Astro Colony

About

Astro Colony is a single player and multiplayer open world simulation game. It was developed by Tefel and was released on November 7, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

Astro Colony is a space exploration and automation game set in an infinite, procedurally generated universe made of destructible voxel planets. Build unique transport systems, recruit astronauts, research technologies, and play with friends in co-op mode to traverse and discover unknown grounds. But be careful, danger lurks around every corner.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,070 reviews

gameplay72 positive mentions

grinding90 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept of combining factory building with space exploration, allowing players to dock and mine resources from planetoids.
The developer is very active in updating the game, addressing bugs, and responding to community feedback, which shows commitment to improving the game.
The gameplay loop is engaging, with a satisfying progression system that keeps players invested in building and automating their colonies.

The controls and user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the mechanics.
Multiplayer functionality is currently unstable, with frequent desync issues and crashes that hinder the cooperative experience.
The game lacks depth in certain areas, such as the colony management aspect, where colonists feel underutilized and do not contribute significantly to gameplay.

gameplay
246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
69%
2%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging resource gathering mechanics and intuitive design, while others criticize its pacing and some janky mechanics, such as transport tubes and automation features. The tutorial system has been noted as lacking depth, leaving players to struggle with understanding more complex mechanics. Overall, while the game shows promise and has a solid foundation, it suffers from balancing issues and a gameplay loop that can become tedious, particularly in the mid to late game.
- “The gameplay of Astro Colony is both engaging and addictive.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive and easy to pick up, allowing players to dive right into the action.”
- “Good gameplay loop of gathering resources and using those resources to gather more.”
- “The tutorial system has been recently updated but still does not do a great job of teaching the player anything other than the mechanical aspect.. what does it produce?”
- “While the game is great when it was running smoothly, I cannot give a good opinion when the gameplay has degraded as badly over a short period of time as Astro Colony did.”
- “The game has some potential, but right now you'll end up spending most of your time fighting poorly implemented factory mechanics.”
graphics
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the stunning visuals and solid artwork. While some users noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues, especially on lower-end systems, the overall aesthetic and design are considered appealing and engaging. The game is described as visually captivating, with a good balance between detail and simplicity, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players.
- “From the moment I started playing, I was captivated by the game's stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and well-crafted narrative.”
- “One of the standout features of Astro Colony is its breathtaking graphics.”
- “Amazing graphics and a great idea of a game for casual builders.”
- “I may have logged only 4 hours, but in the two weeks since purchase and download, the graphical issues of lagging assets, stuttering movement, and even freezing have become rampant.”
- “I've got a decent machine but it freezes and crashes even on the lowest graphics settings.”
- “There is something wrong with the graphics modes as I generally run 1440p, yet the only option for 1440p is an odd 5k resolution. The nearest to 1440p is a bizarre 2650x1400, which as far as I'm aware is not a standard resolution.”
grinding
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
6%
90%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages, where players often feel overwhelmed by the lack of automation and the need for manual resource gathering. While some players appreciate the slower pace and find enjoyment in the grind, many express a desire for better balance and more engaging content to alleviate the repetitiveness. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and frustrating grind, with automation improving the experience as players progress.
- “Mechanics are good for building and building is fun, not grindy.”
- “It would be nice if it weren't so grindy, but once you start unlocking automation and whatnot, it gets better.”
- “Satisfactory and Dyson Sphere Program have a much better balance; even a gigantic base is not tedious to manage in these games, whereas resource generation, transport, and general balance are very bad here.”
- “There is no incentive to continue grinding more research.”
- “Getting rid of 'empty' islands and planets is extremely tedious; there is no machine or drone for it, so it has to be done by hand and takes literally forever.”
- “I don't understand if this is just terrible game design or intended game design, as if you're supposed to be punished for being 'lazy', when other games such as Factorio find better ways of keeping you busy while not punishing you with tedious setups.”
stability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting various bugs, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay in single-player, the overall consensus is that the game is still quite buggy, reflecting its early access status. Frequent updates from the developers indicate an ongoing effort to address these issues, but many players feel that the game requires further refinement before it can be fully enjoyed.
- “Gameplay has been mostly bug-free and very smooth once in game.”
- “Not buggy; works as it should.”
- “It has a solid (mostly bug-free) single player that is both fun and at times challenging.”
- “The game has its share of 'early access' issues: random crashes, inconsistent resource usage and production rates, robots that just stop working, ghost objects that appear to be there but aren't, graphic glitches.”
- “Crashes, freezes, conveyor belts frozen in time for one person, incorrect readouts on every current material, the inability to mine, falling through your platform, the entire platform having a grand mal seizure when the platform is in motion, bots still not working despite repeated promises that they were fixed, colonists disappearing from sight, materials disappearing from storage, your entire colony being able to fusion dance with entire planetoids but asteroids explode into a gajillion pieces when so much as gently caressed by the platform.”
- “Currently, there are too many game-breaking bugs, visual glitches, or just straight-up annoying ones.”
optimization
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
55%
24%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly during the tutorial and as they progress towards the end game. While certain users report smooth performance even on lower-end hardware, many express frustration over ongoing lag and the need for further optimization despite frequent updates. Overall, the game shows potential but currently suffers from inconsistent performance and optimization challenges.
- “I deeply value the dev's interest in optimization.”
- “On the technical side, I'm very impressed with the performance of the game and how well all these systems work together.”
- “There are games that really start to suffer after you make a sizeable world, but this game runs smoothly at scale.”
- “Let me start with this: the game is not flat out bad, it has some good ideas, but it suffers from poor optimization and design decisions that are just incomprehensible.”
- “First it was slightly lower FPS and stuttering, then it got worse, and today it's literally unplayable because of 10-30 second stutters.”
- “Ok, first and foremost, this game is horribly optimized.”
music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ethereal quality and ability to enhance immersion, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of fitting sound design. Some players noted that the soundtrack can be overwhelming during early gameplay, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the music is a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music in Astro Colony perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and providing an extra layer of immersion.”
- “It's a beautiful, ethereal soundtrack that truly immerses me into the scenario.”
- “Really great game and really relaxing, love the graphics, music and overall smoothness of the game.”
- “Music doesn't even have fade-in/out and terminates with a terrible cut, destroying player immersion.”
- “Poor sound design with music that doesn't fit the scene; most items are missing sounds completely.”
- “The soundtrack, while nice, is repetitive.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
76%
20%
The game's story is largely absent, with many players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative or campaign to enhance engagement. While some find the gameplay enjoyable, they note that the lack of a compelling story or objectives beyond building can lead to a sense of emptiness. Overall, players are calling for improvements in storytelling and mission structure to maintain interest.
- “The story unfolds in a way that keeps you invested in the fate of your colony and its inhabitants.”
- “I'm really looking forward to some story, or even progression checkpoints.”
- “This game either needs a sort of campaign or a set of scenario missions, or it needs a lot more depth (beyond conveyors and mining) to remain interesting.”
- “It also has many other gameplay mechanic issues and needs development on its goals and storyline to keep players entertained.”
- “The story seems ... light.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is described as immersive and relaxing, effectively transporting players to an otherworldly setting, enhanced by complementary music. However, some reviewers note inconsistencies, such as the lack of visible atmospheres on planets and asteroids, and a desire for more wildlife and environmental depth. Overall, while the atmosphere is praised for its emotional impact and immersion, there are critiques regarding its execution and the game's graphical quality.
- “It creates an immersive atmosphere that truly transports players to a distant, otherworldly setting.”
- “The music in Astro Colony perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and providing an extra layer of immersion.”
- “Gameplay is solid and the atmosphere is relaxing.”
- “The game literally lacks 'atmosphere' and wildlife, which it could do rather easily.”
- “Planets and asteroids never have their own atmosphere (visibly at least), but often plants grow.”
- “Trees grow in space without atmosphere... but only on the 'up' side of rocks.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
15%
The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky design choices, such as the escalating cost of requesting colonists, which players find amusing given the short wait time for shuttles. Additionally, the juxtaposition of advanced technology alongside a simple climbing axe adds a layer of absurdity that players appreciate. Overall, while some gameplay aspects may not be funny, the lightheartedness of certain mechanics and interactions contributes positively to the experience.
- “What is funny is that you have to pay an increasing amount of gold bars for each colonist you request at the same time.”
- “It starts at 2 gold bars for 1 colonist, then 5 gold bars for 2, etc. It just made me laugh because why would I bother asking for more than 1 colonist at a time if the shuttle will be back in another 2 minutes?”
- “I have nuclear power, lasers, gravitational factories, and all the other high-tech, futuristic buildings and materials... but... I got a climbing axe... just seems odd and at times funny.”
- “The humor in the gameplay falls flat, and the multiplayer experience is completely broken.”
- “The jokes just don't land, making the gameplay feel dull and unengaging.”
- “I expected a lot of laughs, but the humor is lacking and the multiplayer is a mess.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The game offers a mix of replayability, with different seeds providing varied experiences and opportunities for players to optimize their strategies and build efficient vessels or colonies. However, many users feel that once all resources are unlocked and the game is "beaten," the incentive to continue playing diminishes significantly, leading to a perception of low replay value in the endgame. Overall, while initial playthroughs can be extensive and engaging, the long-term replayability may be limited.
- “The basic tenets of the game are the same no matter the run; advance through technology, optimize and create new colonies, but the inclusion of different seeds makes it so the journey is different every time.”
- “If you like the automation genre, buying the game should be a no-brainer: a single run-through can easily take 25+ hours, and there is also some replayability.”
- “Although there's more than enough for days, if not weeks, of play and replayability... the fact you can either build a factory ship or grab an island and build a colony on your favorite biome or even build multiple little waystations producing different resources.”
- “The problem is there's not much replay value - once you have every resource, there's no reason to expand or explore anymore, and you've beaten the game.”
- “I feel like the game's replay value is very low, since at the end when you have everything unlocked and build a big base there is nothing to work for.”
- “-lack of replay value for endgame”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of games to be significantly influenced by the music and atmosphere, as seen in titles like Astro Colony, where the soundtrack enhances key moments. Additionally, developers like tefel are praised for their ability to evoke humor and emotion, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, some users feel that poor tutorials and cumbersome controls can detract from emotional engagement, making gameplay feel more like a chore.
- “I must say Tefel is the funniest and most emotional developer I have seen on YouTube, and I mean this in the best way possible!”
- “The music in Astro Colony perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and providing an extra layer of immersion.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the developers' efforts to avoid a cash grab approach, indicating that the monetization strategy is fair and not exploitative. This positive reception suggests a commitment to quality and player experience over profit.
- “Really nice to see developers grinding to make sure their game isn't a trash tier cash grab.”