Cosmoteer

About

Cosmoteer is a starship design and battle simulation game. Build and customize your own unique space fleet using a modular ship editor, then command them in real-time tactical combat. Manage resources, hull breaches, and crew morale in intense space battles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,786 reviews

gameplay225 positive mentions

story67 negative mentions

Fun and engaging ship building mechanics that allow for creativity and experimentation.
Challenging gameplay with a satisfying progression loop as players upgrade their ships and manage their crew.
Active developer support with frequent updates and a promising roadmap for future content.

AI can make strange decisions, leading to frustrating moments during combat and crew management.
The game can become repetitive after a while, with limited mission variety and a lack of a compelling story.
Performance issues arise in late-game scenarios, especially with larger ships and fleets, causing lag and slowdowns.

gameplay
637 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay of Cosmoteer is characterized by its engaging ship-building mechanics, allowing players to design and customize their vessels in a detailed and intuitive manner. While the core gameplay loop of building, battling, and upgrading ships is addictive, many players note that it can become repetitive over time due to a lack of diverse missions and content. Despite being in early access, the game runs smoothly and offers a solid foundation, with ongoing updates promising to enhance gameplay depth and variety.
- “The gameplay loop is simple but very compelling, and I found myself quickly sucked in.”
- “The ship building mechanics are very detailed and require good designing and planning in order to create a well-rounded combat ship.”
- “The core gameplay loop is just intensely fun.”
- “After about 10 hours, the gameplay got very repetitive.”
- “Unfortunately, my problem is it's a little short on the 'progression' I wanted from the experience, and the gameplay loop didn't really hook me in, leaving me feeling objective-less and direction-less after leaving the first solar system.”
- “The gameplay loop feels thin right now, but what is there has no rights to be this satisfying.”
story
615 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
79%
11%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and narrative, with many players noting that it feels like a sandbox experience with minimal plot or character development. Most missions revolve around repetitive tasks such as combat and resource collection, leading to a sense of monotony over time. While the core gameplay loop of ship building and combat is engaging, players express a strong desire for a more structured storyline and varied mission types to enhance the overall experience.
- “It's an amazing sandbox game with a dynamic story that you don't just control, but you're a part of.”
- “The campaign mode is where I have the majority of my experience, and it is really fun to complete quests and slowly build from a tiny little mercenary ship to a massive brawler or a fleet.”
- “The game has an excellent foundation, but ramps up and drops off incredibly quickly; you'll have most of the game's blueprints unlocked in your first system or two, and after that it feels very much like a 'rinse, repeat' of dealing with miscellaneous pirate missions and faction antagonism.”
- “The major con about this game is the lack of a story, or something to keep you going.”
- “The lack of a plot makes it feel a little repetitive.”
- “The only downside is that at this point there is pretty much no story.”
graphics
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The graphics of the game are characterized by vibrant, colorful 2D visuals that effectively complement its gameplay mechanics, offering a charming and engaging aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles. While some players initially underestimated the graphics, many found them to be appealing and well-suited for the game's design, enhancing the overall experience without detracting from gameplay. Overall, the graphics are praised for their clarity and functionality, contributing positively to the ship-building and combat elements of the game.
- “The colorful and detailed 2D graphics, combined with smooth animations, enhance the overall experience and bring the vastness of space to life.”
- “Cosmoteer's visuals are crisp and colorful, and the sound design adds depth to the immersive space battles.”
- “The graphics are clean and crisp, and the combat manages to be fun and rewarding for building your own ship layouts.”
- “I almost didn't give this a try because the graphics made me think of a game that is a bit too low quality, but it turns out this is entirely false.”
- “I kinda overlooked this game because of the graphics.”
- “At first the graphics and music made me think of FTL, but I went back to FTL to compare and this isn't really on the same level and sounds kinda depressing.”
music
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its dynamic and adaptive nature that enhances gameplay by changing intensity based on in-game actions. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as phenomenal, catchy, and fitting for the space theme, often comparing it favorably to iconic soundtracks from other games. However, some players noted a desire for more variety, as certain tracks can become repetitive over time.
- “The dynamic soundtrack is the standout portion of this game.”
- “The music really makes this game; they mix and blend the songs so well it subtly changes your mood and excitement throughout the game as you play.”
- “The soundtrack deserves an additional mention - it's simply gorgeous.”
- “The soundtrack is kinda ass but other than that, it's a great fun game.”
- “Seriously, it's one of the worst video game soundtracks I've ever heard, not a single one I enjoy.”
- “The music in this game is pretty bland and repetitive.”
grinding
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
9%
88%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in resource collection and crew management. While some appreciate the balance between automation and control, others feel that the lack of engaging content and the necessity for extensive grinding detracts from the overall experience. Overall, players suggest that the game can become overly grindy, especially in the later stages, leading to a loss of enjoyment.
- “Can be as slow or as fast paced as you like it, as grindy or not grindy as you see fit.”
- “Can be as slow or as fast paced as you like it, as grindy or not grindy as you see fit.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The mining bit is too tedious, with tiny asteroids that need to be micromanaged one by one, and the game 'forgetting' their location as soon as they are out of view, requiring you to manually mark each of them.”
- “The campaign mode feels extremely grindy and boring, and when enemies randomly fight you, gameplay quickly boils down to spamming right click to target specific enemy ship parts, or just blowing up and losing everything.”
- “Unfortunately, it's that crew mechanic where the game really gets tedious.”
optimization
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements, particularly in recent updates, but performance issues persist, especially in late-game scenarios and with larger ships. While many players appreciate the depth of ship customization and the rewarding nature of optimization, they also report severe performance drops and stuttering during resource-intensive gameplay. The developer is actively addressing these concerns, but players with high expectations for performance may still encounter challenges.
- “The progression is great, ship optimization is very rewarding; nearly every game system just clicks and responds really well.”
- “There's ample opportunities for optimization in every aspect of play, which makes finding optimal combinations and strategies immensely satisfying.”
- “Great game, love how creative you can get with ship designs, and if you're an optimization addict, this game is for you.”
- “The performance takes some really big hits quite early on in the game and it doesn't get much better.”
- “Game is extremely unoptimized; I am playing on Ryzen 9 7950X3D with RTX 4080, and game FPS dips below 60, plus the game doesn't feature more than 8x time multiplier, probably because the current generation of CPUs aren't powerful enough to run a 2D game.”
- “Atrocious performance, especially in multiplayer; the game doesn't particularly respect your time, and the world is unvaried and dead.”
replayability
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, largely due to its ship customization, sandbox nature, and active modding community, which allows for endless tactical variations and gameplay experiences. While some players find the gameplay loop can become repetitive over time, many appreciate the continuous updates and potential for new features that enhance replay value. However, a few users noted a lack of depth in certain aspects, suggesting that improvements could further increase replayability.
- “Great sandbox game, infinitely replayable.”
- “All in all, this is a very engaging, fun game that is almost infinitely replayable - every battle is different and your tactics can always improve.”
- “Amazing game with lots of replayability and for the price it's an absolute steal.”
- “There's not any real replay value here.”
- “All the star systems are the same but with different stations in different locations. It's like one of those games that you are into for a week and then it gets boring for me.”
- “However, there are multiple problems with the game that aren't bad enough to not recommend it, though they definitely decrease the replayability of the game.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding joy in the chaotic and unpredictable nature of spaceship combat, amusing design possibilities, and the comedic outcomes of their actions, such as chain reactions and absurd scenarios. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to elicit laughter through its quirky mechanics and interactions, making it a fun and entertaining experience, especially in multiplayer settings. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, contributing to the game's addictive and enjoyable gameplay.
- “Whether you’re a tactical genius or just here for the chaos, Cosmoteer delivers a hilarious, unpredictable, and immensely fun space-faring experience.”
- “Moving starbases to the sun is the most hilarious thing!”
- “Been watching this game grow for years and must say the attention to detail and solid gameplay keep me returning time and time again to build new super detailed streamlined ships or hilarious experiments to wipe out friends or just for a laugh.”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, including issues with collision mechanics, AI behavior, and frequent freezes or lag after extended playtime. While some users have noted improvements and a generally enjoyable experience, others describe it as a "buggy mess" that detracts from gameplay. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from stability issues typical of early access titles.
- “The game runs great; I've not come across any bugs in my short playtime, and the tutorial is great.”
- “Good concepts well implemented and bug free.”
- “This is a great game; it's still in early access, but still very enjoyable and seemingly bug free so far.”
- “One drawback to the game, though, is the collision mechanics are buggy, as well as a fleet of ships moving into formation, which is also pretty buggy.”
- “About 30 casual hours into the game, it becomes a hot mess of lag, pauses, and freezes.”
- “It's frustrating because it is fun, but when the game freezes for a minute at a time every 3 or 4 minutes, it sucks.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally uplifting, praising its charming graphics, perfect music, and unique mechanics that encourage creativity and engagement. However, there is a desire for deeper emotional storytelling and quest elements to enhance the overall experience, suggesting that while the gameplay is enjoyable, it could benefit from more narrative depth.
- “The game mechanics are just so nice and unique, allowing you to explore your ship designs freely. The graphics are a bit cartoony/pixel art, which fits the theme nicely. The music is perfect and gives a magical emotional lift as you play, making it both charming and engaging.”
- “Overall, I'm very excited to see where this game goes. It has the potential to be the next iteration of FTL, but it could benefit from more random quest lines, choices, and story elements. I hope the developers consider hiring a writer to enhance the emotional depth.”
- “I foresee an endless amount of hours spent designing and painting ships. The combat plays like an RTS with time control and pause options, allowing for micromanagement and role management for crew members, which adds to the emotional investment in the gameplay.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, enhanced by ambient music that significantly contributes to the overall experience. Players appreciate the diverse approaches to gameplay, although some feel their builds lack creativity. Overall, the combination of atmospheric elements and engaging sound design creates a captivating environment.
- “Lost of different ways to approach problems (but all my builds look like boxes with guns...) and a great atmosphere (the music is amazing).”
- “Atmospheric music.”
- “The game creates a very ambient atmosphere.”
- “Gameplay, atmosphere, graphics.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization model of the game is praised for its great value, as it features no microtransactions and a developer responsive to player feedback, leading to a positive player experience without the feeling of being exploited for cash.
- “Build a ship, go fight, fix damage, upgrade, mine, trade, etc... great price, no microtransactions, and a developer that listens to the players.”
- “Nothing related to microtransactions, infinite skill ceiling, simply a perfect game!”
- “I didn't see this point in the advertising, but please note:”
- “But I also wouldn't call it a 'cash grab'.”