SPSTEAMPULSELIVE ANALYTICS
Waves

Waves Steam metadata

Squid In A Box Ltd | Nov 16, 2011 | game

Released

1players observed · 23 September 2026 - 08:10:48 UTC

ActionIndieBullet HellShoot 'Em UpTwin Stick ShooterSteam Store

  • Latest observed players1 · 23 September 2026 - 08:10:48 UTC
  • SteamPulse tracked peak6
  • Units sold (VGI)113,000
  • Revenue (VGI)$223,000
  • Review score95% positive

Waves metadata records Steam app facts, developer and publisher details, platform support, store categories, language support, and reference links.

  • Latest observed players1 · 23 September 2026 - 08:10:48 UTC
  • SteamPulse tracked peak6
  • Units sold (VGI)113,000
  • Revenue (VGI)$223,000
  • Review score95% positive
  • Total reviews1,556
  • Release dateNov 16, 2011
  • DeveloperSquid In A Box Ltd
  • PublisherSquid In A Box Ltd

Genres: Action, Indie

Company pages: Developer: Squid In A Box LtdPublisher: Squid In A Box Ltd

Top Steam chartsTop 100 gamesGame directorySteam Store page

Waves Steam metadata

Waves metadata records Steam app facts, developer and publisher details, platform support, store categories, language support, and reference links.

References

Official and third-party reference links for checking this Steam app outside SteamPulse.

ReferenceLink
SteamPulse canonicalhttps://steampulse.org/game/107600/metadata
Steam Storehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/107600/
Steam Communityhttps://steamcommunity.com/app/107600
PCGamingWiki search
IGDB searchSearch IGDB for Waves

Reviews, pricing, and metadata

Review summary

Overwhelmingly Positive

95% positive, 1,480 positive, 76 negative

Price and discount

Free to play

Platforms

Windows

Categories

Single-player, Steam Achievements, Full controller support, Steam Trading Cards, Steam Cloud, Stats

Achievements

54

Platform releases
  • Steam 16 November 2011

Latest Steam announcements

  • Indie developer Rob Hale has died, posthumously making their games free to enjoy - 20 August 2022

    Indie game developer Rob Hale, also known as Squid in a Box, died of cancer earlier this month. Hale's partner, CJ, revealed the news in an announcement on the Steam forums of Hale's next game, Waves 2. Per Hale's final wishes, CJ has made the developer's games Waves and Waves 2 free to download on Steam... Read more.

  • Waves 2: Notorious - Dev Stream Today @ 3 pm GMT (10 am ET) - 20 February 2021

    I am streaming some Live Dev of Waves 2: Notorious over on Twitch today from 3 PM GMT. These streams tend to run for 3-4 hours so feel free to pop in and say hi! This week's project is a new UI flow, testing some achievements and maybe getting in some new Structures into the game if we have time. You can join the Discord or follow me on Twitter for notifications on when I go live as well as just hanging out with other fans of the Waves games! https://store.steampowered.com/app/217120/Waves_2_Notorious/

  • Waves 2: Notorious - Dev Stream Today @ 3 pm GMT (10 am ET) - 13 February 2021

    I will be streaming some Live Dev of Waves 2: Notorious over on Twitch today from 3 PM GMT. These streams tend to run for 3-4 hours so feel free to pop in and say hi! This week's project is making some changes to Buffer and Cache Programs to reward you with Stacks of certain Buffs when you use your Utility or Burst Programs. You can join the Discord or follow me on Twitter for notifications on when I go live as well as just hanging out with other fans of the Waves games! https://store.steampowered.com/app/217120/Waves_2_Notorious/

  • Yet More Waves 2: Notorious - Dev Stream Today @ 3 pm GMT (10 am ET) - 6 February 2021

    I will be streaming some Live Dev of Waves 2: Notorious over on Twitch today from 3 PM GMT. These streams tend to run for 3-4 hours so feel free to pop in and say hi! This is starting to become a regular thing! 4 in a row that I've Live Streamed some game dev and I don't intend to stop! Thanks to everybody who joins me it's great to have some company! This week I will be working on Particle Effects for the Attract and Glitch Abilities as well as general polish on both of them. I will also be testing (and probably fixing) their related achievements. You can join the Discord or follow me on Twitter for notifications on when I go live as well as just hanging out with other fans of the Waves games! https://store.steampowered.com/app/217120/Waves_2_Notorious/

  • Waves 2: Notorious - Dev Stream Today @ 3 pm GMT (10 am ET) - 30 January 2021

    I will be streaming some Live Dev of Waves 2: Notorious over on Twitch today from 3 PM GMT. These streams tend to run for 3-4 hours so feel free to pop in and say hi! The stream will mostly be focused on turning the "Attract" prototype I built last week into a working Item and I will also be fixing some bugs, and tracking down some localization issues. You can join the Discord or follow me on Twitter for notifications on when I go live as well as just hanging out with other fans of the Waves games! https://store.steampowered.com/app/217120/Waves_2_Notorious/

  • Join In On Discord! - 12 January 2021

    If you've just joined the Waves community recently or you've been around since the start you can find other fans on the Squid In A Box Discord Server! By joining the Squid In A Box Discord Server you can: Ask the Devs direct questions and get a direct answer. Promote your stream of Waves! Chat with the Devs and other fans about almost anything. Share pictures of your pets! Organise multiplayer games. Use Waves themed Emotes (clearly the best bit). Submit Bug Reports (It is still early access after all). Join us over in the Squid In A Box Discord!

  • Waves 2: Notorious Week Long Deal - 7 October 2019

    The Fall Season has started in Waves 2: Notorious as new enemies and arenas shake up the status quo. As a player of Waves I thought you might be interested to see what it's sequel has been up to while it's been in Early Access. New enemies, weapons, abilities and game modes plus a new soundtrack, daily, weekly and monthly leaderboards (that can't be maxed out) plus overall rankings based on your daily performance and that's just what's already in the game. The Campaign and multiplayer modes are currently in development while the Arcade modes are practically finished (they receive updates roughly every 2-3 months). If you want to know more about the game then why not check out this great guide written by (aka the best Waves 2 player in the world) and their more advanced Strategy Guide. You can pick up Waves 2: Notorious for 20% off all week and join the fun! https://store.steampowered.co…

  • Waves now playable on Linux with Proton 4.11 - 2 August 2019

    It's been a long time coming but with Valve rolling out Proton 4.11 Waves is finally playable on Linux via emulation. Waves uses DirectX 9c which previously wasn't supported by Proton but 4.11 has added DX9 support finally making this (and presumably many other Unreal 3 based games) playable. I personally tested it on Ubuntu 18.04 using the latest stable nVidia drivers (430) and it ran buttery smooth with no issues. This has required no code updates from me so it will not affect anybody already running the game on Windows. Oh and if you enjoy the game I'd really appreciate it if you check out the Sequel: Waves 2: Notorious which is in Early Access right now. #shamelessplug https://store.steampowered.com/app/217120/Waves_2_Notorious/

  • Trading Cards Now Available - 15 November 2018

    It's a long time coming but Trading Cards didn't even exist on Steam when the game launched back in 2011. Check your inventory if you already own the game as you have probably already gotten your drops based on playtime you've already racked up. This is a Steam update only and there are no changes to the game associated with it.

  • Waves Discord Server - 28 March 2018

    I've set up an official Discord server for all Squid In A Box games. You can join it here https://discord.gg/b4uYczM The Rules! - No sexism - No racism - No discrimination - No bullying - No spam - No inappropriate content - English only please, so most people can understand :) Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will find themselves at least muted, and possibly banned. Let's create a nice, safe place to have fun!

  • Waves Discord Server - 28 March 2018

    I've set up an official Discord server for all Squid In A Box games. You can join it here https://discord.gg/b4uYczM The Rules! - No sexism - No racism - No discrimination - No bullying - No spam - No inappropriate content - English only please, so most people can understand :) Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will find themselves at least muted, and possibly banned. Let's create a nice, safe place to have fun!

  • Waves 1.4.1 Patch Notes - 16 June 2016

    Some bug fixes for the most common problems that aren't hardware or driver related. 4k Resolutions supported in Video Settings. Optimized Trigger Area in Hold mode. All Ingame Music should now peak at the same volume. "Needs More Gun" Achievement should now unlock reliably. "Stop Touching Me!" description now matches unlock conditions. You now have an option to launch the game in Windowed mode. I've also changed how the Redists are handled to use Steams newer system. This is the first time I've used this system so I'm not sure what issues it may have. Hopefully none. The one thing to keep an eye out for is if you have to agree to a UDK EULA when starting the game. In theory this shouldn't happen but if it does please let me know.

  • Waves 1.4.1 Patch Notes - 16 June 2016

    Some bug fixes for the most common problems that aren't hardware or driver related. 4k Resolutions supported in Video Settings. Optimized Trigger Area in Hold mode. All Ingame Music should now peak at the same volume. "Needs More Gun" Achievement should now unlock reliably. "Stop Touching Me!" description now matches unlock conditions. You now have an option to launch the game in Windowed mode. I've also changed how the Redists are handled to use Steams newer system. This is the first time I've used this system so I'm not sure what issues it may have. Hopefully none. The one thing to keep an eye out for is if you have to agree to a UDK EULA when starting the game. In theory this shouldn't happen but if it does please let me know.

  • Sine On: Twinstick Shooter Waves Enters Early Access - 17 December 2015

    Waves is a splendid game. I first encountered it at the Eurogamer Expo back when I was an RPS baby, and its frantic twinstick shooting and shimmering screen of colours immediately coaxed me into a spaced-out bliss zone. Last year, one-person dev studio Rob Hale launched a Kickstarter to fund a sequel, Waves: Arena Tactics. That didn’t work out quite as intended but Hale reckons that’s all for the best and has now released Waves into Early Access . You can see it in action below. …

  • Cyberspace twin-stick Waves 2 hits Early Access next week - 11 December 2015

    Phil tells me he's lost friends score-chasing in Waves, but I don't play score attack games any more. Not since the incident. However, if you're up for straining your relationships with a glow-in-the-dark twin-stick shooter, Waves 2 (Waves Squared, I should say) will be crashing into Early Access on December 16. The original Waves had you rolling around a cyberspace arena with the distinct air of Geometry Wars, blasting swarms of corrupt processes trying to take down your network. The sequel doesn't look like a dramatic departure at this juncture, although the arena has changed shape and it certainly looks sharper. Developer Squid In A Box has scheduled Early Access to last six months as new weapons, modes, power-ups and enemies are added.

  • Waves WIki Live - 7 April 2015

    The Waves Wiki page is now live. http://wavesgame.wikia.com/wiki/Waves_Wiki Full of information on how to get the best scores.

  • Waves WIki Live - 7 April 2015

    The Waves Wiki page is now live. http://wavesgame.wikia.com/wiki/Waves_Wiki Full of information on how to get the best scores.

  • Update 1.4 - 16-03-2014 New Game Mode: Hold - 16 March 2014

    A new free game mode has been added called "Hold". In "Hold" your weapons are only available while you are inside the lit area. Also as part of this update "Crunch Time" has been updated with some more spawn events, ambushes and mini-bosses from the other game modes as has been often requested by you; the fans.

  • Update 1.4 - 16-03-2014 New Game Mode: Hold - 16 March 2014

    A new free game mode has been added called "Hold". In "Hold" your weapons are only available while you are inside the lit area. Also as part of this update "Crunch Time" has been updated with some more spawn events, ambushes and mini-bosses from the other game modes as has been often requested by you; the fans.

  • Update 1.3 - 10-02-2014 Kickstarter Promo - 10 February 2014

    As part of the ongoing Kickstarter campaign for the sequel to Waves I've released an update to coincide with it. Update 1.3 includes two changes: A Message screen on the titles telling you about the latest update. The default weapon has been changed to the Beam Laser from the Sequel. You can switch back to the original weapon by unchecking "Promotional Weapon" in the Game settings screen. This promotion will only run for the duration of the Kickstarter campaign after which the weapons will return to normal.

Patch notes and updates

S.noRelease datePatch nameGID number
12 August 2019Waves now playable on Linux with Proton 4.112412159905930120201
215 November 2018Trading Cards Now Available3316234163914648750
316 June 2016Waves 1.4.1 Patch Notes3819571572127544287
416 June 2016Waves 1.4.1 Patch Notes250328813696123769
530 July 2012Waves Update Released1531474070564317343

Complete SteamPulse Game Data

Full game metadata

FieldValue
Steam app typegame
Steam App ID107600
Live current players1
SteamPulse tracked peak6
Live count (today's peak floor)1
PriceFree to play
Free to playYes
Discount0%
Original price USD
Current price USDFree
Release dateNov 16, 2011
DeveloperSquid In A Box Ltd
PublisherSquid In A Box Ltd
Owners estimatedNot available
SteamSpy owner estimate minimum50,000
SteamSpy owner estimate maximum100,000
Review typeOverwhelmingly Positive
Positive review percent95%
Positive reviews1,480
Negative reviews76
Total reviews1,556
Steam recommendations980
Achievements54
Average playtime forever432 minutes
Windows supportYes
macOS supportNo
Linux supportNo
Parent gameNot available
Store URLhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/107600/

Short description

Waves is an Arcade Twin-Stick Shooter that's all about High Scores. Build your combo and drop bombs in pursuit of Leaderboard dominance over seven game-modes!

About this game

Feature List Slow down time at will with the Time Buffer. Decimate enemies with well timed bombs. Chain together kills for massive combos. Battle against your friends scores with the online leaderboards. Crunch Time – 3 minutes of intense action every time. Level up and defeat the fearsome Cubes to extend your time in Rush. Survival mode - 3 Lives and more baddies than you can eat but watch out for ambushes! Bombing Run is all about the Boom. No guns but lots and lots of Boom. BOOM! Challenge mode puts your skills to the test with 20 levels and only 30 seconds each – Try and 5-Star them all. Feel the adrenaline pump with only 5 seconds to live in Chase. Your Weapons are Useless! Unless you stand your ground in Hold. About the Game Waves is a twin-stick shooter that can be played by anyone, but with a high enough skill threshold to keep even the most hardened shooter fan entertained. Set in a Neo-Cyberspace arena your system is being overrun by bugs, errors, and viruses. The only solution is to kill every rogue process before it kills you! Clear the arena of enemies while racking up a big fat Combo with swift kills and well-timed Bombs. If it all gets a bit too much you can use your Time Buffer to slow down the action and turn defeat into victory. Players can compete across seven different game modes with online high-score tables and Achievements in their pursuit of twin-stick perfection.

Supported languages

English * * languages with full audio support

Steam categories

Category IDCategory
2Single-player
22Steam Achievements
28Full controller support
29Steam Trading Cards
23Steam Cloud
15Stats
25Steam Leaderboards
62Family Sharing

Regional ratings

BoardRatingDescriptors
dejuslNot available
steam germany0Not available
igrs3Not available

Steam marketplace comparison data

Price History Overview

USD uses SteamPulse's own locally recorded daily store snapshots, so this overview reflects the exact regional price history that SteamPulse has captured for this currency.

Coverage And Tracking Window

  • Snapshots: 1
  • Coverage: Sep 23, 2026 to Sep 23, 2026
  • Lowest observed: Free
  • Highest observed: Free

Waves's USD price history spans from Sep 23, 2026 to Sep 23, 2026, with 1 recorded snapshot across 1 calendar day. Each row records the available final price, listed base price, and discount metadata for that observation. Within this coverage the lowest recorded price is Free, the highest is Free, and the first visible tracked price is Free. These comparisons apply only to the snapshots SteamPulse holds; missing observations can contain changes that are not represented here.

For USD, SteamPulse uses locally captured regional storefront snapshots and does not reconstruct older prices with exchange-rate conversion. The chart and table show the values recorded for this exact currency from the stated coverage start. Additional snapshots extend that record, but they do not fill unobserved days or prove what the storefront displayed between observations.

Discount Windows And Sale Timing

  • Discount windows: 0
  • Discounted days: 0 days
  • Deepest markdown: No discount tracked
  • Latest sale window: No sale window tracked

Waves's tracked USD rows do not contain a discount window. This means no available snapshot in the stated coverage has usable discount metadata; it does not prove that the game was never discounted. Missing snapshots or archived rows without complete metadata can hide a sale, so SteamPulse does not infer pricing strategy from this absence.

If a later snapshot includes discount metadata, it will appear here with its recorded depth, price, date, and sale name when available. Until then, this section should be read only as a description of the available rows, not as evidence about the publisher's promotion policy.

Observed Price Changes And Stable Runs

  • Observed price drops: 0
  • Observed price rises: 0
  • Longest stable run: 1 day of uninterrupted daily tracking
  • Current run: 1 day of uninterrupted daily tracking

Outside rows carrying discount metadata, the tracked price has not recorded a separate price rise or drop yet. That means the observed undiscounted level has stayed stable across the snapshots SteamPulse currently holds. This is a statement about the recorded coverage only; it does not prove that an older or missing price change never happened.

The longest unchanged price stretch in the current record lasts 1 day of uninterrupted daily tracking at Free, from Sep 23, 2026 through Sep 23, 2026. Among rows without discount metadata, the longest unchanged run lasts 1 day of uninterrupted daily tracking at Free. The latest run records Free for 1 day of uninterrupted daily tracking as the same recorded undiscounted price. Run lengths describe consecutive stored observations only and do not establish that a price is permanent.

Latest Snapshot And Sales Context

  • Current price: Free
  • Current list price: Free
  • Distinct observed prices: 1
  • Source mode: SteamPulse local tracking

The latest tracked snapshot records Waves at Free in USD, with no active discount metadata. Across the available history SteamPulse has recorded 1 distinct final price in this currency. This supports comparisons with the lowest, highest, and most common values present in the retained record, subject to the stated coverage limits.

The live sales view and Steam sales record provide calendar context for these dates. A date overlap can be compared with a named Steam event, but it does not prove why a publisher changed a price. As new daily rows arrive, this overview recalculates its observed prices, discount windows, and run lengths automatically.

Regional Steam prices

CountryCurrencyFinal priceOriginal priceDiscount
United StatesUSDFreeFree0%
United KingdomGBNot availableNot availableNot available
Euro AreaEUNot availableNot availableNot available
AustraliaAUNot availableNot availableNot available
CanadaCANot availableNot availableNot available
IndiaINNot availableNot availableNot available
BrazilBRNot availableNot availableNot available
RussiaRUNot availableNot availableNot available
ChinaCNNot availableNot availableNot available
JapanJPNot availableNot availableNot available
South KoreaKRNot availableNot availableNot available
MexicoMXNot availableNot availableNot available
NorwayNONot availableNot availableNot available
PolandPLNot availableNot availableNot available
SwitzerlandCHNot availableNot availableNot available
New ZealandNZNot availableNot availableNot available
SingaporeSGNot availableNot availableNot available
Hong KongHKNot availableNot availableNot available
South AfricaZANot availableNot availableNot available
UkraineUANot availableNot availableNot available
KazakhstanKZNot availableNot availableNot available
IndonesiaIDNot availableNot availableNot available
ThailandTHNot availableNot availableNot available
MalaysiaMYNot availableNot availableNot available
PhilippinesPHNot availableNot availableNot available
VietnamVNNot availableNot availableNot available
United Arab EmiratesAENot availableNot availableNot available
Saudi ArabiaSANot availableNot availableNot available
IsraelILNot availableNot availableNot available
ChileCLNot availableNot availableNot available
ColombiaCONot availableNot availableNot available
Costa RicaCRNot availableNot availableNot available
KuwaitKWNot availableNot availableNot available
PeruPENot availableNot availableNot available
QatarQANot availableNot availableNot available
TaiwanTWNot availableNot availableNot available
UruguayUYNot availableNot availableNot available
ArmeniaAMNot availableNot availableNot available
ArgentinaARNot availableNot availableNot available
TurkeyTRNot availableNot availableNot available
PakistanPKNot availableNot availableNot available

Tracked regional price history

The tracked Steam price is stable at Free.

CountryCurrencySnapshotsFirst trackedLatest trackedChangeLatest discount
United StatesUSD1FreeFreeNo changeNo discount
United KingdomGB0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
Euro AreaEU0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
AustraliaAU0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
CanadaCA0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
IndiaIN0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
BrazilBR0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
RussiaRU0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ChinaCN0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
JapanJP0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
South KoreaKR0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
MexicoMX0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
NorwayNO0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
PolandPL0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
SwitzerlandCH0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
New ZealandNZ0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
SingaporeSG0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
Hong KongHK0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
South AfricaZA0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
UkraineUA0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
KazakhstanKZ0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
IndonesiaID0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ThailandTH0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
MalaysiaMY0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
PhilippinesPH0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
VietnamVN0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
United Arab EmiratesAE0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
Saudi ArabiaSA0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
IsraelIL0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ChileCL0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ColombiaCO0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
Costa RicaCR0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
KuwaitKW0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
PeruPE0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
QatarQA0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
TaiwanTW0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
UruguayUY0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ArmeniaAM0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
ArgentinaAR0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
TurkeyTR0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount
PakistanPK0Not tracked yetNot availableTracking starts nowNo discount

United States price history (USD)

Tracked price is stable at Free.

DateCurrent priceOriginal priceDiscountSource
2026-09-23FreeFreeNo discountSteam Store

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