Astro Emporia
- February 1, 2015
- Squirrelbot Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreAstro Emporia is a casual turn-based game where players aim to amass the most money in a limited number of turns. Each planet visit offers new opportunities with randomized resources and prices, and strategic tactics help increase the chances of profit. With its quick gameplay, players can achieve a high score in just a few minutes.
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Linux
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game provides a simple and casual trading experience that can be enjoyable for those looking for a low-pressure game.
- It has a decent soundtrack and a variety of commodities to trade, which can make for a fun, albeit basic, gameplay loop.
- The game can serve as a light introduction to commerce concepts for younger players, making it somewhat kid-friendly.
- Astro Emporia is criticized for its extremely simplistic gameplay, lacking depth and engagement, making it feel more like a mobile app than a PC game.
- The graphics and overall presentation are considered subpar, with many reviewers noting that it resembles a low-quality, unfinished project.
- The trading mechanics are often seen as frustratingly random, with unclear market signals and a lack of meaningful objectives, leading to a dull experience.
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users noting that while the visuals are decent, they can appear generic and lack distinctiveness. The game is built on the Unity engine, allowing for adjustable resolution and graphics quality, but it may cause performance issues on certain hardware, leading to overheating and increased fan activity.
“Nice graphics.”
“It is built on the Unity engine, and you can select your resolution and graphics quality, as well as fullscreen or windowed mode.”
“The artwork is fairly generic, but there is no confusion between the various goods.”
“The graphics are shabby.”
“My MacBook Pro's reballed graphics card handles a lot of games easily, but with this one, it just started heating and spinning the fans crazily.”
“The artwork is fairly generic.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, while others describe it as annoying and lacking options for customization or disabling. Overall, the soundtrack is considered mediocre, with a score of 2/10 from one reviewer.
“The soundtrack isn't too bad.”
“Music is fine.”
“The music is a bit too annoying (and no in-game way to remove/disable it)”
“Sound/music: 02/10”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, suggesting that perseverance can lead to unexpected outcomes. However, the narrative is criticized for being overshadowed by gameplay mechanics, particularly the frustrating randomness in trade routes and an unwelcome focus on combat in space trading games, detracting from exploration and mission-based storytelling.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Story: 00/10”
“With space trading games, I generally dislike the combat systems and would prefer to travel around and explore, perform missions, upgrade my ship, etc., but most of the space trading games I've found force combat upon you.”
“For example, a 'mineral' planet would often have iron, gold, or gems for a price much higher than one not producing them. While I understand having a fixed system would make the game even duller, this randomness makes trying to plot trade routes an exercise in frustration.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Astro Emporia is characterized as overly simplistic and unengaging, with basic mechanics that may frustrate players due to inconsistent selling opportunities on different planets. While it offers casual fun for those who appreciate its core mechanics, it lacks depth and complexity, making it less appealing for players seeking a more intricate gaming experience.
“Extremely basic, dull gameplay.”
“Can be a bit frustrating at times due to not always being able to sell your cargo on some planets. Generally cheap casual fun if you like this sort of thing, but there's nothing for anyone who doesn't enjoy the core gameplay mechanic, wants a very deep or complex economy, or gets too annoyed when a game is 'unfair' or random.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users feel that the game requires better optimization, indicating that performance issues detract from the overall experience.
“There's one slightly negative side to the game: it should be optimized.”
