2D space shoot 'em ups started with Asteroids, of course, back in the 1980s, but Glitch in the System is much in the same basic vein, except that there aren't any huge boulders to get rid of - just the awkward, nimble attacking ships. What makes 'Glitch' such fun as a casual game is that it's colourful, very smooth and fast - and your typical game will be all over in a minute or two at most.

From the Store description:

Glitch in the System is a 2D twin stick shooter.

You came upon a top-secret military base. While looking around you learn of sensitive Intel that could compromise the whole operation, but you are seen in the process. You escape to the entrance of the base but end up trapped and must fight off the waves of enemies.

I do have a soft spot for casual games - titles that don't take over my life, time-wise, can be managed in a few minutes while waiting for someone or something, yet are fun to play and diverting. Here's 'Glitch' in action:

Powered by the Unity engine, Glitch looks the part, even if the gameplay isn't quite as in-depth as some might like....

The 'twin-stick' approach works very well once your brain and fingers have got the hang of doing two different things at the same time. i.e. moving up and left while shooting up and right... and then down in an arc, and... oh well, you get the idea! Pay attention to the power ups, since they're the key to staying alive a lot longer! To collect a power up, just fly over it, etc.

The twin sticks exposed - they become visible briefly when you use them, but rarely get in the way. Left to move, right to fire, etc.

Set against the void, enemy ships fly in from all side, fast and firing and it'll be all you can do to dodge and fire back, preferably at the same time. Everything in the game has a delightful, Unity-powered neon glow, and colour-coded so that you can respond quickly and subconsciously once you've got the hang of it all.

Given my criticisms of some freemium, ad-infested and commercial titles, Glitch in the System is delightfully simple - buy it for a dollar and you're done. No ads, no IAPs. Then again the games themselves are over in a jiffy. But a fun and challenging jiffy and the game's definitely worth the price of a gulp or two of beer.

You can buy Glitch in the System for a dollar/79p here in the Store.