Avorion

About

Avorion is a sandbox space simulation game that lets you build your own space ships and explore a procedurally generated universe. Mine resources, trade goods, and engage in space combat while navigating political alliances and factions. Experience a dynamic world that evolves based on your actions and interactions with other players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+11

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 14,354 reviews

gameplay532 positive mentions

grinding736 negative mentions

gameplay
1,932 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The gameplay in Avorion is characterized by its unique ship-building mechanics and a blend of exploration, combat, and resource management, offering players a sandbox experience with significant customization options. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of gameplay styles available, including RTS elements and fleet management, some criticize the repetitive nature of certain mechanics and the grind associated with progression. Overall, the game provides a solid foundation for engaging gameplay, though it may require patience to fully grasp its complex systems and mechanics.
- “This, in addition to the power management system, the need to staff your ships with crews (who also need to be paid, or they will strike...) and the easy-to-grasp RTS style strategy map where you can manage your fleet make for satisfyingly robust gameplay.”
- “Progression is solid and gameplay is great, you get to build entire fleets of ships, assign commanders to ships you don't fly with yourself and give them commands to grind resources for you in the background while you do something else or maybe even grind the same resources at the same time!”
- “The gameplay is really fun if you like to manage, build and command fleets / optimize ship designs and destroy enemy ships, and I really like to play around in it.”
- “But I stopped after 50+ hours because the experience started feeling a little wide but shallow... not the depth of the mechanics... Avorion has that... but I kept jumping and jumping but each system seemed like a slight deviation from the previous.”
- “There is a mechanic that prevents you from doing that; you will have to kill all bosses (which is okay, some of them are annoying to summon but fun to fight, except M.A.D which is just a gimmick fight) and you have to ally with factions (was that really necessary?) and on top of that you need to have 8 ships under your control and this is the part where I just couldn't do it, it's not fun, it's very annoying, they are about as autonomous as toddlers.”
- “The game has mechanics to allow you to start your own civilization but they're super unintuitive and not generally worth it.”
story
1,906 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
80%
7%
The story in Avorion is often described as minimal and lacking depth, with many players noting that it feels more like a sandbox experience than a narrative-driven game. While there are some quests and a loose overarching goal of reaching the center of the galaxy, the missions tend to be repetitive and generic, primarily consisting of fetch quests and combat tasks. Players appreciate the freedom to create their own stories through gameplay, but many express a desire for a more engaging and fleshed-out narrative structure.
- “It has a cool story that isn't cinematic or anything, but includes boss battles and other fun stuff, which is rare in a procedural survival crafter like this.”
- “The story is engaging and drives players to progress through the game.”
- “The story elements are on the simpler side but the uniqueness of the entire story gives Avorion charm.”
- “The story is minimal, but well implemented and gives you the freedom to explore a vast open galaxy (rng so it's different every time).”
- “Overall, the story and side missions are just a mess, uncreative and annoying as they can possibly be.”
- “The main quest is hard to find and difficult to complete without looking up what you need to do.”
grinding
762 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
2%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, with many players noting that resource gathering, ship management, and mission completion can feel repetitive and unengaging. While some appreciate the ability to automate tasks and delegate grinding to AI-controlled ships, others find the overall experience to be overly grindy, particularly in the early and mid-game stages. Despite these criticisms, many players still enjoy the game for its ship-building mechanics and the satisfaction of progressing through its systems, suggesting that the grind can be rewarding for those who appreciate the genre.
- “Not too grindy and quite fun.”
- “There is no grinding in this game at all!”
- “This game takes bits from all of those, and somehow makes it all work really nicely together and isn't grindy.”
- “Hyperjump cooldowns started feeling tedious.”
- “Ship management gets tedious at scale, and there is lots of unwanted needed micro-management of your fleet.”
- “The tutorial is too tedious and likely designed to milk the 2 hour refund limit.”
graphics
762 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
7%
The graphics of Avorion receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the visuals are not groundbreaking and can feel dated, they are still adequate for the game's design and mechanics. The voxel-based art style is often compared to older games, and while some appreciate its simplicity and nostalgic feel, others criticize it for lacking detail and polish. Overall, players suggest that the gameplay experience outweighs the graphical shortcomings, making it enjoyable despite its visual limitations.
- “The graphics are good, providing a visually appealing experience as you traverse the vastness of space.”
- “Everything about it is perfect, from the phenomenal soundtrack to the stunning visuals.”
- “The art style is aesthetically pleasing, and the ability to design and manage spacecraft is one of my favorite features.”
- “Terrible graphics even at higher modes, very clumsy interface, especially in the builder mode.”
- “The graphics look like something from 20 years ago, and the building interface takes a lot of getting used to, it's tough to keep the ship centered while juggling windows around it.”
- “The graphics are something I expect out of a game made in the 1990's and it is pretty bad.”
optimization
394 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
60%
13%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance on high-end systems while others report significant issues, particularly in multiplayer scenarios and during large battles. Many users note that performance degrades with the complexity of ship designs and the number of objects in play, leading to lag and frame rate drops. Overall, while there are commendable aspects of optimization, particularly for lower-end systems, many players feel that the game still requires substantial improvements to fully address performance concerns.
- “The game may be half-baked, but the optimization is sincerely top-notch.”
- “It's challenging yet interesting, and building a good ship (both in looks and projected performance) is extremely satisfying.”
- “The building system for ships is probably one of the best out of any similar games I've played, allowing for massive and detailed ships without performance being a problem.”
- “This game is poorly optimized and it will cause damage to your system over time; until it is fixed, I would advise anyone from purchasing this game.”
- “Now it's impossible to play with the intense stuttering and lag just starting up a single-player game.”
- “The performance degraded quite significantly in later stages.”
music
298 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
5%
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and calming, enhancing the overall experience with its ethereal vibe, though some players find it repetitive and bland over time. While many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a relaxing environment for activities like mining and exploring, others criticize the limited variety and the inability to easily replace the music. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's immersive atmosphere, despite some calls for more diverse tracks.
- “The music and general atmosphere is great, I really lose track of time when I'm just soaking it all up whilst mining and exploring.”
- “Everything about it is perfect, from the phenomenal soundtrack to the stunning visuals.”
- “The music makes the game so relaxing, and building ships, hunting down pirates and exploring... I still can't get enough.”
- “The music isn't anything to write home about, it's not bad, it's just bland like the rest of this game. It doesn't offer you an intuitive way to replace music either, which is a crying shame.”
- “I tried replacing the music in my files, but since the developers had this great idea to sell the soundtrack as DLC, they also encoded the soundtrack so that it's unplayable in VLC or any such program.”
- “The only issue I have is that the in-game music is brain damaging and also depressing when listening to it in the background for a long time.”
stability
262 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
1%
89%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches, particularly in multiplayer and when managing larger ships. While some users have experienced relatively smooth gameplay, especially in single-player mode, the overall consensus is that the game is still quite buggy, reflecting its early access status. Players are advised to approach with patience, as the developers continue to address these issues.
- “All around a bug-free experience.”
- “Next to no glitches from the gameplay or ship interface, runs extremely smoothly with no lag for my computer whatsoever.”
- “I have not come across any game in early access this bug-free in a long time... if ever.”
- “The devs have a good foundation, but it feels like a buggy shell more than a game right now.”
- “Game looked promising to begin with, but ended up being a buggy mess that couldn't even take me through the tutorial with some blocking bugs, namely that I couldn't enter the ship I just built.”
- “Game is very buggy at the moment, constantly crashing especially when using the hangar; if they can fix these issues, it would be very much worth the buy, but as it stands now the game is lacking a bunch of content.”
replayability
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
4%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players noting the endless possibilities offered by procedural generation and diverse play styles. While some reviews mention a lack of variety and certain gameplay issues that can affect long-term engagement, the majority highlight the game's depth, workshop content, and frequent updates as key factors that enhance replay value. Many users report spending hundreds of hours in the game, indicating a strong appeal for repeated playthroughs.
- “An amazing space game with countless hours of replayability due to the procedural generation of the universe and everything in it.”
- “The replayability is endless, truly addicting.”
- “Fantastic game with a great deal of replayability, a blast with friends too.”
- “However, there is also the amount of issues, the amount of inconvenient things, and the unreplayability of this game means I can't recommend it.”
- “I would say this game turned out 'okay', it has its little interesting things here and there but otherwise it has very low replay value.”
- “The game suffers a replayability issue as well.”
atmosphere
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
19%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating visuals and immersive soundtrack, creating a serene and engaging experience that enhances exploration and gameplay. Players appreciate the combination of beautiful graphics, ambient sounds, and a chill vibe that evokes the vastness of space, making it easy to lose track of time while mining or sightseeing. Despite some concerns about optimization and graphics quality, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere is incredible and really gives you that serenity that only space games can provide.”
- “They nailed it - it fits the endless mostly-empty space atmosphere perfectly, with ambient deep sounds and touches of glittering and oscillating sounds.”
- “Seriously, some of the backdrops to this game are awe-inspiring - I can just let my ship float there while I soak in the atmosphere.”
- “It's certainly its own style, and you see exactly what it's all about in the trailers - but know that the effects of the suns/solar flares, fog, and other effects are actually very pretty. Some planets are glowing red, others are a mute green with the lights of its civilization shining through the atmosphere. It's always very scenic to just look around the system you're in, and it always seems different.”
- “I sank over 100 hours in less than two weeks, and as an avid Battlestar Galactica Online player (it's been shut down now), the game's graphics and atmosphere have hit me so hard with nostalgia that I just cried when I jumped into deep space with my tiny ship.”
- “Calm music and atmosphere of real space adventure without casual boundaries.”
humor
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying its quirky dialogues, humorous AI interactions, and the comedic chaos that ensues during gameplay, such as ship collisions and unexpected glitches. Many find the game to be a source of endless laughter, especially when playing with friends, and it often embraces a lighthearted, absurd tone reminiscent of Monty Python. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm, making the game entertaining despite its occasional frustrations.
- “A lovely game, so much to do and see, hilarious dialogue.”
- “You can also press F outside of that bubble for tractor beams that will hilariously ram your ship into the dock if it doesn't have inertial dampeners for hours of fun watching your reputation with the cyan, purple, or other colored aliens rapidly drop.”
- “I am entirely incompetent at building but accidentally slamming my ship into asteroids and turning both parties into pulp is absolutely hilarious.”
monetization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
50%
42%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of intrusive microtransactions that impact gameplay, while others criticize the occasional microtransactions and the perceived cash grab nature of certain DLCs, like the black market DLC. Overall, many players value the game's focus on providing a solid experience without heavy reliance on in-game purchases, although concerns about development priorities and the quality of some paid content persist.
- “A good game to get yourself lost in, no in-game purchases which makes me super happy!”
- “There are occasional microtransactions; however, they will not impact your gameplay experience.”
- “The devs are more infatuated with not working but playing and creating a cash grab with little to no work effort put into the game.”
- “A good game does not need the best graphics, a $400 million budget, or useless microtransactions.”
- “Some people were upset that the black market DLC was a cash grab with little value for money.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its underdeveloped storyline, which fails to create a meaningful connection with players. While some users find enjoyment in the creative building aspects and the feeling of being an underdog, the lack of depth in narrative and sound design detracts from the overall emotional experience. The game is recommended for its stability and potential, but it leaves players wanting more in terms of emotional engagement.
- “It made me feel like an underdog.”
- “It's heartbreaking really..”
- “I never played during early so I don't know how much the game has improved, but the game is really stable and runs like a dream and I could wholesomely recommend this game to any space engineer or any people interested in the upcoming star base game.”