Physics-Driven, Gunplay.

Both lean into Pixel Art, Science Fiction, Single-Player, Physics-Driven.

Pixel Art95%Science Fiction85%Single-Player90%Physics-Driven65%

See all games like Cortex Command

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.

Real-Time Strategy90%Science Fiction70%Resource Management75%Physics-Driven65%

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.

Pixel Art95%Side View90%Base Building85%Resource Management65%
20XX41% match

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.

Gunplay80%Pixel Art60%Science Fiction50%Platforming85%
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