Cashtronauts

About

Cashtronauts is a multiplayer action adventure game. It was developed by Simon Prefontaine and was released on August 31, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Cashtronauts" is a local multi-player action game featuring single-player and PvP modes with a split screen. The objective is to accumulate wealth in an alternate universe ruled by capitalist dinosaurs through various activities such as bounty hunting, piracy, smuggling, or mining. As you progress, you can unlock Risks that introduce new challenges and dangers, but also grant bonus income. The game features unique space combat and trading gameplay with a stealthy raptor pirate threat and the potential for mammalian competition.

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Cashtronauts offers a fun and addictive gameplay loop centered around collecting money and unlocking new risks that enhance the experience.
The game features charming graphics and a catchy soundtrack, making it an enjoyable experience for players.
Local co-op mode adds to the fun, allowing players to enjoy the game together, enhancing its replayability.

The game suffers from a lack of content, with limited ships and challenges, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.
Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, with slow progression and clunky upgrade mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
Bugs and technical issues, such as imprecise controls and problems with selling items, hinder the enjoyment and polish of the game.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
Gameplay in the reviewed game is characterized by a basic loop that can feel shallow and repetitive, though the introduction of a risk system adds depth and variety by unlocking new challenges and mechanics. While some players appreciate the unique controls and engaging soundtrack, others find the core gameplay mechanics lacking in fun and complexity. Overall, the risk mechanic enhances the experience by providing opportunities for increased rewards and challenges, making it a more engaging twin-stick shooter.
- “The game features a risk system which changes gameplay in various ways while also increasing the profit earned on each run you do.”
- “There are 10 risks at the moment that change the gameplay significantly; these risks can sometimes make the game a bit more challenging by increasing enemies' health/damage but also increasing the amount of gold dropped, or will spawn random items around space that you can find and destroy for a big amount of mixed loot.”
- “Overall, I think Cashtronauts takes the twin-stick shooter in a challenging and fun direction, and the risk mechanic adds a nice depth to the gameplay.”
- “Gameplay feels very shallow and repetitive, so the only thing that might keep you playing for a while will be upgrades or seeing new enemies.”
- “There just isn't much there in the way of gameplay mechanics, and what is there isn't much fun.”
- “We've all played twin-stick shooters before, so we know that aspect of gameplay.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The graphics are characterized by a charming low-poly, cartoony style that many find appealing, though some users note that the visuals can become repetitive over time, particularly due to simplistic and uninteresting backgrounds. Despite their clean appearance, the game struggles with performance on older hardware, which is surprising given the graphics' simplicity. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received for their charm, but they may not hold up under scrutiny for extended play.
- “The low poly cartoony graphics are nice and charming.”
- “Cute graphics.”
- “Clean graphical look.”
- “The visuals are decent for what they are, but they get old fast, especially the lazy background with distorted square shapes.”
- “I've had more graphically intense games run a lot better on my old laptop, while this game seems to struggle, even with the simplistic graphics.”
- “The graphics and audio are really charming.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its upbeat and retro 8-bit style that complements the gameplay. However, some players note that the limited number of tracks can lead to fatigue by the end of the game. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the fun and enjoyment of the gaming experience.
- “Music will put a beat in your step.”
- “Love the soundtrack, game mechanics, and the very special controls (Xbox controller).”
- “The music is perfect for the game; it really is a lot of fun.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from low replayability due to its lack of memorable content, a weak plot, and significant bugs that disrupt gameplay balance, such as an exploit that generates excessive in-game currency. Additionally, sudden difficulty spikes contribute to player frustration, further diminishing the incentive to replay. Overall, players find the experience lacking in depth and variety.
- “I had my fun and it is sort of a decent twin-stick shooter, but it has no replayability, has major flaws, and is not terribly memorable with no plot, and only the dinosaur theme for the ships for flavor.”
- “Also, you'll probably run into a bug that causes you to start generating ridiculous amounts of cash, which basically breaks the game and kills any replayability that may have been left.”
- “Little replay value and sudden difficulty jumps only add to the frustration with a game that sounds like it would be fun.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some expressing a desire to stop due to the perceived lack of progression and the feeling that they are nearing the game's limits.
- “The ceiling is near, and knowing this already makes me want to stop grinding.”
- “Grindy.”