Astral Traveler

About

Astral Traveler is a single player racing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Dragon Slumber and was released on September 13, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Blaze your way through 47 challenging tracks as you dodge obstacles at breakneck speeds, shooting down the enemy raiders blocking your path and phasing through pulsars for an extra burst of speed. Your astral core is fading, but the warp gate to the next track is just up ahead, if your skills are tight enough to reach it.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Astral Traveler delivers exhilarating speed and intense gameplay, reminiscent of classic arcade racers, with a unique blend of racing and obstacle navigation.
The game features a visually stunning cosmic aesthetic with varied environments across 47 levels, enhancing the overall experience.
Players can enjoy a rewarding challenge as they master each track, with a satisfying flow to the gameplay that encourages repeated attempts to improve times.

The game suffers from a steep difficulty curve and can feel punishing, especially for casual players, with a lack of robust tutorials and no checkpoints within levels.
Visual clarity can be compromised at high speeds, making it difficult to distinguish between hazards and safe zones, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Inconsistent controls and occasional technical issues detract from the overall polish, making the gameplay feel less refined than it could be.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The gameplay of "Astral Traveler" is a fast-paced blend of racing, obstacle navigation, and light combat, featuring 47 levels across five nebulae that introduce varied challenges. While the mechanics encourage quick reflexes and strategic timing, the lack of a robust tutorial can lead to frustration, as players must learn through trial and error. Despite some enjoyable elements and an energetic soundtrack, the gameplay can feel monotonous and lacks polish, with issues in controls and level design that may detract from the overall experience.
- “Astral Traveler, developed by Dragon Slumber and Brainoid and published by My Way Games, is a fast-paced, neon-lit arcade racer that blends the mechanics of futuristic racing with reflex-based obstacle navigation and light combat elements.”
- “The flow of the gameplay becomes almost hypnotic when mastered—accelerating, weaving, phasing, and collecting energy in one seamless motion.”
- “Gameplay is very nice, has a nice flow to it, starts out easy and gets harder as you play.”
- “The absence of a robust tutorial exacerbates the issue, as some of the game’s systems and mechanics are left unexplained, forcing players to learn through repetition.”
- “The level design is varied but sometimes feels trial-and-error due to hidden elements, and the gameplay mechanics such as shooting and movement feel off.”
- “The tracks are monotonous, the gameplay quickly becomes boring, and there is almost no replayability.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of "Astral Traveler" are characterized by a glowing, cosmic aesthetic that enhances its surreal and psychedelic atmosphere, though opinions vary on their execution. While some players appreciate the stylish visuals and varied designs, others criticize them for being drab, outdated, and lacking depth. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as beautiful but not without flaws, with the fast-paced gameplay making high graphical detail less critical.
- “Visually, Astral Traveler embraces a glowing, cosmic aesthetic that suits its tone.”
- “The graphics are surreal, as if caught in a psychedelic dream, and the soundtrack is generally a separate kind of art; it's downright hypnotic.”
- “Overall, Astral Traveler has nice and varied visuals.”
- “The visuals are drab and boring.”
- “Astral Traveler is a frustrating game with challenging gameplay but suffers from poor polish, outdated graphics, and inconsistent controls.”
- “The graphics are stylish, but there is no depth behind them.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The music in the game is described as intense and hypnotic, effectively complementing the gameplay with electronic tracks that enhance the action. However, the limited number of only five songs leads to a loss of appeal over time, as the soundtrack can occasionally overpower other audio elements, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The graphics are surreal, as if caught in a psychedelic dream, and the soundtrack is generally a separate kind of art; it's downright hypnotic.”
- “The music of Astral Traveler is suitably intense, and the electro sounds coincide with the space nature of the game.”
- “With only 5 songs for the whole game, eventually the music loses its appeal and the audio of Astral Traveler falters in consequence.”
- “The music, though good, lacks in quantity.”
- “The soundtrack complements this well: electronic tracks pulse in time with the game’s intensity, driving the action forward, though the mix can occasionally overpower the effects or the moment-to-moment gameplay cues.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by vibrant neon visuals and abstract environments that enhance exploration, despite occasional readability issues. Players find the immersive experience compelling enough to overlook minor flaws, making it a standout in the indie genre.
- “As a fan of atmospheric indie games, I give you a solid five - you rarely see this!”
- “While the neon glow and abstract backdrops create atmosphere, they sometimes sacrifice readability.”
- “Even small bugs don't spoil the experience, because the atmosphere is so powerful that you just want to hang out and explore everything.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find enjoyment in replaying stages to achieve higher ranks, others criticize the monotonous tracks and gameplay, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
- “For me, the big appeal of this game is replaying each stage to achieve an A rank (or hopefully an S rank).”
- “The decent longevity and replayability potential ensures many hours of enjoyment.”
- “The tracks are monotonous, the gameplay quickly becomes boring, and there is almost no replayability.”
- “The big appeal of this game is replaying each stage to achieve an A rank (or hopefully an S rank), but it feels limited.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking challenge, likening it to a walking simulator. It may appeal to those interested in farming mechanics, but overall, it is seen as a monotonous experience.
- “This game is a tedious walking simulator with no challenge.”
- “Recommended for game farming.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is criticized for being pretentious and confusing, lacking a coherent narrative or setup, which leaves players bewildered as they navigate through various nebulas without any explanation.
- “The story is pretentious and confusing.”
- “There is no story or setup, and no explanation of why we're speeding through various nebulas.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly with responsive controls, although some users note that the sensitivity can be a bit high at times.
- “Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly, and the controls, though occasionally sensitive, generally feel responsive enough for the speed at which it operates.”