Fit check
Is Orbital Defense Force worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Co-op groups who want shared contract decisions and wave-based shooting
- Roguelike players who enjoy randomized equipment and escalating missions
- Shoot-'em-up fans who want multiple characters and boss encounters
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking a story-led campaign rather than repeated contracts and randomized waves
- Solo players wanting a progression system built specifically around single-character play
- Players who prefer low-pressure combat over increasingly difficult missions and Elite General fights
Our take on Orbital Defense Force
The bounce point arrives between missions, when progress depends on spending randomly rolled items and repairs with scrap before choosing another contract. Players who want fixed upgrades or a predictable loadout may hit that system quickly, especially as missions become more difficult.
What is Orbital Defense Force?
Orbital Defense Force is a 1–4 player co-op shoot-'em-up roguelike about mercenaries defending planets through agency contracts.
Players vote on the next contract, with higher-risk missions offering greater scrap rewards. Scrap can be spent between levels on randomly rolled ship items, repairs, and upgrades. The game includes 9 mercenaries, each with team-benefiting perks and a personal item pool. More than 160 items provide supportive or damaging effects. Enemy waves draw from over 20 basic enemy types with different weapons and movement patterns, while 19 bosses bring distinct attacks and themes. Most bosses are randomly selected for each level, with Elite Generals serving as a recurring challenge.
How Orbital Defense Force plays
- 01Four-player co-op
- Teams can include between 1 and 4 mercenaries, and players choose the next contract by vote.
- 02Mercenary roster
- Nine selectable characters provide perks that support the whole team or deal damage.
- 03Randomized upgrades
- Players buy randomly rolled items between levels using scrap, including character-specific equipment.
- 04Enemy variety
- More than 20 basic enemy types use different movement patterns, projectiles, and special attacks.
- 05Boss encounters
- Nineteen bosses have individual attack sets and themes, with most selected randomly per level.
Orbital Defense Force compared to similar games
Abyssus also combines multiplayer shooting with roguelite progression, but its description centers on hand-crafted levels, brine-powered weapons, and weapon refitting with ancient technologies. Orbital Defense Force instead uses voted contracts, randomized enemy waves, scrap purchases, 9 mercenaries, and more than 160 items. The other listed alternatives do not describe the same co-op roguelike shooting scope.
Orbital Defense Force: platforms & release
Is Orbital Defense Force worth it?
It is worth it if: co-op groups who want shared contract decisions and wave-based shooting. Skip it if: players seeking a story-led campaign rather than repeated contracts and randomized waves.
Where can I download Orbital Defense Force?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Orbital Defense Force's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Orbital Defense Force on?
Windows and Linux.
