- Highly engaging and fun gameplay experience
- RimWorld-like colony management in space setting
- Active and responsive developer support
- Grindy and tedious gameplay elements present
- Overwhelming and cluttered user interface
- Impersonal and shallow colonist interactions
Emotions
Players experience frustration primarily due to poor onboarding and overwhelming UI/UX design. The tutorial and early-game mechanics are often described as dense, poorly explained, or overly complex, leading to confusion about core systems like resource management, workbench access, and combat. Additionally, technical issues such as crashes, freezes, and softlocks—especially in ironman mode—exacerbate the frustration, along with repetitive grind, unrealistic mechanics (e.g., fire spread), and lack of meaningful progression incentives.
Disappointment stems from the game failing to meet expectations set by similar titles or its own potential. Players criticize shallow gameplay systems, lack of depth in storytelling or social mechanics, and poorly implemented updates that introduce grind or remove beloved features. The UI, aesthetics, and AI behavior are frequently cited as underwhelming, while the game’s ambition is undermined by bugs, poor quality-of-life features, and a perceived lack of polish or content for its price point.
Excitement is driven by the game’s unique and creative mechanics, such as brain transplantation, AI overlord fantasies, and deep customization options. Players highlight the potential for engaging storytelling, addictive gameplay loops, and the breadth of content (e.g., stock market systems, base mobility). The early access status and promise of future updates also contribute to anticipation, with many praising the game’s ability to offer fresh, immersive experiences in a space colony setting.
Satisfaction arises from the game’s depth, challenge, and thoughtful design, particularly in resource management, shipbuilding, and logistical systems. Players appreciate the lack of bugs, active development, and quality-of-life improvements, as well as the freedom to experiment with unique playstyles. The game’s evolution over time, modding support, and alignment with expectations (e.g., for fans of *RimWorld*) further enhance satisfaction, especially when the difficulty balance and UI meet individual preferences.
Hope is tied to the game’s perceived potential for improvement through future updates, content additions, and community feedback. Players express optimism about the developer’s responsiveness, the foundation of engaging mechanics, and the possibility of addressing current flaws (e.g., grind, UI issues). The early access model and active development foster expectations that the game will evolve into a more polished and complete experience.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 57% · Negative 43%. Score: 43 / 100
Positives:
- Players consistently describe the game as engaging, fun, and addictive, with smooth gameplay and high replayability. The experience improves over time, offering depth and complexity that keeps players invested.
- The game is frequently compared to RimWorld, offering a sci-fi twist with spaceship mechanics, base building, and resource management. Players appreciate its unique spin on the genre while retaining familiar elements.
- The developer is praised for frequent updates, community engagement, and responsiveness to feedback. This includes active participation on Discord, Reddit, and live coding streams.
- Players highlight the game's potential for growth, with ambitious features and frequent updates. The early access version is seen as stable and well-developed, with a clear roadmap for improvement.
- Innovative features like drone management, AI-controlled ships, and humorous emergent scenarios set the game apart. Players enjoy the unique premise of playing as a ship's AI.
Negatives:
- The game is frequently described as a 'grindfest,' with slow pacing, repetitive tasks, and excessive resource grinding even on forgiving settings. Players feel their time is disrespected, especially in late-game stages.
- Players consistently report the UI as dense, hard to read, and overly complex, with excessive information and poor navigation. Common complaints include lack of customization, unintuitive controls, and visual discomfort due to color schemes.
- Colonists lack personality, emotional engagement, and meaningful relationships, making them feel like faceless resources. Players report weak attachment to characters and cumbersome mood tracking.
- Exploration feels mundane and lacks incentive, with shallow gameplay and limited replayability. Players report a lack of depth, motivation, and post-campaign content, especially in mid/late-game stages.
- The tutorial is criticized for being overwhelming, poorly written, and overly wordy, with too much information upfront. Players struggle to complete tutorial quests due to insufficient starting materials and lack of progressive learning.
Gameplay:
- Players must manage resources like oxygen, energy, heat, and minerals through collection, refining, and storage. This system is central to gameplay and often cited as both engaging and grindy.
- A tiered research system unlocks buildings and simplifies gameplay but is gated by resources (e.g., RAM, disks) and long completion times. The tech tree is extensive but lacks late-game ship weapons.
- Players rebuild, expand, and automate ships, balancing efficiency with colonist morale. Mechanics include demolition, repair, and AI-driven management of systems like furnaces and computer cores.
- Exploration spans planets, galaxies, and derelict ships for resources, blending discovery with survival. Players critique the balance between exploration and grind.
- Terraforming planets is a late-game objective, requiring resource investment and strategic planning. Some players find it underdeveloped compared to core mechanics.
Performance:
- The game runs smoothly on older or low-spec hardware, including PCs with minimal VRAM (e.g., GTX 750 Ti). This suggests efficient optimization for broader accessibility.
- The Linux version of the game experiences crashes after updates, indicating compatibility or optimization problems specific to this platform. Some users note the Windows version works via Proton.
- Players encounter issues with pathfinding algorithms and automation features like the autoconnect power upgrade, which fail frequently and disrupt gameplay flow.
- Some users experience slight stuttering during movement or zooming, though this does not significantly impact overall gameplay. This may indicate minor optimization gaps.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for fans of RimWorld, Factorio, and deep colony simulation games due to its complex systems and procedural narratives. Many reviewers see it as a unique or even superior alternative to RimWorld, especially with space-themed mods.
- A subset of reviewers recommend playing RimWorld with the Save Our Ship 2 mod instead, as it currently offers a more polished or complete spaceship simulation experience.
- Reviewers strongly advise trying the demo before purchasing, as it helps players gauge whether the game’s complexity and current state align with their preferences. The demo has convinced some to buy the full game.
- Multiple reviewers suggest waiting 6-12 months for further development, updates, or version 1.0 before purchasing. The game is acknowledged to have potential but is not yet fully polished or content-complete.
- Despite being in Early Access, the game is considered a solid experience with enough content to justify its price. Reviewers note it offers good value for the money, especially for fans of the genre.
Miscellaneous:
- The game's Early Access status and history of a successful Kickstarter campaign are mentioned as key milestones, reflecting its growing popularity and player investment in its development.
- The game's development by a single person is frequently praised, emphasizing the impressive scope and quality achieved despite limited resources. This resonates with players who appreciate indie game efforts.
- The developer's active involvement in community platforms like Discord and subreddits is noted as a positive aspect, fostering a loyal and interactive player base.
- The game includes themes of AI and human expendability, which some players discuss as thought-provoking or controversial. This adds a layer of depth beyond typical gameplay mechanics.
- A video presentation is linked in some reviews, though it is external content and does not directly contribute to gameplay feedback. This is noted as tangential to the core experience.
