Info about Starbound:

Official game description:
Bounty Hunter Update
====================
In our latest update take on the role of an intergalactic bounty hunter, taking on new quests to track down wanted criminal gangs and following clues to discover their hideouts.  
Rise up through the Peacekeeper ranks to ultimately restore law and order in the universe! When cornered some criminals may even offer treasure or rewards as a bribe - it’s up to the player to decide how strictly they’ll uphold the law!  
There are over 50 new ‘rare colored’ variant monsters which can be captured, and a variety of other new content including furniture, armor, tenants and more!
Update Key Features
-------------------
*   New procedurally-generated quests that send players travelling to worlds and space stations, hunting down criminal gangs  
*   New Peacekeeper stations for bounty hunters – work your way through promotions and restore law to the universe  
*   Take the fight to criminal gangs at their hideouts, including a climatic final mission & boss fight!  
*   Brand new quests and cutscenes!  
*   New generated criminal hideout micro-dungeons  
*   New elemental monster variants which are capturable, and earn progress in a new collection  
*   New furniture, objects, costumes, weapons, and more!  
*   4 new music tracks by Starbound composer Curtis Schweitzer  
*   And of course some bugfixes
About the Game
==============
In Starbound, you create your own story - there’s no wrong way to play! You may choose to save the universe from the forces that destroyed your home, uncovering greater galactic mysteries in the process, or you may wish to forego a heroic journey entirely in favor of colonizing uncharted planets.
Settle down and farm the land, become an intergalactic landlord, hop from planet to planet collecting rare creatures, or delve into dangerous dungeons and lay claim to extraordinary treasures.
Discover ancient temples and modern metropolises, trees with eyes, and mischievous penguins. Make use of hundreds of materials and over two thousand objects to build a sleepy secluded cabin in the woods, a medieval castle, underwater arcade, or even a space station.
Starbound has been built from the ground up to be multiplayer and easily moddable. You have the tools to make the universe your own and modify the game to suit your play style - add new items, races, planet types, dungeons, and quests - the possibilities are limitless.
*   Choose from one of 7 playable races and customize your character
*   Save the universe in an epic story campaign featuring colorful characters, bosses, dungeons, and quests!
*   You're the captain of your very own starship! Decorate it, expand it, and use it to explore a procedurally generated universe
*   Colonize uncharted planets and collect gifts from your tenants - if they like you, they may even ask to join your ship crew!
*   Three game modes - Casual (no need to eat), Survival (eat to survive/drop items on death) and Hardcore (permadeath)
*   Craft thousands of objects - building materials, armor, weapons, furniture and more
*   Capture unique monsters to fight alongside you
*   All content is available in online drop-in/drop-out co-op
*   Built from the ground up to be easily moddable. You have the tools to make the universe however you'd like it

Release date: Jul 22, 2016

Categories: Mod Support, Exploration, Base Building, Crafting, Procedural Generation, Multiplayer, 2D Side-scrolling Shooter, Open-World, Ship Customization

Feature scans:
- Mods: score 25; verdict: Mods Enhance Experience; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals that while the base game is considered playable, many users feel that mods are essential to enhance the gameplay experience significantly. The availability and variety of mods are highly appreciated, and the community support through mods is crucial for the game's longevity. However, there are no widespread reports of the game being unplayable without mods, and no specific game-breaking bugs are mentioned.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant reliance on external wikis to understand game mechanics and progress, indicating potential issues with in-game guidance and complexity. Additionally, there are concerns about the game's completeness and technical issues that impact user experience.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game runs smoothly on Linux with a large number of mods installed, indicating good performance and compatibility with Linux.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game faces several technical barriers on the Steam Deck, including poor controller support, small text size, performance issues, and the lack of cloud saves. These issues collectively degrade the user experience, requiring significant tinkering to achieve playable conditions.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.99 - $14.99
  - Reasoning: The majority of reviews suggest that the game is worth purchasing only when it is on sale, indicating that the perceived value of the game is lower than its current base price. Several reviews mention that the game is enjoyable with mods and friends, but not worth the full price. The positive reviews that mention the game being worth it often reference playing it for a long time or getting it at a discounted price. The negative reviews emphasize that the game is not worth the full price and should be bought on sale.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 40.0h
  - Story completion: 40.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct references to playtime metrics. The first quote mentions 'over two hundred hours,' indicating significant investment in the game. The second quote specifies 'about 40h of gameplay to unlock everything,' which aligns with the story completion time. The third quote mentions '1577 hours,' which is an outlier but shows extreme long-term engagement. The fourth quote discusses the role of races in progression, hinting at extended playtime due to replayability.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Starbound has a slow and somewhat tedious early game, but it becomes significantly more enjoyable once players reach key milestones like repairing the ship or obtaining a mech. The game's depth in crafting, character customization, and co-op play are major highlights.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Obtaining a mech
  - Time to anchor: 3h 0m
  - Friction: Early game grind; High initial learning curve; Lack of exciting weapons early on; Repetitive combat; Clunky controls
  - Unlock drivers: Repairing the ship; Obtaining a mech; Mods; Co-op play; Character customization
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Using mods; Exploration; Building and customization; Cooperative multiplayer
- Player Archetypes:
  - Exploration-Building Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of exploration and building in a sandbox environment.
    - Playstyle: Explores planets, builds structures, and enjoys the creative aspects of the game.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Terraria fan; Sandbox lover
    - Reference games: Terraria; Minecraft
  - Modding Community Advocate (sale)
    - Motivation: Enhancing gameplay through mods and being part of a modding community.
    - Playstyle: Uses mods to improve and customize gameplay, often recommending specific mods to others.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Modding enthusiast; Community contributor
    - Reference games: Terraria; Minecraft
  - Casual Relaxed Player (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of a relaxed and casual gaming experience.
    - Playstyle: Plays at a leisurely pace, enjoys chill and relaxing aspects of the game.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Casual gamer; Relaxed player
    - Reference games: Stardew Valley; Animal Crossing
  - Ethical Consumer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting games that align with their ethical values.
    - Playstyle: Considers the ethical practices of developers before purchasing or playing a game.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: Ethical gamer; Conscious consumer
    - Reference games: No specific references


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Mods enhance gameplay significantly (weight 0.69): The game offers a rich modding experience that can transform and enhance gameplay, adding more content, variety, and replayability. Players appreciate the significant impact mods have on making the game more interesting and fun.
- Beautiful artistic style and graphics (weight 0.36): The game boasts a beautiful artistic style with stunning pixel art graphics. The visuals are charming and vibrant, contributing to the overall aesthetic appeal.
- Similar to Terraria (weight 0.34): The gameplay is reminiscent of Terraria, with similar mechanics in terms of mining, building, and combat. It is often described as a space version of Terraria, appealing to fans of that game.
- High replayability and enjoyment (weight 0.3): The game is highly enjoyable and offers amazing replayability, providing many hours of gameplay. Players find it very fun and entertaining, contributing to its high replay value.
- Fun exploration and activities (weight 0.25): The game features enjoyable exploration and a variety of fun activities. Players can spend countless hours exploring and finding new things, making it a fun experience both solo and in co-op.
- Active modding community (weight 0.24): The game has an active and vibrant modding community that breathes life into the game. Frequent updates and community engagement keep the game alive and well-supported.
- Diverse gameplay elements (weight 0.21): The game offers a variety of gameplay styles and activities, including diverse biomes, flora, fauna, and combat systems. This diversity enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Unique planets and environments (weight 0.2): The game features a variety of unique planets with different climates and landscapes. Players enjoy exploring new planet types and environments.
- Unique atmosphere and setting (weight 0.15): The game offers a unique atmosphere with a fantastic 2D style and immersive setting. The combination of music and pixel graphics creates a distinctive experience.
- Outstanding soundtrack (weight 0.15): The game features an incredible soundtrack with high-quality music for different occasions. The music enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Variety of items and furniture (weight 0.13): The game provides a wide variety of items, weapons, and furniture. This assortment adds to the game's depth and customization options.

Common complaints:
- Game Abandoned by Developers (weight 0.25): The developers have stopped supporting and updating the game, leaving it in an unfinished state despite its potential.
- Unfinished Content (weight 0.24): The game feels unfinished with a lack of content updates and significant content that feels incomplete.
- Game Feels Boring (weight 0.21): Many players find the game boring and repetitive, with linear and barren environments that quickly lose their appeal.
- Unrealized Potential (weight 0.2): The game had potential to be great but failed to live up to expectations, leaving players disappointed.
- Repetitive Gameplay Loop (weight 0.2): The gameplay loop is criticized for being repetitive, tedious, and lacking meaningful mechanics and progression.
- Lack of Updates (weight 0.17): There is a lack of updates and bug fixes, with updates dwindling and significant updates being absent.
- Vanilla Game Criticism (weight 0.13): The vanilla version of the game is criticized for being dull, limited, buggy, and lacking in content.
- Developer Criticism (weight 0.12): There is a general dislike for the developers, who are criticized for being lazy and abandoning the game.
- Poor Combat System (weight 0.1): The combat system is criticized for being poor and unengaging, with a lackluster equipment system.
- Clunky Controls and AI (weight 0.08): The controls are criticized for being clunky, and the AI is described as slow and unengaging.
- Buggy Game (weight 0.08): The game is criticized for being buggy, with players encountering bugs, though not very often.
- Removed Mechanics (weight 0.07): Some mechanics, such as the temperature system, have been removed, leading to player dissatisfaction.
- Modding Issues (weight 0.07): There are issues with modding the game, with mods not working as expected.
- Slow Gameplay Progression (weight 0.07): The gameplay progression is criticized for being slow, especially at the beginning.
- Repetitive Planet Generation (weight 0.07): The procedural generation of planets often results in repetitive and unremarkable environments.

Gameplay feedback:
- Exploration of diverse planets (weight 0.5): The game features extensive exploration of various planets, each with unique ecosystems and environments. Players can travel between planets and discover new locations.
- Focus on exploration (weight 0.31): Exploration and discovery are central to the gameplay experience. The game offers open-world and sandbox exploration, encouraging players to explore and discover new content.
- Mod support and community (weight 0.3): The game supports modding, which enhances and expands the gameplay experience. There is an active modding community that creates custom content like dungeons, races, and storylines.
- Variety of mechanics (weight 0.24): The game offers a variety of gameplay mechanics, including crafting, resource gathering, and combat. There are diverse activities and environments to explore.
- Open-world sandbox (weight 0.2): The game is set in an open-world sandbox environment, combining elements of survival and exploration. Players can freely explore and interact with the game world.
- Ship customization (weight 0.2): Players can build and customize their own ships. Ship building and mods are significant aspects of the gameplay.
- Base building (weight 0.19): The game includes mechanics for building bases and colonies. Players can engage in construction and settlement management.
- Collecting and crafting (weight 0.18): Players can collect materials and craft various items, including weapons and armor. Resource gathering and crafting are core mechanics.
- Procedural generation (weight 0.15): The game features a procedurally generated universe, similar to No Man's Sky. This includes randomly generated content and procedural monsters.
- Challenging difficulty (weight 0.14): The game offers a challenging difficulty level, with balanced combat mechanics. Players can engage in boss fights and dungeon exploration.
- Multiplayer support (weight 0.14): The game supports multiplayer, allowing players to join servers and play with friends. Multiplayer enhances the gameplay experience.
- 2D sidescroller gameplay (weight 0.1): The game features 2D sidescroller gameplay, similar to classic platformers. This style is combined with sandbox elements.
- Long gameplay sessions (weight 0.08): The game offers long and engaging gameplay sessions, with a variety of content to keep players invested. The gameplay loop and progression are designed for extended playtime.
- Interaction with races (weight 0.08): Players can interact with various races and cultures, each with their own stories and interactions. This adds depth to the game's narrative and world-building.

Performance notes:
- Lag and performance issues (weight 0.23): Players experience various lag issues, including slideshow performance, FPS drops, and lag spikes during zone transitions and in complex scenes.
- Frequent crashes (weight 0.18): The game experiences frequent crashes, especially when using mods. Some players report crashes on startup and multiple crashes in a row.
- Optimization issues (weight 0.13): Players report mixed experiences with game optimization, ranging from poor optimization to well-optimized performance depending on the setup.
- High single-core CPU dependency (weight 0.11): The game primarily utilizes a single core of the CPU, making it accessible for lower-end systems but demanding high single-core performance.
- Multiplayer connectivity and stability (weight 0.11): Multiplayer mode suffers from lag, connectivity issues, and stability problems, making the experience less enjoyable.
- Memory and system issues (weight 0.11): The game has memory leak issues and can cause system problems such as blue screens. The 32-bit mode can also cause crashes or infinite loading.
- Mods improve performance (weight 0.1): Using mods can improve game performance and stability, with some players reporting fewer crashes in modded versions.
- General bugginess (weight 0.08): Players report that the game is somewhat buggy, with occasional bugs and strange stuttering or freezing issues.
- Performance on Linux (weight 0.06): The game runs well on Linux and modern configurations, indicating good compatibility with these setups.
- Bloated and unoptimized assets (weight 0.06): The game's assets are reported to be bloated and unoptimized, contributing to larger game size and potential performance issues.
- Graphics and resolution issues (weight 0.06): There are issues related to graphics settings and resolution, affecting the visual experience of the game.
- Save data issues (weight 0.04): There are reports of save data being wiped from the Steam cloud, causing players to lose progress.
- Desynchronization problems (weight 0.03): Players encounter desynchronization issues, which can disrupt gameplay.

Recommendations:
- Frackin' Universe mod recommended (weight 0.27): Many players recommend using the Frackin' Universe mod to enhance the gameplay experience significantly. This mod is frequently mentioned as a way to take the game to a next-level adventure.
- Recommended for Terraria fans (weight 0.21): The game is often recommended to fans of Terraria and similar exploration and sandbox games. Players suggest that if you enjoyed Terraria, you will likely enjoy this game as well.
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.17): The game is highly recommended by many players. They suggest trying it out as it offers a great experience.
- Buy on sale (weight 0.12): Several players recommend buying the game only when it is on sale, suggesting that a discount of 60% or more is ideal.
- Recommended for exploration and creativity (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for fans of exploration and creativity. Players enjoy the sandbox-style gameplay and the ability to discover and shape worlds.
- Casual and relaxed gameplay (weight 0.05): The game is suggested for those who want a calmer and more casual experience while still retaining core elements of similar games.
- Worth the price (weight 0.03): Some players feel that the game is worth every penny, indicating that it offers good value for the price.
- Diverse and expansive universe (weight 0.03): The game features a diverse and expansive universe, which is highlighted as a major selling point by players.
- Install on SSD (weight 0.03): Some players recommend installing the game on an SSD for better performance.
- Not for Terraria-like expectations (weight 0.03): The game is not recommended for those expecting gameplay similar to Terraria. Players suggest that it offers a different experience.

Other player notes:
- Mod support for additional content (weight 0.03): Players are interested in mod support to enhance the game with additional content.
- Gifted by a friend (weight 0.03): Some players received the game as a gift from a friend.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Players feel disappointment due to the game's unrealized potential, lack of updates, and abandonment by developers. The game is often compared unfavorably to Terraria, with criticisms of its repetitive gameplay, lack of depth, and various technical issues.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Players experience frustration primarily due to technical issues, such as game crashes, bugs, and poor optimization. Additional frustrations stem from unclear quest instructions, lack of updates, and the need for mods to make the game playable.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.12): Players enjoy the game for its exploration and discovery aspects, variety of activities, and modding capabilities. The game's graphics, planet diversity, and engaging gameplay mechanics also contribute to the enjoyment.
- Joy (weight 0.09): Players find joy in the game's freedom, content, and the impact of mods like the FU MOD. The music, atmosphere, and the overall engaging and atmospheric gameplay contribute to a highly enjoyable and fun experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.08): Players feel nostalgia due to memories of playing the game for long hours, its unique atmosphere, and comparisons to other beloved games like Terraria. The game's evolution and personal memories associated with it also evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Players are excited by the game's variety of activities, unique gameplay mechanics, and the freedom to explore new planets and solar systems. The game's creative freedom and the potential for discovering new items and engaging in various activities also contribute to the excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players feel satisfaction from the game's engaging storyline, satisfying ending, and the significant enhancements provided by mods. The building mechanics, exploration, and the overall well-made nature of the game contribute to a satisfying experience.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players love the game for its beautiful music, space ship mechanics, and the variety of activities it offers. The game's lore, development care, and the heartwarming ending also contribute to a deep love for the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's stunning graphics, variety of items, and the contributions of the modding community. The game's ambience, visuals, sound effects, and soundtracks are also highly appreciated.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players feel anger due to the game's abandonment by developers, exploitation of voluntary contributors, and community toxicity. Technical issues, lack of support, and disappointment with developer choices also contribute to this anger.
- Positive (weight 0.01): Players have a positive experience with the game's features, finding it interesting, engaging, and rewarding. The game's sandbox nature, modded experience, and creative building options are particularly appreciated.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players express hope for future improvements, such as building megacities on planets and potential sequels. The extensive modding community and the possibility of developers returning to the game also inspire hope.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Players are curious about the variety of biomes, outfits, and weapons, as well as the potential felt in the gameplay. The dramatic changes mods can bring to the gameplay also piques their curiosity.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the game's depth and its positive comparison to Terraria. The combination of No Man's Sky with Terraria and mods, along with the variety of activities, contributes to their excitement.
- 喜び (weight 0.01): Players experience joy from the game's visuals, exploration, and music. The depth of the game and its diverse gameplay elements, along with comparisons to Terraria, contribute to this joy.}