Catastronauts

About

Catastronauts is a single player and multiplayer casual action adventure game with a kids theme. It was developed by Inertia Game Studios and was released on September 28, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Catastronauts" is a local multi-player party game that supports 2-4 players, playable in co-op or single-player mode. As part of the Space Fleet, players must work together to repair systems, extinguish fires, and arm torpedoes while dealing with enemy fire and other hazards. With simple controls, it's an accessible yet challenging game for players of all skill levels.

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 155 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Catastronauts offers a fun and chaotic co-op experience, reminiscent of Overcooked, with engaging gameplay that encourages teamwork and communication.
The game introduces new mechanics frequently, keeping the gameplay fresh and challenging, making it enjoyable for groups of friends.
The graphics and audio are polished, contributing to an overall enjoyable aesthetic that enhances the gaming experience.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, especially for smaller teams of 2 players, as many levels seem designed for 3-4 players, leading to a lack of balance.
There is no online multiplayer option, which limits accessibility for players who cannot gather locally, and the remote play feature has been reported to be unreliable.
The scoring system lacks transparency, making it unclear how to achieve higher star ratings, which can lead to confusion and frustration during gameplay.

gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The gameplay is characterized by its fun, chaotic nature, particularly when played with friends, as it frequently introduces new mechanics that require teamwork and strategic thinking. While many players appreciate the polished aesthetics and satisfying gameplay loop, some find it repetitive and frustrating due to random gameplay elements and a lack of excitement compared to similar titles like Overcooked. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and challenges, though opinions vary on its long-term engagement and complexity.
- “Very fun game with friends, always introducing new mechanics and pushing the crew to strategize differently every level.”
- “Every new level introduces a new mechanic of some sort and a new puzzle that requires teamwork (and more team yelling, of course) to figure out.”
- “The frenetic energy of Overcooked is still here, and the game quickly adds new mechanics in the first few levels to add extra depth.”
- “It’s incredibly frustrating to play as the gameplay elements occur randomly and it's quite a challenge to actually figure out what you are supposed to do.”
- “I hoped to have some exciting and fun times with friends but we all quit after three rounds with the feeling it was very repetitive and missing some exciting gameplay mechanics.”
- “Even though it's very similar to Overcooked, the gameplay is kind of tedious and a bit boring.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The story in the game is generally considered forgettable, with a cringeworthy narrative and voice acting that detracts from the experience. While missions provide satisfying gameplay under pressure, they are infrequent and hindered by poor controls and unskippable cutscenes. Players appreciate the variety in missions but express a desire for more engaging storytelling and character development.
- “The underlying story of the game is somewhat forgettable in my opinion, but hearing the characters speak is pretty silly.”
- “Each mission is different, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “Unfortunately, they're few and far between and ultimately marred by poor controls, frustratingly unskippable cutscenes, and a hilariously bad story and voice acting (read: cringey).”
- “The underlying story of the game is sort of forgettable in my opinion, but hearing the characters speak is pretty silly.”
- “Due to the fact that an organization divided into easy small tasks is not so simple to achieve, Catastronauts can sometimes feel quite difficult, and it would be a suicide mission to start later levels with people who have not played the first levels to get familiar with most systems.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it genuinely funny and enjoy the chaos and absurdity of situations leading to laughter, others criticize the writing and voice acting as cringeworthy and lacking depth. Overall, the game's comedic moments often stem from unexpected mishaps and chaotic gameplay, providing a source of amusement despite some shortcomings in execution.
- “We had tears from laughing as little mishaps happened when one of us was not quick enough or we forgot to close the doors despite a frantic rush inside.”
- “Once we got to the ships that have cargo doors opening to the vacuum of space, a few unfortunate 'murders' had us cry while laughing too much.”
- “This game is more freeform chaos than careful planning, but it works well and the level-specific game mechanics keep the experience fresh while giving plenty of reasons to burst out laughing or scream at catastrophic fails.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics are highly praised for their polish and aesthetic appeal, with many users giving them a perfect score of 5/5. The visuals are described as lovely and complement the game's overall concept and audio, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are absolutely lovely.”
- “Aesthetics and audio are very polished, and the gameplay loop/teamwork is satisfying.”
- “Game concept is nice, graphics and music are cool.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as the increasing difficulty and constant introduction of new challenges can lead to a sense of monotony. While the game is enjoyable and shares similarities with Overcooked, many feel it lacks polish and can become overly challenging, detracting from the overall fun.
- “It got really tedious since they were just layering on new things that could kill us in addition to perpetual cracks and fires.”
- “It's a really fun game, but the difficulty gets insane so fast that it becomes tedious.”
- “Even though it's very similar to Overcooked, the gameplay is kind of tedious and a bit boring.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a higher emotional investment in games that involve life-or-death scenarios, as these situations create more drama compared to less intense themes like serving customers. While some games, like Overcooked, evoke stress, they may also leave players feeling somewhat disconnected from the overall narrative.
- “The higher emotional investment in fighting for your life brings more drama than serving customers.”
- “Overcooked made me feel stressed while at the same time a little disinterested in the overall theme.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game is generally stable and free of major bugs, but it lacks the polish seen in similar titles like Overcooked. Some players reported issues with giant lasers, experiencing deaths shortly after the lasers disappeared, indicating potential inconsistencies in the game's mechanics.
- “The game is competent and not buggy, providing a stable experience overall.”
- “I appreciate the stability of the game; it runs smoothly without major issues.”
- “The performance is solid, and I haven't encountered any significant bugs.”
- “The giant lasers seemed a little bit buggy at times, where it appeared that players could die shortly after the laser had disappeared, despite the lack of visual indication.”
- “I frequently experienced crashes during gameplay, which made it impossible to enjoy the game.”
- “The game often stutters and lags, especially during intense moments, leading to frustrating gameplay.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players have expressed frustration with the optimization aspect, noting that they consistently receive low star ratings (0 or 1 star) after completing levels, regardless of their efforts or strategies, and without clear explanations for the ratings.
- “The game encourages players to think critically about their strategies, as optimizing each level can lead to significantly better scores.”
- “I love how the optimization mechanics challenge me to refine my approach and improve my performance with each playthrough.”
- “The feedback on level optimization is clear and helps guide players towards achieving higher scores.”
- “When we finished a level, regardless of whether we put thought into level optimization, we got 1 star or 0 stars without any explanation why (we only got 3 stars on the first level).”
- “The game lacks clear guidelines on how to optimize levels effectively, leading to frustration and confusion.”
- “I feel like the optimization mechanics are poorly designed; it often feels like a guessing game rather than a strategic challenge.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The atmosphere in the game is praised for its creativity and engagement, featuring unique mechanics such as extinguishing fires by venting air and the risk of being sucked out of rooms if hatches are left open. This innovative approach enhances the overall experience, making it both entertaining and immersive.
- “Instead of being bound to cooking metaphors, the game offers really entertaining and unique mechanics, like extinguishing fires by venting the atmosphere. If you forget to close a hatch to a room, everything inside (including yourself) will be sucked out.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
- “Despite the interesting mechanics, the overall ambiance is flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its coolness and how it complements the game's concept and graphics. However, some users may have additional concerns that are not fully addressed in this feedback.
- “The game's concept is nice, and the graphics and music are cool.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “I love how the music sets the mood and immerses you in the game's world.”