There's a particular kind of quiet that settles in when you're staring at a star map. Not the peaceful kind—more like the something-is-about-to-go-wrong kind. That's the feeling I got the first time I dug into C-Beams, an upcoming top-down space action RPG that's been slowly, methodically worming its way into my most-anticipated list.
And yeah, I'll admit it upfront: I'm already biased. I've always had a soft spot for top-down space shooters. Give me inertia-heavy flight, crunchy weapons, and a reason to drift silently past an asteroid instead of charging in guns blazing, and I'm hooked. Permanently.
The bottom line
C-Beams is an upcoming top-down space action RPG being developed by Distant Light Games, led by LevelCap (known for his Battlefield content). Set in a newly discovered black hole system, it combines physics-based flight, tactical combat, ship customization, and open-ended exploration. This article covers what makes the game stand out, the developer's background, gameplay mechanics, and why it's worth keeping on your radar.
Where to follow C-Beams:
- Wishlist on Steam - Add it to your wishlist to get notified when it launches
- Watch the latest devlog - LevelCap regularly shares development updates on YouTube
A familiar voice from the past (and why that matters)
There's another layer to my excitement that I didn't expect going in. I used to watch LevelCap every single day back when his channel was deep in Battlefield coverage. Match breakdowns, weapon analysis, map strategy - you name it, I was there for it. It was part of my daily routine for years.
So seeing him now, years later, pouring that same attention to detail into documenting the development of his own game? That hits differently. There's a weird sense of continuity there, like watching someone you grew up listening to step behind the curtain and start building the thing instead of just analyzing it. It makes the project feel personal in a way marketing trailers never quite manage.
A black hole, a gold rush, and bad ideas (the fun kind)
At its core, C-Beams drops you into a newly discovered black hole system where humanity has collectively decided, "This seems safe enough." Corporations rush in. Independent pilots follow. Fortunes are made. Ships are lost. You, naturally, arrive with almost nothing - except the freedom to decide how reckless you want to be.
It's being built by Distant Light Games, and while the game isn't available yet, the scope is already clear. This isn't just fly-and-shoot. It's fly-and-think. Sometimes fly-and-regret.
Combat swings between frantic, claustrophobic brawls—gatling turrets rattling your teeth loose - to slower, almost surgical engagements where missiles arc through space and railguns punch holes exactly where you want to put them. Subsystem targeting lets you cripple ships instead of annihilating them outright, which opens the door to boarding, looting, and making some morally flexible choices. I'm very much here for that.
That name though… you know what it reminds me of
Let's talk about the title for a second.
I can't shake the feeling that C-Beams is a quiet nod to Blade Runner - specifically Rutger Hauer's legendary monologue. "I watched attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion… C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate."
Now, to be clear, this hasn't been confirmed. It's never been mentioned outright in any devlog. Maybe it's coincidence. Maybe it's subconscious sci-fi DNA leaking through. Or maybe it's intentional and just left unsaid. Either way, the association sticks in my head, and I kind of love that.
Why this hits differently for top-down fans like me
Top-down space games live or die by feel. Float too much and everything turns mushy. Clamp things down too hard and space stops feeling like space. From what's been shown so far, C-Beams walks that line with confidence.
Cut your engines and drift. Load your cargo hold too greedily and feel your ship turn sluggish and stubborn. Docking isn't a menu, it's a skill. Asteroids aren't decoration; they're cover, traps, escape routes, sometimes all three in the same fight.
Exploration looks especially tempting. Jump points link stations, moons, asteroid fields, and nebulas, but wandering off the obvious path can lead to derelict ships, smuggler caches, or anomalies that might either make you rich… or tear your ship apart. Space doesn't care. That's kind of the point.
The things most players will probably latch onto
If you're just discovering C-Beams for the first time, a few features are likely to stand out fast:
It all feels deliberate and considered. Built by people who clearly play the kinds of games they're making.
Waiting, but happily
I don't need C-Beams to reinvent the genre. I just need it to respect it. From everything shown so far, it does just that. It understands that drifting silently past danger can be more thrilling than firing first, and that a scarred hull tells a better story than a pristine one ever could.
So yeah, I'm looking forward to this one. More than I expected to be. I'll keep watching the devlogs, probably get a little too invested, and count down quietly while the black hole waits.