Autonauts vs Piratebots

About

In "Autonauts vs Piratebots," you are the Captain of the Autonauts Defence Force and must defend against an invasion of Piratebots who have taken over automated settlements and industries on a nearby planet. Your mission is to rescue innocent Autonauts, rebuild the settlement, and ultimately defeat the Dread Pirate Robot and his Boss Mates to reclaim the world. To fund your defence campaign, you can automate a farming business using Workerbots and natural resources.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+10

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 240 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game features delightful and charming art style, with cute robots and engaging animations that enhance the overall experience.
Quality of life improvements from the original Autonauts, such as no need to recharge bots and access to the bot database from the start, streamline gameplay and make it more enjoyable.
The combination of automation and combat elements adds a new layer of strategy, making the gameplay more dynamic and engaging.

The combat mechanics are clunky and can feel tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Many players feel that the game lacks significant new content compared to the original Autonauts, making it feel more like a DLC than a standalone title.
The programming and control systems can be unintuitive, leading to frustration when managing bots and executing commands.

gameplay
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay in "Autonauts vs Piratebots" combines automation, resource management, and combat mechanics, creating a unique and engaging experience that builds on the original game. While some players appreciate the new combat and tower defense elements, others feel that these additions complicate the gameplay and detract from the streamlined mechanics of the first installment. Overall, the game offers a casual yet addictive gameplay loop, appealing to both newcomers and fans of the original, despite some criticisms regarding the depth and variety of gameplay.
- “The gameplay is a beautiful blend of automation and chaos.”
- “It combines resource management and programming to create a unique and engaging gameplay experience.”
- “Plus the addition of combat as a unifying gameplay mechanic really ties everything together and rounds out the game as well as adding some much needed excitement that the first game was lacking.”
- “This leads to poor variety in gameplay generally, especially for a game where you're supposed to be able to code your own playstyle.”
- “The original game was really great but this sequel feels like it is gating the fun progression side that made it enjoyable behind a laborious and badly implemented set of combat mechanics.”
- “This version of the game will probably not be entertaining for a long time since you learn pretty quickly how to defeat the piratebots and the gameplay is pretty much the same every time.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can feel tedious, especially with the influx of tasks after initial progress, recent updates have introduced quality of life improvements that reduce some of the grind. The need for automation and logistics adds depth, but the game still requires significant effort to expand and succeed, reminiscent of its predecessor. Overall, while grinding remains a component, it is less burdensome than before, making the game more enjoyable.
- “The game feels tedious.”
- “Even though it's called Autonauts, you still have to do a lot of things by yourself, including tedious building of basic buildings in order to expand.”
- “Incredibly tedious and grindy...”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
36%
36%
The game's graphics feature a charming pixel art style that many find enchanting, though some critics argue that the overall quality is poor and lacks depth, suggesting a lack of effort in game development. While the visuals are described as decent, there is a divide in opinion regarding their appeal, with some reviewers feeling that the simplistic graphics detract from the experience. Overall, the graphics evoke a mixed response, balancing between charm and criticism of quality.
- “The first thing that will hit you about this game is the delightfully charming art style.”
- “The game's adorable pixel art style and a lively soundtrack add to the overall appeal, creating a world that's both enchanting and captivating.”
- “The visuals and graphics are decent all across the board.”
- “On top of this, the graphics, sounds, and animations are poor on purpose and really not my style.”
- “Like Autonauts, which this was supposed to be a patch for until the developer decided ethical behavior isn't something that they rate very highly, this is really a simple programming language wrapped up in some really deplorably lazy, poor quality graphics.”
- “It also happens to be easy and doesn't require any proper talent in terms of game development or graphic artists, which is why reviewers are faced with so many of these terrible games with confrontingly bad graphics.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The story in the game is considered a mixed bag; while it features a unique main goal and an extensive mission list that introduces new programming challenges, players feel that the overall narrative lacks engagement and could benefit from additional missions or maps to enhance interest.
- “A good side story for Autonauts.”
- “This game has an extensive mission list that helps.”
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
- “Maybe if they added more missions, or maps, or something, it would be better.”
- “Different, because the main goal and story is new, you have new ways for programming bots and new reasons to do so.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of menacing yet whimsical mechanical characters, particularly the absurd piratebots, which contribute to a chaotic and entertaining experience. Players find the game to be funny, cute, and engaging, ensuring a mix of laughter and challenge throughout their adventure.
- “These mechanical swashbucklers are equal parts menacing and hilarious.”
- “The whimsical robots, the ridiculous piratebots, and the sheer unpredictability of it all combine to create an experience that will keep you laughing, crying, and occasionally questioning why you’re in a constant state of robot-induced pandemonium.”
- “Play this game, and prepare for a hilarious ride.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its lively soundtrack that enhances the enchanting pixel art style. While some users find the sound design to be merely adequate, the overall musical experience contributes positively to the game's appeal.
- “The game's adorable pixel art style and a lively soundtrack add to the overall appeal, creating a world that's both enchanting and captivating.”
- “But the music is great, the game is fun while it lasts, and although the RTS element could definitely be improved, I would recommend getting this game while it is on sale.”
- “The sounds and music are okay.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features a robust development tree and extensive optimization options, allowing players to discover their unique playstyle. However, some users feel that the focus on production and optimization has diminished, leading to a less engaging experience where gameplay can feel repetitive and lack depth. Overall, it runs smoothly but may not fully satisfy those seeking a more refined strategic experience.
- “But there's a rich development tree and an immense amount of optimization just waiting for you to find your own style.”
- “Runs smoothly.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users express concerns about the game's replayability, noting a lack of content and variety that diminishes the incentive to return after completing it. Suggestions for improvement include the addition of different maps and more non-combat activities to enhance the overall experience.
- “Overall, my biggest problem with the game is that it's not replayable.”
- “They do need to make it more replayable to give a reason to keep going back, or at least include different maps.”
- “I'm also a bit worried that this game will have very little replayability after you finish it once, due to there being less non-combat content than in the original Autonauts. What are you supposed to do once you kill the enemy boss? Assuming the game doesn't just end or quit, I'll see once I get to that point.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a unique blend of wholesome building mechanics, adventurous robots, and the excitement of pirate themes, creating a heartwarming yet thrilling experience that resonates with players.
- “It's like someone took the most wholesome, peaceful building game, threw in some robots with a thirst for adventure, and then... pirates.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The console versions of the game exhibit some bugs, which users attribute to the publisher rather than the developer. Overall, stability appears to be an issue, but it may not reflect the developers' efforts.
- “The console versions are a bit buggy, but that's the publisher, not the developer.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes that made the game unplayable at times.”
- “The game has a lot of glitches that disrupt the overall experience.”