Squadron 404 is a top-down 2D space shooter for PC that blends intense wave defense with hands-on ship construction. Players defend a mothership against relentless enemy assaults while assembling and customizing their own fighter in a workshop that forms a core part of the experience.
Gameplay
The core loop alternates between external combat and internal building. Outside the station, waves of enemies approach the mothership, which starts with 200,000 hull points and a rotating shield wall featuring three gaps. Scrap collected during fights repairs the hull and shields while the next wave prepares. Flight uses inertia-based controls with a dash, so acceleration, braking, and positioning require deliberate decisions rather than automatic handling. Inside the workshop, players craft fighters piece by piece using 22 modules such as drones, black hole generators, chain lightning, vampire beams, teleporters, and minelayers, along with 26 modifiers across four rarity tiers. These attach to turret, rocket, module, thruster, and shield slots, with left, center, or right mounting positions visibly altering muzzle placement and overall ship appearance. Eight complete ship designs across four silhouettes unlock through achievements and replace the entire hull without costing scrap.
Progression runs across 200 levels with eight skills that reach rank 20 normally or rank 30 after ascension. The ancient workbench combines ten identical modules into a single +1 version at no cost, encouraging collection. Ascension occurs at the end of the Ancient Labyrinth and grants a bulkier hull, a second module slot, wider mount points, and higher skill caps, though players can toggle it off to retain the original silhouette.
Game Modes
Six distinct locations support varied playstyles. The Start Zone offers two tiers in Aurora Outpost and Nebula Yard as an introductory area. Stargate features procedural corridors spanning levels 1 through 100, with each level requiring scrap to enter. Asteroid Belt includes destructible rocks that split, drift, and create slowing dust clouds, along with giant boulders and composite ore. Ancient Labyrinth contains traps, gates, and orbs, with entry gated behind an Ancient Key that drops at a 1 percent rate; the workbench and ascension chamber sit at its conclusion. Fog Convoy tasks players with escorting a 12,000-hull carrier through the nebula, choosing routes at nodes and earning Aeon Dust for a dedicated upgrade tree. Boss Arena provides 14 wall segments, doors, purge phases, and a central core for focused encounters.
Enemy forces include 12 types plus five named bosses-Warlord, Steel Serpent, Artillery Titan, Plasma Hydra, and Shell Fortress-along with the Destroyer Core and fortress core. Waves scale in number, toughness, and damage output through wave 100, with a boss appearing every fifth wave. The violet-grey fog thickens over time, spawning threats built from recycled ship scrap.
Progression and Economy
Scrap serves as the primary currency while Aeon Dust functions as a secondary resource earned in specific modes. The workshop shop holds 12 fixed items. Modifier and module boxes display a visible pity counter to limit poor luck. A marketplace allows listing and purchasing modules and modifiers from other pilots in the same session at a 10 percent listing fee, with unneeded items selling back at 40 percent value. Nine quests, split between three main-line and three repeatable, advance the story involving characters such as Deaneria, Androkai, and Strudel, plus an unnamed signal. Portraits shift mood based on mothership condition and story progress, while music adapts to the current location.
Multiplayer and Availability
Co-op supports up to four pilots. Sessions host through Steam, with invites via the overlay or discovery in a server browser that shows ping and player count. Waves increase in difficulty with additional players across the start zone, delves, and main defense phases. Trading occurs directly between participants. The game remains available only in German at present, though the provided description covers the German version for English readers.
Is It Worth Playing?
Squadron 404 suits players who enjoy top-down shooters that combine persistent defense with deep customization and light co-op elements. The workshop-to-combat cycle, inertia flight model, and achievement-linked ship designs create a personal connection to each fighter. Multiple modes ranging from procedural corridors to escort missions and arena fights provide variety without requiring constant repetition. Co-op scaling and player trading add social layers for groups of up to four. Those seeking a single-player focused experience with German-language audio and text will find the core systems intact, while the long progression tail and ascension option support extended play sessions. The combination of wave survival, modular building, and varied environments delivers a focused indie action package for fans of the genre.
