Is Communist Mutants from Space on Steam?

No. Communist Mutants from Space is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Communist Mutants from Space on?

Communist Mutants from Space is available on Atari 2600.

When did Communist Mutants from Space release?

Communist Mutants from Space was first released on December 31, 1982.

Communist Mutants from Space

Dec 31, 1982ShooterArcadeAtari 2600

Communist Mutants from Space — frequently asked questions

Is Communist Mutants from Space on Steam?: No. Communist Mutants from Space is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Communist Mutants from Space on?: Communist Mutants from Space is available on Atari 2600.
When did Communist Mutants from Space release?: Communist Mutants from Space was first released on December 31, 1982.

About Communist Mutants from Space

Communist Mutants from Space was a video game created in 1982 by Starpath (formerly known as Arcadia) for the Atari 2600 home video game console and the Starpath Supercharger cassette accessory. Communist Mutants from Space is a typical 1980s-era Space Invaders-inspired space shoot-em-up. The player starts off with three reserve cannons. The object is to destroy the mutants aliens and, most importantly, the Mother Creature. The mutants hatch from moving eggs at the top of the screen. Because the Mother Creature replenishes eggs when they hatch or are destroyed, it must be defeated before the player can advance to the next wave. If a mutant or a bomb thrown by a mutant comes into contact with the cannon, the cannon will be destroyed and a reserve must be called up. A new cannon is awarded on every other wave. The menu allows a variety of gameplay changes; for example, the player may toggle the shield option on or off. If activated, "shield" mode allowed a player to press down on the joystick to become invincible for a short period (only one shield was allotted per level). Another feature was the "time warp," which allowed the player to press up on the joystick to temporarily slow down the passage of time for his opponents (i.e., they move slower than usual). Additionally, the type of shot fired could be changed by activating the "penetrating fire" option (which enhanced the beam fired so that it could withstand hitting two mutants rather than a single one) and/or the "guided fire" option (which caused the beam to be moved with the joystick rather than firing in a straight line). The menu also allowed for multiple players (up to four) to be entered into the game. Players one and three shared the first joystick while players two and four shared the second.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Arcadia Corporation
Publisher: Arcadia Corporation
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Science fiction

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$20

Complete

$45

Sealed

$79

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Starpath	Cassette	AR4101	Scarce+

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1982
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1 - 4
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A Galaxian-style shooter with a great title and a menu of options, on a Supercharger tape.

Stephen H. Landrum programmed Communist Mutants from Space for the Starpath Supercharger, and Starpath (formerly Arcadia) published it in 1982. It plays like Galaxian, with a variety of options that change how the game plays.

Landrum also designed Dragonstomper for the same hardware.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 7

October 1982

Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½

“is a very challenging game with the most outrageous title of the year! … level 9 may just scare you to death! Recommended.”
— Computer Entertainer, October 1982

“It is, of course, difficult to dislike a game entitled Communist Mutants from Outer Space … It is even more difficult to dislike after a quick round or two of game play.”
— Electronic Games, May 1983

“Despite its high-resolution graphics, Communist Mut- ants is little more than a well-constructed copy of Space Invaders and Demon Attack. … It's a good game that, except for the title, lacks originality.”
— JoyStik, January 1983

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8.3 KB (8,448 bytes), measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Before you buy

This is a cassette, not a cartridge. You need a Starpath Supercharger and a cassette player with an earphone output to play it; the tape alone does nothing on a standard console. Ask the seller to confirm the tape loads, not just that it plays audio, and to try both sides (Side A is a quick load, Side B a standard load). Check that the label is printed on the cassette shell and be wary of a blank or home-labeled tape in an original box. No fraud cases are documented.

Authenticity & condition — Atari 2600

Specific to the format this title shipped in

Buying a Starpath Supercharger game

This game is an audio cassette, not a cartridge. It loads through the Starpath (originally "Arcadia") Supercharger, a long cartridge with extra RAM and a cable that plugs into a cassette player, so the tape on its own will not play on a 2600.

You need three things: the Supercharger, a cassette player with an earphone (or "ear"/"monitor") output, and the Supercharger's built-in cable.
Ask the seller to confirm the tape LOADS, not just that it plays audio. Side A is the quick-load side and Side B the standard load; Starpath's own manual warns some players will not load the quick side reliably, so a tape that loads from Side B only is normal. A tape that loads from neither side is the real failure.
Set the player's volume and tone near maximum and keep it away from the TV, as Starpath's manual advises. Expect the occasional reload.
The Supercharger works on the 2600, 2600 Jr. and Sears Video Arcade, but may fail on some later NTSC Atari 7800s. We found no confirmation that it works on the Atari 2600+, so assume it does not until you have tested it.
A cassette is trivially copied. On the higher-value tapes, check that the label is printed on the cassette shell itself and that both sides load, and be wary of a blank or home-labelled tape in an original box. (Our inference; we found no documented fraud case.)
Check the Supercharger's own cable for breaks near the strain relief — it is the single point of failure for every tape you own.

What a complete copy includes

Cassette
Instruction booklet
Retail box or sleeve
The Supercharger itself shipped with its attached cable, a manual and the Phaser Patrol tape. Early units are "Arcadia"-branded and later ones "Starpath"; both are genuine. The company had to drop the Arcadia name because Emerson's Arcadia 2001 console reached shelves first (Arcade Express, 26 September 1982).