Swarm was first released in 1998 by Reflexive Entertainment, in its early days as a video games developer. It is a top-down space shooter with pre-rendered 3d art. In the game, the player controls an assault craft, battling against alien creatures in order to obtain special minerals. In 2008, Reflexive released a slightly updated version of the game entitled Swarm Gold. The updated version was by no means a sequel, but was simply an improved version of the old classic.