Exoplanet: First Contact
UPDATE below the original review, 23+ hours in the game
I currently have close to 9.4 hours in the game, and I’m at the current ‘end.’ As such, I’ll provide my thoughts thus far:
1st question most ask, is it worth buying? In its current state, at 10 hours of gameplay, that’s a tough sell, but having a chance to perhaps have some input on how the final product turns out may be the tipping point for some.
I’ve had fun. I’ve thought about this game between sessions, which is usually a good indicator that it’s interesting enough, even in its current Alpha state, to keep me guessing. I really hope this winds up as a completed project (have seen a few Alphas sputter and die, let this not be one!)
– Real player with 23.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Sci-fi PvE Games.
What if Firefly and Mad Max had a Western themed love child…?
Add in a healthy dollop of Fallout and you’d be looking at Exoplanet: First Contact a real find for those of you lucky enough to stumble across it’s store page.
At the moment - Update 7, mid Jan 2018 - sadly almost nobody has heard of this early access gem. This game is a serious sleeper. It’s a clever, novel concept, the gameplay and the story suck you in from the beginning. I’ve seen criticism of the graphics in other reviews but I guess that was prior to the last update because the desert looks great to me.
– Real player with 12.7 hrs in game
Stars Die
Stars Die is an amazingly atmospherically dense experience. it’s a very short game but honestly doesn’t really need a whole lot of time to express itself and its ideas, and does a great load of work narratively and emotionally with the brief period it takes to complete. the game has 6 endings, including 2 secret ones, and going through all of these brought its own interesting character insights to the table. getting to explore the island itself was a real treat - the distant ambient thump that plays everywhere really added to the feeling that it might be alive, and each little area feels distinct while still flowing into each other naturally. the soundtrack is really great also - the swells of synth or heavy beat coming in at a dramatic moment to provide tension felt really perfect (and tbh the tracks all just slap, i’d love to see a release of the soundtrack by itself!).
– Real player with 10.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Sci-fi Multiple Endings Games.
I did not enjoy the story on my first playthrough because the second half of the narrative was too heavy on exposition, but the game has several endings that will add more context to the experience. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete the game, depending on which character you align with. To my knowledge there are at least 5 outcomes not counting the secret quest. The format reminded me of Fatum Betula because the main character essentially decides the fate of the world, additionally to the retro aesthetic and exploration in general. The area that you explore is not very big, although there are hidden trinkets that can be difficult to find. As far as the gameplay, it’s a walking-sim with some dialogue choices, even though the conversations don’t seem to impact the outcomes - you can change your mind at the very end (with a few exceptions). If you need to locate a character, you can use a radio that can be obtained shortly after meeting the crew. There is a time limit which can be disabled in the settings, meaning that you could miss out on some events if you don’t get there in time.
– Real player with 8.7 hrs in game
Moadra
An interstellar alien race, the Neera, has deployed an expedition to the long-lost planet Protea VI, hoping to discover their lost heritage. Eventually, the sand-swept planet turns out to be far more surprising than meets the eye, and suddenly the expedition goes quiet.
Your mission is to play as alien soldier Moadra and investigate the incidents on the planet. Upon discovering the expedition’s fate, Moadra becomes separated from the rest of the squad and is forced to delve deeper into the perilous depths of Protea VI.
From barren wastes and freezing ridges to lush caverns and decayed ruins, Moadra must traverse a sprawling world, face the unknown and unveil the secrets of their ancestors through non-linear exploration, offering a truly immersive and challenging gaming experience.
Traverse a massive interconnected world non-linearly and unveil the grim mysteries of Protea VI at your own pace. Endure the challenging combat and evolve Moadra’s abilities, solve light puzzles, and reveal countless hidden paths and secrets throughout your mission.
Strive through the desolate surface of Protea VI and ascend the deadly, freezing summits. Examine the infested research facility, kindle the crashed spacecraft, and explore the remains of an alien civilization that once inhabited Protea VI.
Experience Moadra’s agility by jumping over chasms and pools of acid. Roll and dodge enemies and crawl through narrow tunnels. Dive into deep lakes and reach immense heights using wall-jumps. Eventually, run with blazing speed and fly to unknown altitudes.
Confront the enormous variety of hostile creatures and malicious species inhabiting Protea VI. Fight against them with an arsenal of weapons and special abilities, and survive their onslaught by swift reflexes and cunning tactics.
Be prepared to encounter the ultimate challenge of Protea VI. Fight against gargantuan monsters in cruel and multi-phased battles that will push the limits of your skills like nothing else in the game.
Blow up unfriendly creatures and organisms to absorb their Protoplasm, lumps of energy-packed biomass. Consume it inside organic chambers to apply metamorphosis, and evolve your abilities and weapons to new levels.
Activate your scanner bot and use the X-Ray vision to examine the creatures and surroundings more closely. Reveal hidden paths and secret areas invisible to the naked eye, and map out the places you explored.
Untangle the tragedy of the Neera expedition, save yourself and the lone survivors. Uncover the lost secrets of your ancestors who once inhabited Protea VI, and conclude the events leading to their extinction 20 000 years ago.
Read More: Best Sci-fi Exploration Games.
Dead Ink
In the year 2207 the quantum state of your brain was encoded in a stream of photons and beamed into the cosmos. A pioneer of a glorious new age of light-speed travel, destined for fame and glory… at least that was the plan.
Fight
Plunged into a hostile world where every being is made of ink and manufactured at 3D printers, you must harvest ink to survive. Fight your way down a hand-crafted labyrinthine tower in this hardcore melee combat experience.
Escape
Choose between printing the best gear with your hard-won ink, or using it sparingly to get more chances. Can you escape from the tower or will you run out of ink?
A Hardcore Experience
Dead Ink is designed as a hardcore experience with uncompromising and punishing combat. Running out of ink will result in a game over and starting from scratch.
Features
-
Souls-like with a unique 3D-printing core mechanic
-
Unravel a nonlinear, hand-crafted vertical environment
-
Anticipated 6-10 hour play time with a variety of weapons, enemies and bosses
-
Harvest ink from enemies and use it to print your corporeal form, weapons and items
-
Choose how to spend your ink — on better gear, making more attempts, or on blueprint upgrades
-
Running out of ink is game over
Sentience: The Android’s Tale
I found this game to be quite interesting, though it is fairly simple mechanically speaking. The story kept me very much engaged. In a few spots my choices seemed to make a difference. With all of my other choices, it’s hard to say. The game might have some replayability, at least the last underground section, since there are so many possible endings. Recommended if you like cool stories.
By the way, the game did freeze on me a couple of times, so make sure you save often.
UPDATE July 2021: Do the following to get this game to work on Linux.
– Real player with 17.9 hrs in game
Developer Pilgrim Adventures scores positively again with this title. They have a knack for creating games that are laid back, yet very enthralling story-wise. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this.
I wished they would make more games like this one. It mixes elements of a sci-fi flavoured visual novel, with an RPG-like feel to it (mostly because of the graphics and the user interface).
The story is well done, and logical enough. There’s a healthy mix of mystery regarding technology, higher intelligent life forms, ancient civilizations, creation & just life in itself.
– Real player with 12.4 hrs in game
Alpha Particle
Alpha Particle is one of the most innovative, creative games I’ve played in a while, a really fresh take on the genre. If you’re curious and up for a challenge, give it a go. Be prepared to explore and experiment. Check it out!
Like a top-down shooter but you can’t shoot so you have to get creative. A fast-paced thinking man’s game with highly polished graphics and sleek gameplay. Loads of variety. Unique, challenging, fun
For more niche curation, follow me at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/27440015-CSH-Picone/
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
What is Alpha Particle?
Your going to have to find out and you’re going to have an awesome time doing so.
Excellent level design,imaginative enemies,rewarding progression all wrapped in an amazing digital blanket sound track.
Rock solid game.
Play it now!
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Astrobase Command
Salvage the remnants of your civilization by starting anew in uncharted space, with a small crew and the beginnings of an Astrobase. Grow your base by constructing modules on all three axes, put out fires both literal and metaphorical, and send characters with real personalities and emotions on non-linear text-based adventures across a procedural galaxy.
The only mode is ironman and every section, module, deck and crew member added to your Astrobase comes with implicit risks and reward, so choices matter. How long can you keep from succumbing to the dangers of space?
-
Grow - Expand your Astrobase in all three directions.
-
Nurture - Build a home for your crew and their daily lives
-
Design - Layout the Astrobase to counter crises such conduit leaks, compartment failures, explosions, fires, personnel issues, and more
The Astrobase can be constructed along three axes. Your crew can expand the base by building modules or contract it by salvaging them. They can add or remove functionality by building up or tearing down sections in the modules. They can even build ships that lets you explore the galaxy.
You choose what to build and when to build it. The crew needs to rest and they need to breathe, do you rush the construction of the Enlisted Quarters or the Air Pump first? What’s the optimal placement of the new module? Is it better to have the Plasma Reactor closer to storage or to the crew’s quarters? Keep the station well maintained and stocked with supplies or disastrous consequences may result.
-
Characters - Your crew make their own decisions as they interact with each other and the world around them.
-
Full AI lifecycle - They work, eat, sleep, use the bathroom, relax, and socialize all as part of their daily lives.
-
Morale - Your crew can get exhausted, or suffer from low morale which affects the quality of their lives and how they perform tasks.
-
Relationships - Your crew form personal, professional, and romantic relationships. The relationships can be either positive or negative based on how their personalities and actions align.
Your crew live their own lives on the Astrobase. They have things to do and people to meet. Exactly how well they perform depends on how good they fit into their job, what adventures they’ve had, and what horrors they have survived; even how well matched they are with their peers matters, some will become romantic partners while others become bitter work rivals.
You will run into stumbling blocks, maybe your crew is exhausted because you’ve pushed them too hard, or low morale makes slacking off more enticing, or maybe Jenkins and Rodriguez spend too much time arguing while the Fission Reactor goes critical. Figure out your problems and fix them!
-
Explore - Build and dispatch ships across the galaxy to explore planets, fight killbots, extract resources, and interact with other civilizations.
-
Delegate - The ranking officer of each ship will make decisions based on their personality, and take recommendations from their team.
-
Overrule - Change the decisions in the logs they send back, or let them make their own mistakes.
The procedural adventures of the crew assigned to your ships can be read and interacted with in the logs they send back. Carefully handpick the crew for each ship you send out. Monitor their progress or leave them to their own fate. Whatever you choose to do, the outcomes of their adventures will be felt in what resources they get, what injuries they suffer, and in how it changes their emotional state.
-
Assign - Choose the best person for each job based on their stats, personalities, and over 50 different skills.
-
Manage - Prioritize tasks, clear task blockers, optimize the routes that the crew take during their day.
-
Observe - Calculate resource depletion and stay on top of tasks to prevent the reactors from exploding, the conduits leaking, and compartments failing,
The desk is where you design the Astrobase into a functioning home for your crew, promote leaders, manage tasks, monitor resource consumption, read reports from your ships and give them your input.
Running the station means manning your desk. Be efficient, and use your time wisely or take a break and play some Asteroid Shooter.
-
Individuality - Characters maintain emotional memory, and experience psychological growth over time depending on how results align with expectations.
-
Expression - Each character’s personality is expressed in their conversations, thoughts, and ship log entries
-
Story - Over 100 personality traits and 42 intertwined emotions combine to author narratives that reflect how the crew are actually thinking and feeling.
The Astrobase’s crew will have conversations with each other, or insights about their lives. Crew members join the Astrobase with revealed personality traits that drive the emotions that effect their job suitability, choices and actions. More traits become unlocked as they experience emotional growth.
Ensure that your crew’s psychological needs are met and they have the ability to grow as people. When you’re processing recruit applications you’ll want to keep an eye out for personalities that might clash with your existing crew, or will be compatible and create lasting friendships.
Trajectory Fracture
One more free RV to add to the collection, it doesn’t add much, but you can have a good time trying it out.
– Real player with 1.3 hrs in game
Trajectory Fracture is a free to play VR game with 4 different modes of play. It worked on my HTC Vive system, looked ok, played ok, sounded ok. Has a two sided menu board, with many gameplay options. You can break stuff for fun. Has 18 steam achievements. The bow puzzle mode is hard. Has steam leaderboard. Looks like the steam achievements will keep you busy with this game.
Try this game, you might like it.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Cube Runk
In the distant future, when technology was integrated into our life so firmly that it was no longer possible to say that the present was left of a person, cryptocurrencies were firmly integrated into our life and people appeared who considered the creator of bitcoins a savior!
All over the world, shrines began to appear in which people could leave a donation and virtually talk with Satoshi. Keep an eye on such a sanctuary
sent the orphan Drew, barely out of school. One day, the servers of the sanctuary, with all the bitcoins, were encrypted by an unknown virus.
Now Drew has a long way to go in search of an antivirus and, without knowing it, only he is able to stop the war between corporations … Or not stop, but take the side of corporations.
Features:
-
Unforgettable adventures from the 3rd person.
-
Non-linear, deep storyline that unfolds as you progress.
-
Four different endings.
-
Well-developed characters.
-
Specific cubic lowpoly graphics.
-
Bright cyberpunk setting.
-
Secret locations.
-
Great music.
SpaceNET - A Space Adventure
| Follow our GROUP and CURATOR for more interesting games and quality reviews!
|
Authentic small two-color point-and-click adventure game in retro 80s style.
This game can be a real gem for you if you value minimalism and retro atmosphere with a non-linear sci-fi adventure with less graphics and more story.
– Real player with 355.2 hrs in game
spacenet is a retro-style sci-fi point & click that gave me asteroids, elite and similar vibes, but there’s no combat, resource management (except money, see below) or anything like that here, just you in your spaceship wandering around, talking, puzzling and hacking in a non-linear fashion.
– Real player with 10.4 hrs in game