Novi Cube

I'm not sure why this game is only $2, but it's pretty fun. It's like a tougher version of Breakout that plays much more quickly. Lots of unlocks and levels and secrets. Many different strategies emerging and I haven't even played for 2 hours yet.

A real rough gem, one I'd love to see reach a wider audience to increase the chances that it's polished to its potential.
The addition of VS-style builds is more addictive than I ever predicted from its unassuming store page and incredibly low price on sale. There's a definite imbalance but there are enough valid setups to prevent it becoming predictable. A little tinkering behind the scenes, particularly regarding a few useless upgrades, and there could be something special here.
As mentioned, there's a bug problem though. A recurring issue between runs was a minor headache and a few small things pop up now and then. It does appear unlikely that it will be fixed in the future so it's worth bearing in mind. All achievements seem to work perfectly (if that's your thing) and they act brilliantly in driving replay value beyond what you'd expect for the cost.
I'm not sure what game created this brick breaker sub-genre but it's so unusual to see it appear on Steam that I can only think of three others (RunningDead, holedown and the terribly named Bricks Crusher Breaker Ball). Despite relatively frequent bugs, this is easily my favourite of the small selection and well worth picking up for a quid.

It's inherently satisfying brick breaker gameplay that becomes even more satisfying when you upgrade your shots to split, explode and shoot lasers in good old "level up to draft power-ups" roguelike fashion, so the whole screen becomes a firework of blocks bursting into particles.

It's Breakout, or more specifically Arkanoid, but it's a roguelike. And you can't move your paddle, instead you can select the angle at which you want to launch your projectile - and you don't die when the ball flies off the screen. Rather, after every round of shots the blocks that still remain creep towards you, and once they reach a big red line you lose.
As you go, you collect experience, which levels you up and gives you access to upgrades. More projectiles! Higher damage! Exploding projectiles! Shotgun shot! An extra life! There's quite a few, although not -that- many. After 2+ hours of play, I'm pretty sure I've seen everything, especially considering I have unlocked all characters.
It's alright. Once you've beaten the normal/hard mode a few times it's getting repetitive, but the path to that point is fun and exciting. I mean, the game's less than 2€, don't expect too much variation for that price.
Still - I had plenty of fun with it. There are more difficulties, but I found them get too hard way too fast, especially considering it doesn't really feel like skill matters all that much here (this is probably false, I just suck too much). Considering the price and the pleasant, bite-sized format of the game, there really is no reason not to check it out.
Curator Page

Super fun game. Bought it after seeing AngoryTom playing. For that price it is a real steal too.

I don't review often, but this game is a lot of fun! It's simple, but there is a lot of replay-ability, and each run and character feel different. Looking at the steam page, and seeing so few reviews, I felt compelled to write one. I'm a game developer myself, so I know how important reviews are. (if you're reading this and play it and like this game, you should leave one too)
I'm not sure why it shows me with such little playtime, I think I was offline on accident. I've played at least 5 hours so far, and still haven't unlocked everyone. I've enjoyed it, and love the music. Great deal for just $2!

Fun, short roguelike, I love the music and the concept. It is slightly buggy and can get laggy but overall, a great buy for its cheap price!