The official sequel to the beloved Amiga classic just got its biggest update. Update 1.6 brings Reloaded Mode, a redesigned menu, a new high score system, and a lot more.
Project X: Light Years, the shoot'em up built with Phaser, has been out since August 2025 and has earned a Very Positive rating on Steam. Now it's getting its biggest update yet. Update 1.6 adds a major new game mode, a full menu redesign, a new high score table, and several quality-of-life improvements. If you haven't played it since launch, now is a good time to go back. If you've never tried it, we covered the game before launch, so check out our earlier article for the full overview.
Reloaded Mode: A New Way to Play Project X
The headline addition is Reloaded Mode, a new roguelite-style progression layer on top of the classic shoot'em up gameplay. Every run earns you orbs, which you spend on upgrades, new ships, and perks between sessions. Progress carries over. Each run makes you stronger.
The mode introduces a new progression loop: start with the weakest ship, collect orbs, buy upgrades, and unlock better gear. Greater difficulties unlock more powerful upgrades and better rewards, but also demand more from you. Earn enough orbs and you can buy a medium or heavy ship, each with a unique loadout and higher repair costs. Managing your resources is part of the game.
Perks let you bend the rules. Tougher enemies that drop more orbs. Longer-lasting power-ups at the cost of fiercer enemy fire. High risk, high reward. Some upgrades are locked behind higher levels and difficulties, giving you a concrete reason to push further rather than stay comfortable.
After a failed run, you jump straight to level and difficulty selection and your hangar to repair your ship. No menu detours. Rapid restart right back into the action.
Menu Redesign and Quality-of-Life Improvements
Beyond Reloaded Mode, Update 1.6 brings a redesigned menu that's cleaner, faster, and easier to navigate. Game mode, game type, and difficulty are now selected separately, making all available options visible from the start. Many players weren't aware of all the options before, and this new layout fixes that. The high score table now consolidates all game modes and combinations in one place, so your records are visible at a glance without jumping between screens.
A new option lets you change the enemy bullet glow color: yellow, red, or purple. A small touch, but a meaningful one for players who want better visual contrast in the heat of battle. The update also includes a fix specifically for Intel iGPUs, addressing an issue with small and unreadable text. Thanks to player Hexaae for helping track down and report the issue.
Project X: Light Years, a Phaser Shoot'em Up on Steam
Project X: Light Years is developed by MK Games in partnership with Team17, and built with Phaser. It's a fully commercial release on Steam with online leaderboards, achievements, local co-op, five difficulty levels, and multiple game modes. The composers behind the original Amiga soundtrack, Alister and Chris Brimble, returned for the sequel.
Play Project X: Light Years
The official Project X sequel. Back after 30 years. Now bigger than ever.