Bomber Crew

About

Bomber Crew is a single player strategy game with warfare and business themes. It was developed by Runner Duck and was released on October 19, 2017. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,560 reviews

story289 positive mentions

grinding222 negative mentions

Bomber Crew offers a unique blend of strategy and simulation, allowing players to manage a WWII bomber crew with engaging gameplay mechanics.
The game features charming graphics and a variety of missions that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
The emotional weight of losing crew members adds depth to the experience, making each mission feel significant.

The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially when losing a plane or crew leads to significant setbacks in progression.
Controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, making it challenging to manage multiple tasks during high-pressure situations.
The game can become repetitive over time, with limited mission variety and a grindy progression system.

story
3,267 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
87%
4%
The story aspect of "Bomber Crew" is minimal, primarily revolving around managing a World War II bomber crew through various missions, including bombing runs, reconnaissance, and supply drops. Players experience a mix of tension and attachment as they navigate the challenges of each mission, where crew members can die permanently, adding emotional weight to the gameplay. While the game features critical missions based on historical events, the overall narrative lacks depth, leading to a repetitive experience as players often find themselves grinding through similar missions to upgrade their aircraft and crew.
- “Despite the aesthetic, losing a crew member you’ve invested time in still feels like a gut punch, especially when they’ve earned new skills or survived a dozen missions only to be downed by a flak burst or a critical engine failure.”
- “Each mission becomes a personal story of survival, heroism, and loss.”
- “The whole mission feels like an adventure, and the successes or failures of your missions start to tell a great wartime narrative in your head.”
- “The difficulty has been spiked to such a high level that even on a tutorial flight, or literally the mission after the tutorial, on easy, low risk mission, you get shot out of the air and everyone dies.”
- “You can easily lose everything going on a single mission.”
- “The missions are repetitive but at the same time not.”
gameplay
1,098 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The gameplay of "Bomber Crew" is characterized by its intense micromanagement and strategic planning, requiring players to coordinate their crew effectively while navigating through chaotic missions filled with enemy attacks and mechanical failures. While the mechanics are engaging and the game offers a unique blend of stress and satisfaction, many players find the gameplay loop can become repetitive and grindy, especially as they progress and face punishing permadeath mechanics. Overall, the game is praised for its charming art style and addictive gameplay, but it suffers from a steep learning curve and some frustrating mechanics that can detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is a mix of intense micromanagement and strategic planning.”
- “The balance of real-time crisis management with long-term strategic planning creates a gameplay loop that’s both rewarding and challenging, especially for players who enjoy games that test their ability to think quickly under pressure.”
- “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 is pretty fun when you get the hang of it.”
- “The gameplay is a bit grindy, so expect to repeat the same missions quite a few times to get plane upgrades and gear before jumping on to new missions.”
- “Missions get similar to each other very fast, and the gameplay ends up being a repetitive slog.”
- “The gameplay involves keeping a tight ship - refilling ammo when empty, repairing systems, healing wounded, and all while targeting enemies and navigation coordinates.”
graphics
689 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The graphics of "Bomber Crew" are characterized by a charming, cartoonish art style that contrasts sharply with the game's intense and often brutal gameplay. While some players appreciate the simplistic and whimsical visuals for their ability to enhance focus on gameplay mechanics, others feel that the graphics may undermine the serious historical context of the game. Overall, the aesthetic is seen as both endearing and effective, providing a unique experience that balances lightheartedness with the challenges of managing a WWII bomber crew.
- “The graphics are simple yet perfect, and the gameplay is absolutely incredible.”
- “The game stands out with its charming, cartoonish graphics and an immersive atmosphere that keeps players hooked.”
- “Despite its cartoonish graphics, this game is respectful to those who fought for our freedom and can cause real tears.”
- “The graphics are cute, but the whole game concept is completely tone-deaf and disrespectful coverage of one of humanity's darkest hours.”
- “This very poor quality visual style is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent/interest in doing the graphics properly.”
- “Despite the cute graphics, the game is quite difficult and unforgiving.”
grinding
253 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
11%
88%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it can be excessively repetitive and tedious, often requiring them to replay the same missions to upgrade their planes and crew. While some enjoy the challenge and find the grind rewarding, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, especially when mistakes lead to significant setbacks. Overall, players should be prepared for a substantial amount of grinding if they wish to progress effectively.
- “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.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay is a bit grindy, so expect to repeat the same missions quite a few times to get plane upgrades and gear before jumping on to new missions.”
- “One mistake and you are back to grinding up your plane and gear, with hours of progress gone.”
- “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.”
humor
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and chaotic charm, with players enjoying the hilarious ragdoll physics during crashes and the amusing dialogue of the crew. Many reviews highlight the blend of lightheartedness with the serious backdrop of WWII, creating a unique experience where players can laugh at their own failures and the absurdity of the situations. Overall, the game's cartoonish graphics and comedic elements contribute to a fun and engaging atmosphere that resonates well with players.
- “It is just too funny!!”
- “The quirky mechanics where everything can fall off add a hilarious layer of chaos—just when you think you’re in control, bam, chaos says hello.”
- “It's funny to say but when a crew member dies, one who you have spent a few hours upgrading you do feel like you've lost someone ha ha!”
music
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional engagement during gameplay. However, some users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to its limited selection, and there are complaints about the lack of proper audio controls. Overall, while the music complements the game's themes and moments effectively, a desire for more variety and control is evident among players.
- “The soundtrack shifts perfectly between calm and chaos, keeping the player engaged and emotionally invested.”
- “Quite an original game with a lovely soundtrack!”
- “The music transitions and choices are fantastic; the peanuts-like voices are perfect; the game design, flow, pacing, etc.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop the music using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “The music is forgettable and the sound effects do their job, but not much else.”
- “The soundtrack is nothing special and can become repetitive.”
emotional
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Bomber Crew" is a standout feature, as players develop deep attachments to their crew members, making their losses during missions profoundly impactful. The game combines tactical gameplay with heart-wrenching moments, where decisions can lead to the heartbreaking demise of beloved characters, often resulting in tears and emotional turmoil. This emotional investment enhances the overall experience, transforming each mission into a poignant journey of leadership and loss.
- “In the end, Bomber Crew offers more than just a tactical challenge—it offers an emotional journey.”
- “You name them, train them, watch them grow — and when they fall, it's heartbreaking.”
- “Losing your crew that you've nurtured through many harrowing missions to a sneering enemy ace is heartbreaking.”
replayability
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its endless replay value due to customization options and random elements, while others find it limited after completing the campaign. Many recommend it for its fun mechanics and potential for varied playthroughs, especially if purchased on sale, but some express concerns about repetitive gameplay and a lack of content. Overall, it seems to offer decent replayability, particularly for those who enjoy micro-management and strategic gameplay.
- “Due to the presence of upgrades that appear after almost every successful mission, customization opportunities, additional tasks, and the absence of the feeling that even when you lose, you are marking time in one place, Bomber Crew achieves amazing replayability.”
- “Fun, tense, endlessly replayable, this game is worth your money, worth your time.”
- “It has a lot of replayability and the progression is fun.”
- “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.”
stability
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
3%
87%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as random crashes, unresponsive crew members, and graphical issues. While some users have experienced smooth performance without major problems, the overall consensus indicates that the game is often plagued by instability, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its enjoyable aspects, the frequent technical issues have led to frustration among players.
- “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.”
- “Just me or the game's menu is just a buggy mess.”
- “Entirely ruined by buggy and broken gear landings.”
- “It's just buggy crap that stops this from being a decent relaxing game.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
39%
8%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and immersive qualities, effectively evoking the tension and charm of World War II through its art design, sound effects, and gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the combination of cartoonish graphics and authentic details, which create a unique and engaging experience, although some note that the atmosphere alone cannot compensate for the game's grindy elements. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the gameplay, making it a compelling choice for fans of WWII simulations.
- “The game stands out with its charming, cartoonish graphics and an immersive atmosphere that keeps players hooked.”
- “From the intricately designed aircraft to the authentic period setting, the game does an exceptional job of recreating the atmosphere of World War II.”
- “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 only area where I think the game really shines is in the atmosphere - especially at the start and end of every mission, where it really does feel like you're readying yourself to go to war, or return from it at the end of the mission, thankful for the respite of friendly ground to land on.”
- “Great little time filler game, oozes WWII atmosphere and flavor; the game mechanics and enemies can become quite overwhelming in the later stages, however trial and error adjustments to plane and crew soon fix that!”
- “The game mechanics work wonderfully, the graphics are endearing, and the atmosphere is frantic yet convincing.”
optimization
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players reporting smooth performance on lower-end hardware, particularly on the Steam Deck, while others experience significant lag and performance issues even on capable systems. Many reviews highlight that the game is better suited for mobile gaming, and while it can run well at low graphics settings, it still suffers from bugs and unoptimized elements that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to enhance performance across a wider range of systems.
- “Performance: played perfectly on Steam Deck OLED (SteamOS/Linux) installed on a micro SD card - zero issues.”
- “It's well optimized, great gameplay, minor bugs, and low minimum requirements.”
- “The game is fun because it runs smoothly, has very minimal bugs and glitches, and is quite challenging.”
- “Overall, it seems like it was optimized for mobile gaming, so unless you're on a flight in real life and need to kill some time, look elsewhere.”
- “Another one of those unoptimized Unity games which are purely a hit or miss on your hardware.”
- “My machine isn't exactly slow either - this is a performance nightmare!”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
70%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for including ads in a paid title, which many players feel is exploitative. While there are no microtransactions, the presence of advertisements and additional paid DLC has left some users feeling that the game is trying to extract more money from them after their initial purchase. Overall, the monetization approach has been viewed as a negative aspect, overshadowing the game's merits.
- “At least this game doesn't have microtransactions.”
- “I am frequently (and happily) surprised that there are no microtransactions involved.”
- “I like that it does not cost anything; there are no microtransactions in the game.”
- “So, your 'update' is just ads for your new game?”
- “You 'updated' to put ads in my paid game?”
- “In an insult to gamers everywhere, the game features advertising on the menu screen!”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development received mixed feedback, with some users appreciating the overall artistic design of the game, including aircraft and UI elements, while expressing dissatisfaction with the character designs, which they felt might not appeal to all players.
- “While I love it, the character design might not be for everyone (basically WWII MySims).”
- “I liked the designs of the aircraft, UI, and HUD, but I did not quite like the character designs.”