Info about Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector:

Official game description:
Buzz
====
_“For fans of tabletop games, good sci-fi writing, and risk-reward decision-making, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a must-play indie game for 2025.”_
\- Game Rant
_“The first true GOTY”_
\- Easy Allies
_“It's living up to the hype. It's a contender.”_
\- Kinda Funny Games
About the Game
==============
The highly anticipated sequel to one of 2022’s most acclaimed RPGs, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector takes players to the Starward Belt, a richly realised, ramshackle set of habitats in an asteroid belt full of secrets, stories, and characters trying to make ends meet.
You are a sleeper, an emulation of a human mind housed in an artificial body. You are on the run from the corporation that made you and the gang that seeks to control you. Commandeer a ship, build a network of crew and allies, and take on challenging contracts as you seek to build a future for yourself.
Choose a class, configure your skills and assemble your crew in unique tabletop-inspired gameplay. Your future depends on the roll of a dice, as you make difficult choices in a complex world. Reinventing the award-winning systems of Citizen Sleeper, this dice-driven RPG will satisfy both fans of the original game and new players alike.
To stay one step ahead of your pursuers you’ll need three things: A belt-worthy ship, a tight crew and a contract or two.
The ship you stole. It’s a ragged old Rig that’s seen better days, but it’s all you’ve got. Upgrade your ship to extend its range, reach new locations and turn it from a hovel to a home.
Your crew starts with Serafin, your fellow escapee and a rock-solid pilot. But you’ll need scrappers, engineers and all sorts to take on the work that’ll keep you flying. From temporary contractors to new residents of the Rig, each of these characters has their own story, skills and troubles. Choose carefully.
Contracts take place far from the bars and shops of the Belt’s many hubs. These high-risk jobs each have their own challenges. From exploring treacherous derelicts and risky heists, to asteroid surveying and ship repair, you’ll need to make the most of your skills, crew and resources to complete the contract and get paid.
Soon after escaping from your corporate overlords, you fell under the control of a local criminal gang and its leader, Laine. Now, after a desperate attempt to free yourself from servitude by rewriting the very code that governs your system, you are on the run again, this time with a malfunctioning body, a price on your head and no memory of your past.
Each character class now has a unique “Push” ability, upgradable and customisable, that can help you turn the tide of a difficult job or send you into a dangerous spiral depending on how and when you choose to use it. Reroll your dice to change your fate, or focus a single die to bet everything on a big success. Each class offers different tactical possibilities.
Nothing in the Belt ever runs smooth, including your artificial body. Citizen Sleeper’s revolutionary dice system returns, revised for the sequel. Manage your stress or take damage to your dice. Deal with glitches as they accrue in your system. Push yourself to get lucky and make this cycle count.
Contracts offer a new kind of focussed, tactical gameplay to the Citizen Sleeper experience. You’ll need to prepare carefully and choose the right approach for these multi-cycle, high-risk, high-reward jobs, but you’ll also have to react and adapt to both the roll of the dice and the twists and turns of each task.  
The Starward Belt offers a bigger, more varied world than the original game. Instead of living on a single station, you'll chart a course from hub to hub with complete freedom, taking on jobs and setting goals as you see fit. A living world, the Belt rewards curiosity and care, but it's up to you to decide which locations and stories deserve your time and resources.
Player choice is a massive part of the Citizen Sleeper experience, and the sequel deepens this with new skill checks that allow you to express your class and character in scenes, as well as branching storylines that will ask you to make hard choices. The future of your character is up to you.
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
-------------------
Jump Over the Age is a one-person game development studio founded by Gareth Damian Martin (they/them). Gareth is the winner of GDCA and Indiecade awards, and has been nominated for a Games Award, multiple IGF Awards, a GDC Award, and four BAFTAs. They have been named both “An accomplished world-builder” (Edge Magazine) and “one of the most exciting indie talents around” (Eurogamer).
For Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Gareth is once again joined by renowned comic book artist, Guillaume Singelin and celebrated composer, Amos Roddy - the same exceptionally talented development team responsible for Citizen Sleeper’s moving narrative, eye-popping art and immersive music and sound.

Release date: Jan 31, 2025

Categories: Dice-based Gameplay, Choice-based Narrative, Character Management, Crew Management, Ship Management, Resource Management, Risk vs Reward Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The limited Linux/Proton feedback indicates the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck without reported issues.
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Broken (Unreadable UI); summary: Mixed Steam Deck performance: while some users enjoy a smooth experience, others face a broken UI due to unreadable pixelated text and lack of resolution options. The unreadable UI constitutes a significant barrier, aligning with the 'Broken' category in the scoring criteria.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The single cohort of Windows users with less than 8GB VRAM reports severe stability issues, including crashes, blue screens, and lost saves.
  - Sample size: 26 (2% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 12 reports): Players with less than 8GB VRAM experience frequent crashes, blue screens, and save file corruption, making the game unplayable.
  - Caveats: 26 of 1132 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews show that the current full price of $24.99 is considered acceptable by some, but many suggest waiting for a sale, indicating a lower price is preferred. One review explicitly recommends waiting for a price below a threshold (likely around $4-5 USD in local currency), suggesting a wide range of perceived value. Balancing the positive full-price endorsements with the sale recommendations, the community fair price range is estimated between $10 and $25.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.5h
  - Story completion: 10.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Two player reports directly state the time to complete the game: one says 10 hours for a full playthrough, another says approximately 11 hours to clear the first playthrough. These indicate the typical total playtime to finish the game, including the main story and likely some side content. No evidence distinguishes story-only completion from full game completion, so both metrics are set to the average of the two reports. No credible evidence for session length or endgame hours was found, so those fields are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Citizen Sleeper 2 has a rough start with frustrating stress and dice break mechanics, but after surviving the first hour or two the systems become manageable and the narrative-driven fun emerges.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After surviving the early game stress and dice management phase (first few hours)
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Stress system that can break dice; Limited dice and no partial repairs early; Tedious tutorial and repetitive travel; Slow progression and resource scarcity in early game; Difficulty spikes that can snowball into slog; Lack of clear guidance on map navigation
  - Unlock drivers: Lowering difficulty from Risky to Safe; Managing stress after the tutorial area; Gaining skills and resources through progression; Reaching Far Spindle to trivialize survival loop; Learning optimal contract order (e.g., Conway Signal first); Persevering through the first few hours
  - Conditions: Play on lower difficulty if early frustration is high; Expect slower progression and no rapid power growth; Value narrative and character arcs over mechanical depth; Patient mindset to endure early game friction; Use difficulty adjustment as a tool (no penalty for switching)
- Player Archetypes:
  - Story-First Narrativist (buy)
    - Motivation: Emotional immersion in a meaningful sci-fi narrative.
    - Playstyle: Reads text thoroughly, makes choices based on story consequences, and values character development.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: story-rich lover; narrative-driven RPG fan; sci-fi enthusiast
    - Reference games: Citizen Sleeper 1; Disco Elysium; SOMA; Talos Principle
  - Strategic Dice-Risker (buy)
    - Motivation: Strategic challenge and mastery of dice-based resource management.
    - Playstyle: Carefully allocates dice, manages stress and resources, plans for worst-case rolls, and learns from failures.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: TTRPG fan; strategy gamer; resource manager
    - Reference games: Citizen Sleeper 1; In Other Waters; TTRPGs
  - Franchise Purist (sale)
    - Motivation: Continued investment in the series, hoping for similar quality and depth as the first game.
    - Playstyle: Plays through to completion, compares mechanics and story beats with the first game, and may seek achievements.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: fan of the first game; old-school player; achievement hunter
    - Reference games: Citizen Sleeper 1
  - Casual Atmospheric Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and atmospheric immersion in a thoughtful sci-fi setting.
    - Playstyle: Plays on easy difficulty, takes time to read and absorb the world, and engages with the narrative at a leisurely pace.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: relaxed player; atmosphere lover; slow-burn fan
    - Reference games: Citizen Sleeper 1; In Other Waters; SOMA; Talos Principle


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:
- Significant improvement over first game (weight 0.72): Players consistently note that this sequel improves upon the first game in nearly every way, including gameplay, length, mechanics, and story. It fixes flaws, expands content, and offers a more engaging experience.
- Incredible characters and writing (weight 0.33): The characters and writing are highly praised for being well-developed, charismatic, and emotionally resonant, contributing to a compelling narrative.
- Amazing storytelling (weight 0.22): The storytelling is beautiful, shining, and incredible, providing a wonderful narrative experience.
- Fresh new mechanics (weight 0.21): New mechanics are interesting, fresh, and enrich gameplay, changing the play style and adding depth.
- Returning characters from first game (weight 0.21): Seeing familiar characters and references from the first game creates a sense of continuity and makes the universe feel lived-in, adding heartwarming moments.
- Expanded and improved gameplay (weight 0.17): Gameplay elements are greatly expanded and improved, with more diversity, refined mechanics, and enhanced playability.
- Perfect sequel (weight 0.17): The sequel is considered perfect, adding fun new twists, touching moments, and improving on tiny problems from the first game.
- Excellent overall game quality (weight 0.16): General sentiment is that the game is excellent and worth playing, with high praise for its overall quality and enjoyment.
- Engaging dice mechanic (weight 0.14): The dice system is appreciated for being simple, engaging, and adding variety and nuanced outcomes to gameplay.
- Memorable and impactful ending (weight 0.08): The ending is memorable, emotionally impactful, and well done, often bringing tears to players.
- Phenomenal worldbuilding (weight 0.08): Worldbuilding and setting are top-tier, creating a well-written and atmospheric world.
- Touching and human story (weight 0.08): The narrative is touching, moving, and deeply human, driving the emotional core of the game.

Common complaints:
- Dice repair system is broken (weight 0.48): Players report that dice cannot be repaired until fully broken, causing soft-locks and frustration. The inability to do partial repairs or fix dice during contracts makes the mechanic feel punishing and poorly designed.
- Sequels narrative and immersion decline (weight 0.43): Many players feel that the sequel lacks the immersive, emotional, and philosophical depth of the first game. The story is considered less cohesive, engaging, and impactful, with weaker world-building and character investment.
- Fewer and weaker endings (weight 0.15): Unlike the first game, the sequel offers only one ending with no meaningful variations based on player actions. The ending feels rushed, abrupt, and lacking proper buildup or closure.
- Stress and glitch systems frustrating (weight 0.13): The stress and glitch mechanics are widely criticized for being overly punishing, tedious, and self-defeating. They create a downward spiral that makes the game more frustrating than challenging.
- RNG punishes decisions unfairly (weight 0.12): Randomness in dice rolls often undermines player choices, leading to punishing results regardless of strategy. The RNG feels unbalanced and can make encounters feel random rather than skill-based.
- Characters lack development (weight 0.11): Several characters are poorly developed, with insufficient backstory and growth. The protagonist and new characters, in particular, feel less fleshed out compared to the first game.
- Story is linear and boring (weight 0.11): The plot is described as simple, linear, and unengaging, with few branching paths or interactive side content. It feels like reading a novel without meaningful player agency.
- Choices have little impact (weight 0.11): Player choices barely affect the narrative or outcomes, making decisions feel inconsequential. The lack of difficult or meaningful choices reduces replayability and immersion.
- No dialogue skip on replays (weight 0.06): The inability to skip dialogue during replays, especially lengthy tutorial sections, frustrates players. An auto-skip or manual skip option is desired for better pacing.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dice roll mechanics with stress (weight 0.25): The game uses a dice-based resolution system for actions. These dice can be affected by stress, which introduces risk and consequences like glitches or failure, creating a push-your-luck dynamic.
- Stress system damages dice (weight 0.24): Stress directly impacts dice by breaking or glitching them over time. At certain thresholds, dice become permanently damaged or less effective, forcing players to manage stress carefully.
- Recruit crew members for tasks (weight 0.15): Players can recruit crew members who assist in missions by covering missing attributes or performing independent tasks. This system allows strategic team building for contracts.
- Crew add dice and skills (weight 0.15): Crew members contribute additional dice and abilities to the player's pool. Up to two companions can be brought on missions, enhancing dice options and strategic depth.
- Time-sensitive contract missions (weight 0.15): The game features contract missions with time limits, requiring players to assemble a crew and complete objectives within a set timeframe. This adds pressure and strategic planning.
- Richer gameplay than first game (weight 0.11): The sequel offers a broader world, more challenging mechanics, and greater complexity compared to the first game. It includes rebalanced systems that deepen the experience.
- Multiple space stations to explore (weight 0.09): Players can travel to and explore multiple space stations and small settlements across the star system. This variety expands the scope of exploration and interaction.
- Crew system with predefined skills (weight 0.09): Each crew member has fixed skills that can compensate for the player's weaknesses. Managing crew stress and abilities is key to mission success.
- Dice damage and repair system (weight 0.09): Dice can become damaged or glitched during missions and require repair using special items outside of missions. This system adds a maintenance layer to crew management.
- Visual novel with dice mechanics (weight 0.08): The game blends visual novel storytelling with dice-based skill checks and survival mechanics. Dialogue and choices often lead to dice-driven outcomes.
- Glitched dice have poor success (weight 0.08): Glitched dice have only a 20% chance of a positive outcome, making them highly unreliable. Players must decide whether to risk using them or repair them first.
- Turn-based dice rolling (weight 0.08): Actions are resolved through turn-based dice rolling, with each cycle limiting the number of dice available. This structure demands efficient resource allocation each turn.
- Space travel with resource costs (weight 0.08): Traveling between stations consumes fuel and supplies, requiring careful ship management. This adds a survival element to navigation across the star system.
- Ship resource management (weight 0.06): Managing fuel and supplies for the ship is essential for survival during space travel. Maintaining these resources is a key gameplay loop.
- Choose-your-own-adventure style (weight 0.06): Player choices drive story development in a choose-your-own-adventure format. Decisions affect narrative branches and outcomes.
- Narrative choices have consequences (weight 0.06): The narrative is choice-driven with branching storylines. Player decisions affect character interactions and story outcomes.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues and crashes (weight 0.05): Users report crashes on Steam Deck when battery is low and significant performance drops (240 fps to 160 fps with stuttering) when traveling between locations, which is fixed by reloading a save.
- Limited graphics and resolution options (weight 0.05): There are no resolution options or graphics tweaks available, limiting customization and performance optimization.
- Auto-save system limitations (weight 0.03): The game only auto-saves when returning to the map, with a 10-second cooldown, which may be inconvenient for players.
- Retro low-polygon art style (weight 0.02): Some players note the use of low polygon retro assets, which may be seen as charming or dated depending on preference.

Recommendations:
- Play first game first (weight 0.42): A strong majority of players recommend playing Citizen Sleeper 1 before this sequel to fully appreciate character references and the overarching narrative. Some note the two games can be played independently, but playing in order is heavily suggested.
- Fans of the first game (weight 0.21): The sequel is especially recommended for fans of Citizen Sleeper 1, with many saying if you liked the first, you will enjoy this one even more. The game offers more interactivity and a fresh spin while retaining the core appeal.
- Great for narrative fans (weight 0.18): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy deep, narrative-driven experiences and meaningful choices. It is compared to a good book for those who love reading and story-focused gameplay.
- Worth buying overall (weight 0.17): Many players affirm the game is worth buying, especially if you can overlook minor negatives. Some specifically mention buying at a cheap price provides good value.
- Relaxing sci-fi narrative (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for players who enjoy relaxing, narrative sci-fi experiences with a melancholic yet hopeful tone. It appeals to fans of cyberpunk and space-themed stories.
- Try it out (weight 0.08): Some recommend at least trying the game, suggesting it is worth experiencing even if it may not be for everyone. The phrase 'do yourself a favor' indicates high confidence.
- Story over gameplay (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for players who prioritize story over gameplay mechanics. It is ideal for those who enjoy narrative-driven games without deep strategic elements.
- Not for strategy seekers (weight 0.05): Some players note that those seeking deep strategic challenge or control may be disappointed. The game is more narrative-focused with lighter mechanics.
- Reading-heavy game (weight 0.05): The game is text-heavy and recommended primarily for players who enjoy reading. It is described as a text adventure, so those who prefer action or minimal reading may not enjoy it.

Other player notes:
- More freedom in choices (weight 0.03): Players want greater autonomy in decision-making, including the ability to reject missions. They feel constrained by the current linear narrative and seek more impactful branching paths.
- Regret not using specific item (weight 0.02): A player regrets not bringing the item 'Bliss' to explore the 'Dark Side' area, suggesting that certain narrative moments or secrets require specific items, which may not be obvious to all players.
- Request for a setting book (weight 0.02): A player asks for a dedicated setting book containing lore, world details, or a compendium. This would help immerse players and provide context for the game's universe.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): The dice system is widely criticized for its punishing design, including permanent die damage, inability to repair during contracts, and cascading failures from bad rolls. The lack of a manual save function forces reliance on save-scumming and amplifies the impact of RNG, leading to soft-locks and lost progress. Additional issues include unclear mechanics, a misleading crew recruitment system, and a stress system that compounds negative outcomes, making the game feel overly punishing and inaccessible.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Players feel the sequel's narrative and character writing are weaker than the first game, with a shorter, more predictable story and an unsatisfying ending that lacks emotional impact. The removal of tense survival elements and multiple endings reduces replayability and immersion, while the new dice health system and linear contracts fail to capture the depth and atmosphere of the original.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): The game is praised for its rich writing, improved mechanics, and expanded world-building, with many players finding it a direct upgrade over the first game. The contract system and stress mechanics add strategic depth, while the engaging story, well-crafted characters, and meaningful choices provide a rewarding experience. Overall, the sequel is seen as a successful evolution that maintains the series' quality.
- Appreciation (weight 0.07): Players appreciate the exceptional writing, beautiful art and music, and the seamless integration of new mechanics like contracts and crew building. The game is lauded for its atmospheric world-building, thoughtful design, and the way it expands the universe while staying true to the original's strengths. Many highlight the restrained but precise storytelling and the emotional depth of the characters.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): The expanded scope, new features like space travel and dice health, and the engaging narrative generate strong excitement. Players describe the game as a perfect sequel that pushes the series in new directions, with top-notch music and tense gameplay that keeps them hooked. The anticipation for future content from the studio is high.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Players find the game fun and engaging, praising the story, characters, and improved mechanics such as contracts and exploration. The tension and strategic decision-making are well-received, and the game is seen as a satisfying sequel that enhances the original formula. Many enjoy the immersive world and the sense of progression.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is directed at the phenomenal writing, world-building, and art style, with many calling it one of the best sequels of all time. The developers are praised for their ambition and for creating a game that feels both familiar and fresh. The music and visual charm are frequently cited as outstanding.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players express deep love for the game's characters, story, and emotional impact, often noting that it surpasses the first game. The return of beloved characters, the engaging narrative, and the unique dice-based mechanics create a powerful, addictive experience. Many are moved by the game's themes of interdependence and hope.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Annoyance stems from the lack of manual saves, punishing RNG, and the glitch dice system, which force save-scumming and tedious grinding. Other irritants include clunky UI, unbalanced missions, and repetitive elements that detract from the overall experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is triggered by returning characters and familiar settings from the first game, evoking warm memories and a sense of continuity. Some players miss the focused narrative and hub-based sense of belonging from the original, but still appreciate the callbacks and easter eggs.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is directed at perceived design failures such as progress loss due to bugs and forced contract systems, with some feeling the sequel destroys the charm of the original. The combination of punishing mechanics, poor balance, and lack of player agency leads to a sense of wasted time and unfair difficulty.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arises from repetitive gameplay, excessive dialogue, and unchallenging mechanics that fail to sustain engagement. Some players find the writing juvenile and the exploration uninteresting, leading to a lack of tension and motivation to continue.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is driven by the thought-provoking story, tense contract and stress systems, and meaningful decision-making. The game's ability to maintain urgency while giving players control keeps them invested in both survival and narrative outcomes.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy is found in the heartfelt writing, beautiful art, and the satisfying experience of a sequel that improves on the original. Seeing old characters again, enjoying the emotional story, and feeling that failure adds to the narrative all contribute to a positive, immersive journey.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is high for future installments and DLC, with players eager to explore more of the Helion system and core worlds. The expanded achievements and new locations also generate excitement for what comes next from the developer.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is felt through the game's narrative of overcoming hardship, with quiet moments and themes of survival that resonate emotionally. Players also express a desire for more in-depth mechanics and future experiences in this universe.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is expressed towards the developers for creating a high-quality sequel, with special thanks for timely translations and the preservation of the game's storytelling art. Players appreciate the continued excellence and look forward to future projects.
- Touched (weight 0.01): Players are deeply moved by the well-written characters and touching story, particularly the return of familiar faces from the first game. The emotional depth and musical atmosphere create moments that resonate strongly, sometimes to the point of tears.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by new mechanics and improved gameplay balance that offer a fresh play style, as well as an engaging story universe and characters. The dice system and expanded world keep players curious and involved.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is high as players proclaim the sequel a perfect expansion of the universe, urging others to play and expressing a desire to spend extensive time with the game. The rich gameplay, story, and sense of adventure fuel passionate recommendations.}