Bomber Crew

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,855 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Bomber Crew Game Cover
Underneath Bomber Crew's charming exterior is a complex and brutal management sim with an emphasis on real-time play.
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"Bomber Crew" is a strategic simulation game where players manage a WWII bomber crew, customizing their aircraft, recruiting and training crew members, and completing dangerous missions. Players must balance resources, manage damage control, and make tactical decisions to ensure their crew's survival. With multiple campaigns and challenging objectives, "Bomber Crew" offers a unique blend of management and action-packed gameplay.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,855 reviews
story213 positive mentions
grinding159 negative mentions
  • story2,326 mentions

    The story aspect of "Bomber Crew" is minimal, focusing primarily on the gameplay mechanics of managing a bomber crew during World War II missions. Players engage in various missions, including bombing runs and reconnaissance, while facing the constant threat of enemy fighters and flak. Although the game lacks a deep narrative, it offers a sense of progression through crew and aircraft upgrades, with critical missions based on historical events adding a layer of authenticity to the experience.

    • “Returning to base with no wheels and half your crew dead after barely making it out alive from the mission will never get old.”
    • “Each bomber mission is a grand quest where success and survival are neither guaranteed nor easy to achieve, especially in the mid- and late-game.”
    • “The looming threat of not being able to respawn your plane or crew if they all die adds emphasis to making the right decisions and makes failing a mission have actual weight to it.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty repetitive, the tasks they assign to you aren't meaningful and come across as busy work, and the sense of growth in the game's story arc and in the arc of your crew-members isn't satisfying.”
    • “The missions start to feel a little too similar after the first few handful but the devs did a good job mixing it up by adding the aces system (mini bosses which each require different tactics to defeat) and more varied late-game missions.”
    • “The missions are kind of repetitive, but the close situations make them worthwhile.”
  • gameplay779 mentions

    The gameplay of "Bomber Crew" is characterized by its chaotic and engaging mechanics, requiring players to manage a crew and aircraft in real-time during intense missions. While the core mechanics are simple and accessible, they can become repetitive and frustrating due to the game's punishing difficulty and lack of automation, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of strategy and action, but its reliance on micromanagement and occasional clunky controls can detract from the experience.

    • “The gameplay involves coordinating various crew members, managing the plane's systems, and executing missions.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is chaotic, fun, and rewarding - trying to line up a bombing run and open the bomb bays while under heavy flak fire with two engines burning and several enemy fighter squadrons circling you is pretty fun when you get the hang of it.”
    • “The gameplay is a nice balance of fun and challenge with great visuals and will reward you for playing smart.”
    • “The gameplay is bland and boring; it boils down to three main gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay gets repetitive after a while.”
    • “The gameplay loop is about managing your bomber and her crew and doing a variety of missions to earn money to spend on upgrades for your bomber and crew.”
  • graphics486 mentions

    The graphics of "Bomber Crew" are characterized by a charming, cartoonish art style that contrasts sharply with the game's intense and challenging gameplay. While some players appreciate the cute and simplistic visuals for their accessibility and appeal, others feel that the graphics may undermine the serious themes of the game. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received for their ability to enhance the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding their simplicity and lack of detail.

    • “The art style is charming, and the game's attention to detail in recreating the roles and responsibilities of a bomber crew is commendable.”
    • “The graphics are cute, and the music is quite good.”
    • “The visuals, although stylized, are vibrant and polished, enhancing the overall immersion.”
    • “Don't be fooled by the childish art style.”
    • “The graphics are simple and a little lacking, but do not require a powerful machine to play.”
    • “Don't let the cute graphics fool you; this game is merciless.”
  • grinding173 mentions

    The game is widely described as "grindy," with many players noting the repetitive nature of missions required to progress and upgrade their bombers and crew. While some find the grinding enjoyable and a core part of the experience, others criticize it as tedious and frustrating, especially when losing progress due to in-game failures. Overall, the grinding aspect can significantly impact enjoyment, making it a polarizing feature for players.

    • “Put over 12 hours into it, amazing! Still haven't completed it, but it's not grindy. 10/10.”
    • “The game itself offers challenges that are just difficult enough to be fun and not grindy. The enemies are harsh but not unfair, and you get connected to your crew enough to feel sad when you accidentally leave the pilot seat with no pilot and kill them all, but not connected enough to quit the game.”
    • “The tension of managing a bomber under fire is well-executed, but the lack of a fair progression curve makes it hard to recommend to anyone but those who enjoy extreme difficulty and repeated grinding.”
    • “If you lose your bomber and crew then I hope you like grinding, because that's the only way to get back to where you were.”
    • “The enforced, tedious grind is repetitious (in a bad way) and made the last half of the game far less fun than the first half.”
  • humor84 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its lighthearted and quirky approach, blending cartoonish graphics with absurd and chaotic scenarios that evoke laughter, even amidst the serious backdrop of WWII. Players enjoy the comedic elements of managing a bomber crew, often finding humor in the mishaps and failures that occur during gameplay, making it a fun and engaging experience. Overall, the game successfully combines a playful tone with strategic gameplay, resulting in a unique and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “It's all done with a good dose of levity and humor and colorful graphics.”
    • “It's a pretty funny, great game about big-headed people that make mistakes in stressful situations (actually, they don't, you do, because they only do what you tell them) and have to fix it up while hordes of German fighters try to add some nice panorama windows to your plane.”
    • “The game has a sense of humor and drama that feels just like a great WWII action flick.”
  • music77 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance the atmosphere and match the game's themes, particularly during intense moments. However, some users note that the soundtrack can be repetitive and limited, leading to a desire for more variety. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, there are calls for additional tracks and better sound control options.

    • “The music complements the situation nicely.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is great, with the soundtrack helping to add tension during flight, or give a homely charm to your downtime between missions.”
    • “The music is utterly spot on.”
    • “The music in Bomber Crew is limited, but you should just go ahead and mute the music and play Iron Maiden in the background.”
    • “There's very little settings to change; you can only turn the music volume.”
    • “More music or a larger and more diverse musical score is needed so that the takeoff and flight to the mission area are less boring.”
  • replayability63 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its endless fun and unique mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs, while others find it becomes repetitive after a few hours. Many appreciate the randomness and community support that enhance replay value, but some criticize the lack of significant variation in missions and the high stakes of losing progress. Overall, it offers decent replayability, especially with mods and community content, but may not hold long-term interest for everyone.

    • “Great game with a ton of replay value.”
    • “Fun, tense, endlessly replayable, this game is worth your money, worth your time.”
    • “The game is very replayable and no game will be the same as another, as well it has an amazing community behind it.”
    • “This game has very little replayability.”
    • “There is very little replayability as the game rarely deviates from this loop.”
    • “After around 6 hours, it starts to feel stale and repetitive, so I'm not sure about replayability.”
  • emotional57 mentions

    Players report a profound emotional experience in the game, often forming deep attachments to their crew and aircraft, which can lead to heartbreak when losses occur during missions. The mechanics of permadeath and the intense atmosphere create a rollercoaster of emotions, with many expressing that they cried over the deaths of their crew members, especially after investing time in their development. While some players find the emotional weight overwhelming, others appreciate the depth it adds to the gameplay, making each mission feel significant and personal.

    • “Can become very emotional if you named and spent so much time on a certain character, plane, or even your whole crew die during or after a mission.”
    • “I cried when my first plane crashed on landing and killed one of my gunners.”
    • “It's also pretty easy to form a deep caring connection for your crew, despite the fact that they don’t talk, making a loss all the more heartbreaking.”
  • stability29 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the experience, such as crashes during gameplay and graphical issues. However, some users have experienced smooth performance with minimal problems, indicating that stability may vary depending on individual systems or updates. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, the prevalence of bugs makes it difficult to recommend without reservations.

    • “So far, bug-free for me.”
    • “It played solid and bug-free!”
    • “Also completely bug-free, which in this age of games is unheard of.”
    • “The game is very buggy; I was just playing and I don't know what in the absolute world happened to my screen. I can't explain it.”
    • “I had a really good plane and then I exploded while landing for no reason. There are other glitches too, so it's a waste of time.”
    • “Good game but can't recommend it - buggy as all hell.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive recreation of World War II, enhanced by intricately designed aircraft, authentic soundscapes, and a captivating blend of tension and charm. Players appreciate the combination of relaxing moments and intense action, which together create a compelling experience that draws them into the chaos of air combat. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth, the overall ambiance and attention to detail contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “From the intricately designed aircraft to the authentic period setting, the game does an exceptional job of recreating the atmosphere of World War II.”
    • “I felt like audio was a strong suit of this game, as the military music, rattle of machine guns, drone of engines, and the pitter-patter of rain against the hull made for an atmospheric combination.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is great, with the soundtrack helping to add tension during flight, or give a homely charm to your downtime between missions.”
    • “It can become incredibly difficult at times, and even frustrating, but it has an atmosphere and tension that follows.”
    • “I understand the devs wanted to reach a wider group, with the cartoony look and humorous atmosphere.”
    • “The game mechanics work wonderfully, the graphics are endearing and the atmosphere is frantic though convincing.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, others experience significant lag and stuttering, even on capable hardware. Lowering graphics settings can improve performance, but some users still encounter issues with responsiveness and frame drops. Despite these challenges, the gameplay remains engaging and rewarding, with potential for further optimization.

    • “Here you can customize your planes' looks, performance parts, guns, survival equipment, etc., as well as choose and equip your crew with custom equipment.”
    • “It's a lovely gameplay loop; it's well optimized once you put it to low graphics (equally good looking). I found progression satisfying, and the difficulty can be changed based on your patience.”
    • “It's well optimized, great gameplay, minor bugs, and low minimum requirements.”
    • “Oh sure, you can manage weight, armor, etc., but there's no performance increases.”
    • “Only issue I've had is that often performance seemed to drop hugely (i7-7700k, 16GB RAM, GTX 1080 Ti, ASUS ROG PG279).”
    • “My machine isn't exactly slow either - this is a performance nightmare!”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, which enhances the overall experience for players. While there is a recommended DLC for additional content, the absence of in-game purchases is a significant positive aspect noted by users. Overall, players appreciate the straightforward monetization model that does not detract from gameplay.

    • “I like that it does not cost anything; there are no microtransactions in the game.”
    • “I am frequently (and happily) surprised that there are no microtransactions involved.”
    • “I like that it does not cost anything (in-game money, no microtransactions in the game, that would be weird since it costs money to get it).”
    • “At least this game doesn't have microtransactions.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, though the unique design may not appeal to all players, as it resembles a whimsical take on WWII themes.

    • “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character.”
    • “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The variety of character arcs adds a rich layer to the gameplay, making each character's growth feel unique and impactful.”
    • “While I love it, the character design might not be for everyone (basically WWII MySims).”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
    • “I found the characters to be one-dimensional and their arcs predictable.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

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Play time

13hMedian play time
39hAverage play time
5-28hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 39 analyzed playthroughs

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