Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,185 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game Game Cover
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In "Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game" , players experience life aboard a generations-old spaceship traveling through the cosmos. Inspired by Heinlein's "Orphans of the Sky," this party-based RPG focuses on exploration, combat, and survival as players uncover the ship's mysteries and confront its harsh realities, all while bound by a long-standing mission. The game offers a vast, isometric world to explore with an emphasis on character development and strategic combat.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,185 reviews
story403 positive mentions
grinding35 negative mentions
  • Engaging story and world-building that immerses players in a dystopian setting aboard a generation ship.
  • Challenging combat that requires strategic planning and character specialization, rewarding players for careful decision-making.
  • Multiple ways to resolve quests, allowing for diverse playstyles and high replayability.
  • Combat can feel unfair and punishing, often placing players in disadvantageous positions with little room for tactical maneuvering.
  • Limited character customization options and shallow companion interactions, making it hard to form emotional connections with characters.
  • The game lacks a proper map and can be confusing to navigate, with some quests being vague or poorly explained.
  • story1,256 mentions

    The story of "Colony Ship" is widely praised for its depth, engaging narrative, and rich world-building, drawing players into a complex sci-fi setting aboard a generation ship. Reviewers highlight the game's intricate plot, which features multiple factions, moral dilemmas, and meaningful choices that impact the storyline, although some express disappointment with the linearity of certain quests and the lack of character development for companions. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate story-driven RPGs, despite some criticisms regarding quest tracking and combat difficulty.

    • “The story is deep and full of meaningful choices.”
    • “The story is interesting, all of the side quests are meaningful, the only 'filler' the game has is the courthouse and even that is fun and doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “The story and characters are compelling and logical, and choices made actually matter.”
    • “The story had potential, but falls flat with the boring factions and missions.”
    • “The story is longer than Age of Decadence, but choice doesn't feel as meaningful and the interwovenness of the story is more lackluster this time around.”
    • “The game is dull, the quests are not innovative, the combat is poorly balanced, and playing as a speaker makes the game progression horrible.”
  • gameplay371 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout, featuring well-crafted mechanics that allow for diverse play styles and experimentation. While the combat and stealth systems are engaging, they can be challenging and sometimes frustrating due to poorly explained mechanics and a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a rich narrative and immersive world, but players may need to invest time to fully grasp its complexities and overcome its punishing difficulty.

    • “The gameplay mechanics are well-crafted, offering diverse play styles and countless opportunities to experiment.”
    • “It’s excellently balanced in a genre of games that is known for a lack of balance; it’s very challenging but fair, the combat is deep but intuitive to grasp, and the setting is expertly written.”
    • “The gameplay is demanding, and violence is dangerous, but there's usually a good way through a situation.”
    • “Additionally, the energy weapons, while undeniably cool in concept and design, are held back by their frustrating ammo mechanic.”
    • “There are a few game mechanics that aren't explained well and don't work well.”
    • “The mechanics are pretty frustrating to work with, and I couldn't detect any sound cues for the first hour, so it can easily be played without sound - you can ditch the headphones for this one.”
  • graphics193 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the improved visual fidelity compared to its predecessor, "The Age of Decadence." Players appreciate the atmospheric design, attention to detail, and the immersive environments that effectively convey the game's dark sci-fi setting. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are solid, they may not reach the level of modern AAA titles, and certain aspects like the user interface and camera control could use refinement.

    • “Combined with the beautifully presented visuals, that really makes you feel like you're part of the environment. I would absolutely recommend this game to any CRPG lover out there.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere of the various areas of the ship are top-notch too, with lots of attention to detail.”
    • “The graphics are a huge jump up, and the writing is brilliant.”
    • “The graphics are nothing to write home about if that's something you care about.”
    • “In the graphics and aesthetics department, the game looks ok-ish, but is full of confusing 2.5D verticality which, for me, ruins immersion.”
    • “The graphics look, to put it kindly, dated.”
  • atmosphere138 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and detailed design, effectively blending elements of creepiness, nostalgia, and a rich narrative. Players appreciate the unique settings, compelling soundtracks, and the overall mood that enhances exploration and storytelling, making it a standout experience in the RPG genre. However, some critiques mention a lack of populated environments, which can detract from the overall immersion.

    • “The atmosphere is awesome—creepy, immersive, and full of little details that make it feel real.”
    • “The atmosphere, the writing, the intrigue of the factions, the choices and gameplay come together nicely, all of that is wrapped in a cozy blanket of nostalgia for old giants of the genre done right.”
    • “The atmosphere is greatly portrayed, a grim and depressing world to move in, almost too depressing, but that gives a different flavor to the characters I roleplay as.”
    • “The game largely carries a drab atmosphere, as your trip to space has taken far longer than it should have, the ship is falling apart after an intense civil war, and everyone is too focused on killing each other to improve their situation.”
    • “The soundtrack, meant to enhance the game's atmosphere, was unremarkable and did little to complement the game's settings.”
    • “Fun game for a while until you realize how shallow it is, absolutely needing more side and atmosphere/ambient content to be classed as a CRPG or even an RPG; it's more of an on-rails kinetic novel, story and setting-wise.”
  • music125 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance immersion. However, several users noted a lack of variety, with repetitive tracks that can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered beautiful and fitting for the game's themes, there is a desire for more diverse musical content to maintain engagement throughout gameplay.

    • “The music has an epic industrial and celestial ambiance that is also mixed together with broken melodies.”
    • “The soundtrack is superb, giving off an atmosphere that really strikes a chord as you play through the game.”
    • “The developers really nail the atmosphere with dark drab colors and the depressing yet hopeful music perfectly sets the tone in motion for this game.”
    • “The soundtrack, meant to enhance the game's atmosphere, was unremarkable and did little to complement the game's settings.”
    • “My only complaint is there is one musical track you will hear for 90% of the game and it has a terrible loop that you won't un-hear once you clock it.”
    • “The soundtrack is weak, in my opinion, with many of the background songs looping too soon or too obtrusively making each loop very noticeable.”
  • replayability115 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its high replayability, offering numerous branching paths, varied character builds, and impactful choices that significantly alter gameplay experiences. While some players note a relatively short initial playtime of around 20-30 hours, the depth of customization and multiple endings encourage repeated playthroughs. However, a few reviewers express concerns about the game's linearity and lack of sufficient customization options, which may limit replay value for some players.

    • “Replayability is another strong selling point of the game, with many different forking and branching decisions throughout the game.”
    • “The game offers plenty of replayability between your choices in the world and how you tailor your character to accomplish your goals.”
    • “There are enough branching and different endings to satisfy those who see replayability as a plus.”
    • “I'm not sure replayability is there - maybe after a while, but I don't feel compelled to unlock all the endings, and I don't think the game had enough customization that you could have a totally different playthrough.”
    • “Takes about 30 hours to explore everything and finish a single playthrough on high difficulty; however, what it does not offer is replay value, as each encounter is almost exactly the same.”
    • “Despite only the first act (of a total of four) being currently available in early access, the game already justifies its price tag aplenty: easily six hours on a first playthrough with a character focused on combat, with tremendous replayability potential.”
  • grinding37 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, with many noting a lack of opportunities for meaningful grinding or resource management. The absence of respawning enemies and random events leads to difficulty spikes that feel insurmountable, making combat encounters feel clunky and unengaging. While some appreciate the game's design and potential, the overall sentiment is that the grinding experience detracts significantly from enjoyment.

    • “The game is well executed, which you can see even in this early stage, and the design contains elements that I really agree with and wish were more common, such as combat being actually impactful and not simply thrown in as filler.”
    • “There are meaningful decisions within the context and from the characters' perspective, making the gameplay feel more engaging.”
    • “The game just doesn't offer enough of a reward to be worth playing multiple playthroughs, and even a single playthrough is tedious and uneventful enough.”
    • “Grinding isn't even an option; enemies don't respawn, there aren't random events to stumble on, and you very quickly run into a problem where every mission is beyond your ability to complete and you have absolutely no way of making it possible.”
    • “The devs are plain lying, having instead designed a painfully, painfully tedious difficulty mode that doesn't require knowledge of turn-based tactical games; it requires very specific knowledge of how to min-max this game, right down to knowing which fights to do in which order because there's no other way to find out other than trial and error.”
  • optimization32 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, fast load times, and minimal bugs, providing a solid technical foundation. However, players emphasize that effective character and party optimization is crucial for success, particularly in combat, leading to frustration for those who struggle with the game's difficulty and lack of respec options. While some enjoy the tactical depth and replayability, others find the optimization requirements excessively demanding, especially on higher difficulty settings.

    • “A deep understanding of the various stats affecting your character's performance within combat will be necessary to succeed in battle.”
    • “Smart usage of precious, finite consumables, careful build planning, and strenuous optimization of loadouts are fundamental to just have some chances of winning; and you’ll get your ass kicked half the time anyway.”
    • “Colony Ship is a game that, on one hand, can reward min/maxing and build tweaking while also allowing a roleplayer to try different non-optimized builds without suffering too much.”
    • “I put a lot of emphasis on difficulty here because I ended up having to restart my playthrough twice due to my unoptimized parties making combat nigh-impossible for me to take on towards the midgame (there is no respec feature available within the game, either, further requiring you to build your party carefully).”
    • “The developer is clearly incapable of doing basic arithmetic, or they'd be able to calculate that it isn't possible to survive these combat encounters no matter how optimized the player is.”
    • “As others have said, and with which I agree, it is really peculiar how optimized the player must be for the game progression to have even moderate success.”
  • character development27 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the depth and thoughtfulness of the system, particularly in terms of character design and meaningful choices. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in companion interactions and overall character progression, with certain aspects feeling rushed or superficial. While the game offers a variety of customization options and intriguing mechanics, expectations for deep character arcs or relationships should be tempered.

    • “It rewards thoughtful players, who put effort into character design and manage their expectations about what any one character can accomplish.”
    • “Colony ship is a very atmospheric isometric RPG, playable solo or with a party, with meaningful character development and story choices and with hand-crafted combat encounters, which require you to master the game's combat system.”
    • “Character development is filled with really carefully considered options, leaving me to think... ahhh I should have upped my constitution for more implants.”
    • “My biggest sore spot is with the way character development progresses through the game.”
    • “Minimal companion interactions, no character development.”
    • “Entire questlines have next to no character development, or memorable characters at all, due to how rushed and simplistic they are.”
  • humor20 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a dry, bleak tone reminiscent of the original Fallout, lacking the dark humor found in its sequels. While some players appreciate the serious approach and rewarding character interactions, others feel it could benefit from more comedic elements. Overall, the writing features dark humor that enhances the experience, though it may not satisfy those looking for lighter, more playful moments.

    • “I enjoy the indie nature of how the developers choose to design things and the highlight is the writing, especially the hilarious streetwise dialogue options.”
    • “It's funny really, for such a tough game - my final play-through was a breeze.”
    • “That being said, it lacks the sense of humor that was present in Fallout, and is in many ways a more realistic 'post-apocalyptic' or 'industrial wasteland' kind of feel.”
  • stability19 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with most players reporting very few minor glitches and bugs. While some users encountered occasional animation issues and pathing inconsistencies, these were not game-breaking and could often be resolved with a restart or reload. The consensus is that the game runs smoothly, with a solid performance and minimal disruptions to gameplay.

    • “I like the graphics and sound; I found the game pretty much bug-free and managed the game controls happily once I got used to them.”
    • “Setting, characters, story, gameplay options, optimization, all packed in a tight, almost bug-free package.”
    • “I ran into absolutely no bugs, no glitches, no crashes, nothing.”
    • “A few glitches caused people to disappear, creating quests that could not be completed.”
    • “It is sometimes buggy when it goes too close to the top level and can't be moved further, so you have to do a lot of scrolling. Then it's too far when you're on the lower level of the multi-level location.”
    • “The bugs (which one expects to see in an early access game) that I encountered were minor in nature, as they amounted to few and far between visual glitches, one or two stuck combat scenarios that were fixed upon a save reload, and a few pathing inconsistencies/difficulties for the main character and party members when traversing the world.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mix of emotional responses to the game, noting a poignant concept of a colony ship that evokes both heartbreak and hope. However, many players feel disconnected due to the lack of engaging, well-developed characters, which diminishes their emotional investment and immersion in the story. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the game's heartfelt artistry, suggesting that it resonates on a deeper level despite its flaws.

    • “The concept of the colony ship is both heartbreaking and full of hope, in my opinion.”
    • “Ps: if any of you devs happen to be reading this - here's my heartfelt thank you for the good times I had when playing your game.”
    • “And that you'd forgive the game anything even if it proved to be not very good later on, because you can clearly see it's a heartfelt piece of art.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

19hMedian play time
82hAverage play time
10-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

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