Astro Burn, a game about a space cat with lasers, debuts this spring

If you follow gaming news, you will know a lot of it is dire. Multiple rounds of layoffs, cancelled games, closed studios, and that's just Ubisoft. In contrast, the world of the indie developer is a cozy wonderland, and today we are celebrating the debut game from London-based Beyond The Pixels, titled Astro Burn.

The first thing you need to know is that Astro is a space cat. And I could probably end the article here because who doesn’t want a fuzzy space feline? There has been a demo available since September 2025, and since then, the game has been molded by feedback. 

And I mean really molded. Astro Burn was not a 16-bit self-proclaimed “cute ‘em up” before the feedback. Beyond The Pixels pivoted from their original idea because all the fans wanted more cute cat content.

And I agree, give me cute space cats. With guns. Lots of guns.

Astro Burn release date and content revealed

We have an expected mobile release date of Spring 2026, a mere fingertip away. Amongst the newly announced additions are new power-ups. This includes a Cat-Nip Power move that I am eager to try out. There is also a 2-player mode for local play.

One of the most, let's say, interesting features of this game is the leaderboard that tracks time to complete. Now, Astro Burn is one of those pixel-style slide scrolling shoot-em-ups where there are bullets everywhere, shiny effects going off, Astro screaming at you, and all sorts. Can you imagine trying to speedrun this? I can barely speedrun Super Mario Land. 

You can take on the chaos across 10 levels for around 3 to 5 hours of story. Yes, the space cat game has a plot. Apparently, a Wizard of Oz-style one, with a sassy cat making terrible puns. If Cat Quest proved anything, that approach does work. Despite the shortplaytime, there will be plenty to make your replay.

The adorable space cat, for one.