If Vampire Survivors, Death Must Die and Balatro somehow got together to create a game fuelled by fizzy drinks instead of fantasy heroes or poker hands, you’d probably end up with something close to Sodaman.
It’s a wonderfully daft premise, but beneath all the jokes is a roguelike that has already found an audience on PC, where it holds Mostly Positive Steam reviews, before now making the jump to Xbox Series X|S for £6.69.
At A Glance
- Game: Sodaman
- Developer: Tape Corps
- Publisher: GameDev.ist
- Platform: Xbox Series X|S
- Price: £6.69
The Soda Has Gone Flat. Someone Has To Pay.
Most action games start with a world-ending catastrophe. Sodaman takes a slightly different approach.
Entity-X has somehow managed to flatten almost every soda in existence, leaving the universe without its fizzy fuel. That’s bad news for everyone, but especially for the one hero who practically runs on the stuff.
Armed with an ever-growing arsenal and plenty of attitude, Sodaman heads off to settle the score, blasting through waves of alien enemies in search of the precious drinks that somehow escaped the great Sodacalypse. It’s silly, self-aware and never pretends to be anything else.
Familiar Ideas, Fresh Flavours
Sodaman fits comfortably into the bullet-heaven genre that exploded after the success of Vampire Survivors. You’re constantly surrounded by enemies, levelling up on the fly and trying to survive just a little longer with every run. But it doesn’t stop there.
The developers have also taken inspiration from Death Must Die, blending fast-paced action with deep roguelike progression, while the game’s upgrade cards feel like a clever nod towards Balatro’s addictive build-crafting. Instead of relying on one upgrade path, you’re constantly experimenting with weapons, cybernetic body parts, collectible cards and, of course, different soda powers.
Every colour of soda unlocks new abilities, encouraging you to mix and match effects until you stumble across a combination that feels almost unstoppable.
Build Your Own Fizz-Fuelled Warrior
Outside of combat, you’ll spend time aboard your spaceship unlocking new upgrades, meeting characters and preparing for the next expedition.
There are multiple weapons to master, more than thirty cybernetic augmentations to install and dozens of cards to collect, giving every run plenty of opportunities to play differently. Whether you favour overwhelming firepower, speedy movement or clever synergies, there’s plenty of room to experiment.
Worth Cracking Open?
Sodaman immediately stands out thanks to its personality. Yes, saving the universe by hunting down fizzy drinks is gloriously ridiculous, but underneath the humour sits a roguelike with plenty of depth and replayability.
Whether you’ve lost countless evenings to Vampire Survivors, enjoy chasing the perfect build in Death Must Die, or simply fancy a roguelike that doesn’t take itself too seriously, there’s every chance Sodaman will hit the spot.
Sodaman is available now on Xbox Series X|S for £6.69. Just head to the Xbox Store.
