Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2014
Iron Fisticle
Developer Confused Pelican
A modern take on the classic arcade arena shooter. Taking inspiration from an entire generation of action games, Iron Fisticle builds on classic titles like Gauntlet and Robotron while adding over 100 collectible items, an RPG style upgrade system and local multiplayer. From the Steam store page
184 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Sep 10, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
81
LovedLoved
148 positive · 34 negative
95% range 75–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 148 | 34 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
2 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
438 of 525 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 184 · most liked firstAnother game in the vein of "Gauntlet" from old arcades. It's not bad for coop and if you have a lot of spare time however it might feel overly to simplistic. So if you're looking for more quick and unpredictable gameplay look somewhere else. I would give this one more of a neutral score since it is not entirely bad but slow.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only reason I don't recommend Iron Fisticle is because Iron Crypticle (the sequel) is available for the same price. Iron Fisticle takes many retro elements and jams it into one fun-sized package. Perhaps a game you’d spend a few hours playing. Positive: - Movement and shooting feels fluid and responsive. - Decent variety of weapon and item drops. Makes killing enemies more dynamic. - Collect food items to improve your score. You receive a multiplier bonus if you collect them in quick…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gifted from a friend. The game describes itself very well, with a fresh take on Smash TV/Gauntlet/Robotron from days of old. Can get repetitive due to there only being 4 areas (played endlessly), but the difficulty scales fairly well and the leaderboards aren't difficult to climb as long as the bullets are dodged. Hard mode exists for a tougher session. Cheap on discount; a very fun time despite the few hours needed to 100%.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →China loves Iron Fisticle +20 SOCIAL CREDIT ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢁⠈⢻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⡀⠭⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠄⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣿⣷⣶⣶⡆⠄⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⢀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⣼⣿⣿⠿⠶⠙⣿⡟⠡⣴⣿⣽⣿⣧⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣟⣭⣾⣿⣷⣶⣶⣴⣶⣿⣿⢄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣩⣿⣿⣿⡏⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣹⡋⠘⠷⣦⣀⣠⡶⠁⠈⠁⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣍⠃⣴⣶⡔⠒⠄⣠⢀⠄⠄⠄⡨⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡘⠿⣷⣿⠿⠟⠃⠄⠄⣠⡇⠈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠋⢁⣷⣠⠄⠄⠄⠄⣀⣠⣾⡟⠄⠄⠄⠄⠉⠙⠻ ⡿⠟⠋⠁⠄⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⡯⢓⣴⣾⣿⣿⡟⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⡟⣷⠄⠹⣿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ +1 WAIFU ⣿⣿⣿⣿⠛⠛⠉⠄⠁⠄⠄⠉⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡟⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠐⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡇⠄⢀⡀⠠⠃⡐⡀⠠⣶⠄⠄⢀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Want to win a Steam key for Iron Fisticle? 👊 Just take a look at our list of this week's new releases, reply with the name of any game listed, and then RT for a chance to win. Random drawing held March 27th, 2025 www.tech-gaming.com/new-releases...
unlabelledView post →It's not a bad game, but be warned: The gamespeed is tied to your framerate, absolutely unplayable at 144HZ xD
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It gets old really fast and does cheap tricks such as spawning enemies inside you. And enemies that you cannot stop from spawning a lot of more enemies. The main gameplay loop is extremely dull.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How to diferentiate a good game from a very good game : Good game was fun. Very good game is still fun 10 years later and will be fun in ten more years. Iron Fisticle is timeless. Works well, mechanics works, scoring works, fun works.. I, personaly, can't ask much more from a game. It's finely crafted !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are two of these games: Iron Fisticle Iron Crypticle This one is the first of the two. Simple wholesome twinsticking fun - there are some levelling up elements but definitely not a roguelike, just minor progressions that add more weapons/haelth as you play more. It's fun for some casual shooting and can be played with same-pc friends.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Back several months ago, couldn't play the game due to my monitors' size, and in turn couldn't change the window size because I couldn't see what was on the screen. Now that I can, found that controls are too clunky for mouse and keyboard, and if the controls are set to Joypad, can't change them back unless you use a controller to do so. Game looks fun but this very simple thing just made me uninstall it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle is an addictive arena set twin stick adventure with lightweight rpg elements. Early on it's reasonably tough but as you spend your cash on upgrades that persist through successive games the difficulty ebbs away. I breezed through it but enjoyed levelling up my knight and posting some OK scores before finally getting bored. An average twin stick that is fun while it lasts!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A modern take on a retro twin stick shooter roguelite game which isn't as easy as I would have liked, even on "Easy" difficulty. It's a game that requires quick reflexes so it might not be up to everyone's taste. Persistent character upgrades help alleviate the grinding likely required to beat the game by the average player. CD key was provided by https://playtracker.net/
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A classic-feeling, arena twin-stick shooter that often goes on sale for $0.89 - it's hard to poke holes in such a good deal. Crude and simple can make for a lot of fun and charm in games like this. Arcade-like action with a number of RPG elements to put to use. It's not an easy game, which is good, because there isn't an incredible amount of depth to this one. The challenge and variety in action is what keeps you going while you rack up points and maybe get an achievement or few during your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you have never been fisted with iron, it is recommended to try this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You know that feeling when you had to break into a castle and kill everyone inside because some one-eyed bat monster stole your lunch? Yeah, me neither, but its probably something like this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- slow point and shoot game with a meh dash that just ends up being the only way i ever take damage + its got local co-op - persistent character upgrades, where?? everything just resets 3/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →❤ Audience ❤ ☑ Beginner ☑ Casual Gamer ☑ Normal Gamer ☐ Expert ☼ Graphics ☼ ☐ Bad ☑ Alright ☐ Good ☐ Beautiful ☐ Fantastic ♬ Music ♬ ☐ Bad ☑ Alright ☐ Good ☐ Beautiful ☐ Fantastic ☠ Difficulty ☠ ☑ Easy ☐ Average ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☐ Hard ☐ Unfair § Bugs § ☐ Bugs destroy the game ☐ Lots of bugs ☐ Few Bugs ☐ You can use them for speedrun ☑ Nothing encountered ☯ Story ☯ ☑ There is none ☐ Bad ☐ Alright ☐ Good ☐ Fantastic ⚔ Gameplay ⚔ ☐ Frustrating ☐ Sleepy ☐ Boring ☑ Fun ☐…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game chooses to be the seldom case where everything is done just right: Just the right amount of rouguelikeness, just the right amount of randomization, just the right amount of retrogoodness, just the right amount of moderness, just the right amount of glorious 16-bit like music, just the right amount of unfairness, just the right amount of fairness ... basically ... just the right amount of everything. If you liked games like "Gauntlet", "Ghosts'n'Goblins" (or rather…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a great game, at a good price, and if you buy it on sale as in my case, excellent. Honestly, it is one of the best indies and roguelikes I have ever played. Very nice and animated pixelart graphics, fun and precise gameplay and very fun. 100% recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great little twin stick shooter. You can play it local co-op as well. Fun to play. Don't listen to the neighsayers talking about how you don't get far, your basic weapon isn't very strong, yadda yadda. This is the type of game where you're suppose to die, and when you start over again, you are better off than the first time. It's fun, however, I don't believe it will be a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/gamesyouabsolutelymusthave]Game You Absolutely Must Have. Just not enough…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Relatively fun, retro-style twin-stick arcade game. All the other reviews here, plus the trailer above give a decent portrayal of the game itself. The main reason I'm writing this review is because of something I've encountered, that I wouldn't necessarily call a "bug" as I've found it helpful, but I've not seen mentioned in other reviews. It's entirely possible that this "issue" isn't a universal one, and I'm one of the "lucky few", but I've found that if I turn vsync on, the game slows down…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle is a chaotic twin-stick dungeon shooter that channels the energy of classic arcade cabinets while adding enough modern mechanics to keep the experience engaging for today’s players. Developed by Confused Pelican and published by Curve Games, the title feels like a celebration of old-school arcade design built around nonstop combat, fast reactions, and addictive score-chasing gameplay. It combines retro-inspired visuals, randomized progression systems, and intense arena combat into…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite the title, this is not an erotic S&M visual novel with a painful fantasy vibe. It's a really enjoyable mash up of Smash TV and Gauntlet with a fantasy vibe. Despite preceding it, there's also something here that's reminiscent of the pace and flow in Vampire Survivors; moving in tune with your basic axe throws as you try to forge a path through the horde. This is purely room-based though - clear one and move on to next as you head to the boss of each floor before descending to the next.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll be honest, I only bought the game for the cheese Steam profile background and cheese emoticon which I infuriatingly learned you need to play 2 hours of the game to unlock the backgrounds that come with it. So I launched the game and decided to give it a shot only to realise it does not fullscreen properly on my 4k monitor and the windowed version is not custom sizeable enough to fill the screen. That's very, very frustrating which lead me to just leave the game running in main menu for 2…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →honestly? It takes some getting used to but once you get that ball rolling and figure out how to maneuver boss attacks and ace the bonus stages it becomes really fun. It's a great arcade game, one I could totally see in a cabinet next to the likes of Joe & Mac. It also has a cute lil ledger that catalogs all the items you find and there's a short description for each. It's a very nice touch that I ADORE in games. You should really check this game out if you wanna have a fun time kicking it with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is kinda fun but repetitive after a few hours. My only issue in this game is that some achievements are extremely annoying to get since it's complete RNG to get the right room but other than that there are not really much issue in this game and I did enjoy playing this game. (I recommend to buy this game when it sales in steam)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a simple twin stick shooter, it is fun for a couple hours but gets repetitive fast. The game has permanent upgrades so on your first couple runs you aren't supposed to win as you simply don't have the stats to clear rooms fast enough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stars received: 2.5/10 _ Note: v.5 [0.0 to 1] = personal impressions [0.5] Controls & Training & Help [0.2] Menu & Settings [0.3] Sound & Music [0.3] Graphics [0.3] Game Design [0.3] Game Story [0.3] Game Content [0.3] Completion time (level/game)? is it Enjoyable & Fun? Could it hold a spot in Favorites? (& if the Game can be repeatedly played again) [0.1] BONUS point: Multi-Player related BONUS point: Review for VR - if Registration is required with providing PII Game description…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an awesome game. It's a rogue-lite twin-stick arcade game with combat similar to Smash TV and Gauntlet. Start it up, slaughter enemies and bosses for 30 minutes or so, choosing your own path through the map, all while getting stronger and faster. Then, after you die, start out next run a little better prepared due to the progress you made last game. I like rogue-like games where there's a sense of overall progress (and I love twin-stick anything), so this is right up my alley. It's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle go boom
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle is an excellent take on the retro twin-stick shooter genre. It has a clear good old Gauntlet vibe to it. Everything's in there : fighting your way through massive hordes of enemies in narrow places, nice boss fights, a wide variety of mobs, tons of loot, and a perfectly stupid backstory. The soundtrack is excellent, and the graphics are top-notch pixel art. Anyway, what makes this game really great is its scoring system. Being able to keep your score multiplier up by gathering…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice old school game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →5/10 game, lots of pointless grind towards 100% completition.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one game of years recommend it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Are you good at, and do you like playing, platformers? Well, you'll do GREAT at this twin stick shooter! What? Why? Well, beating the platformer mini game restores your health COMPLETELY mid-floor. Nothing else does. Would have been a good game if that was replaced with a unique arena level where the number of enemies you kill in a limited time equals the number of hearts you get. That simple game would be better than the very bad platformer that you must master to complete the game reliably.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle is a pretty good arcade twin stick shooter with up to two players. It has been on my wishlist forever and a day until I got it a few days ago, which I immediately started to play. The game is simple, you shoot some monsters, collect food and other items to gain experience, or coins to buy upgrades. You go from one room to another in a dungeon until you reach the boss. Every now and then you get a bonus stage inbetween the dungeons, where you run and collect coins, or a shop where…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its not a terrible game at all, but so mindless and boring. It has no depth to it. Its in the likes of Super Smash TV, which was a great game at the time, but I dont have much fun with this game here. Gameplay is solid, but repetetive and bland. I had no urge to boot up the game again after just a couple of minutes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It gets repetitive after a while, but it's a charming little twin-stick shooter. I loved the art and music, and the ledger describing all the collectibles is cute. It is fairly engaging too. I had a lot of fun while it lasted - wish it had more variety.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one good example of how some people think that games that are retro are not also supposed to be also games that are good. If you start the game, choose controller input for player one, then later leave your controller elsewhere and think about playing on keyboard: first of all, don't, the controls are bad on keyboard (they are bad also on the controller, tbh); second of all, the game registers the input you chose and won't use the other until you change it in the settings. Controls…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really fun game to relax and enjoy. The controls feel good, the cast is varied and colorful and the animations are top notch. The pretty large map to explore with secrets and gear to find that make it engaging. Chick chick chuck chuck
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a well-polished twin stick shooter. It is easy to jump right into it and with RPG elements, it is fun to progress through it. It may not have a ton of replay value, however, since it is basically the four same levels repeated over and over until you die. I would recommend it, but try to buy it on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fine roguelite twinstick made worse by addition of bad platforming segments as "bonus stages" that are required to get gold
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A nice twin-stick shooter. Not super deep, innovative, or long, and you'll probably mute the music quickly. But it's good enough at what it does, especially since you can get it on sale for like a buck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoy loading this now and then for a Smash TV style game. It's pretty simplistic/arcadey, but fine for the price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great combination of smash tv and gauntlet. Everything about this is excellent. Simple easy game-play, great 80s tunes and super polished level design. Turn on the screen filters and get ready for arcade greatness!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →sounds like iron testicle
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Superb COUCH CoOp game. PixelArt Perfection. Very retro with an old-skool Gauntlet kind of feel. I really enjoy it, with only beneficial things to say. You could run this on one of the cheapest tablets with a BlueTooth Keyboard (PLS fullsize or it would get cramped for two on a mini) hooked up to it and play 2 PLAYERS on that alone. It would WORK perfect, yet you can also play this on a desktop PC with a 3080 and two controllers popped into it...also super! So that is what I have to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Crashes a lot, softlocks in the shop and starts at a bad resolution, fun otherwise, but the issues overshadow the rest of the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle pros: //fast game with modern day graphics with easy controls that moves from location A to B to C and so on //good amount of action and special effects cons: //some difficult battles //good game Personal Suggested Purchase Price: $0.99 Or Less During Sale
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →how do you design graphics this unappealing
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Addictive game. Played, mastered, completed & reviewed. You should try it yourself. [Mandatory review for Steam Awards 2022 - Labor of Love]
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game has many issues. 1. No gameplay mechanics are explained, there is no tutorial, no tips, no nothing. (Also, the "bonus levels" have the jump button mapped to the same button that makes you go backwards, which is not only also unexplained (not even in the settings) but is also a terrible design choice) 2. When starting the game for the first time on keyboard, everything is unbinded, even though when going into the settings it says that WASD is mapped to movement, IJKL is mapped to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't mean to be superstitious but this game is evil when i played it on my desktop the power supply suddenly stopped working and i had to replace it when i played it on my laptop the laptop completely shut down and it couln't be booted ever since my 2 computers got fried up while playing this game 10\10 would recommend
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just not that big of a fan of the game. Character feels too slow at the beginning, movement speed and attack speed. I get that those can be upgraded in the run and for persistent upgrades, but the start of the game just doesn't make me want to go back to the game at all. The game seems pretty solid otherwise, it's just not my preferred style of game so I'll pass on it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a great game! I am a huge fan of Smash TV and this game is better! Not only does it have some really nice rogue lite stuff, it also has a decent little level up system. Once you top that out its leader boards all the way! Highly recommended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun coffee break game. Great deal for the price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Iron Fisticle is a throwback twin-stick shooter, that reminds me of a game that I liked alot, which was Smash TV. But here, we have a fantasy setting of some sort. Instead of shooting with a gun, you throw axes, swords, bombs, nothing too fancy or modern. Most of the enemies you face are zombies, you'll face a bunch of other types of enemies, but not at the same quantity. The game has a roguelike style of loop, we're you go on runs, through a "campaign" that has 4 floors, with a bunch of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gauntlet meets Bubble Bobble. What a whacky idea. And it just kind of works. The game is very simple to learn and play, with scaling difficulty levels to keep you busy enough for a while. It's no Binding of Isaac, but you will still find a solid game here. The graphics and sound are cute, though it does get a little bit repetitive, as does the gameplay, but if you like doing score attack, then you'll be fine with this. There are side-scroll bonus levels to break it up somewhat, and a certain…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Big money, Big prizes. I love it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great twin stick shooter! Normally i dont care for rouge-lites but this one drew me in. I like the progression system (upgrade the items in gold) that is removed from the so-called enhanced version. The auto side-scrolling mini-game is really fun too and the bosses are well done, just wish there were more of them and a real ending. Music is just OK.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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