Deadnaut
- December 8, 2014
- Screwfly Studios
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreDeadnaut is a single-player Horror Real Time Strategy game with a good plot and atmospheric visuals. Assemble and manage a team of Deadnauts to explore derelict ships of dead civilizations, with unique missions and enemies in every game. Create backstories, adjust skills, and maintain team relationships to increase chances of survival.
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Reviews
- Incredibly atmospheric and immersive, capturing the essence of sci-fi horror.
- Deep character customization and unique gameplay mechanics that encourage strategic planning.
- Randomly generated missions and enemies provide a fresh experience with each playthrough.
- Heavy reliance on RNG can lead to frustrating and unfair scenarios, making progress feel impossible at times.
- The user interface is confusing and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.
- Campaigns are short, with only four missions, leaving players wanting more content and variety.
- story182 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimalistic and largely revolves around a four-mission campaign where players control a salvage team navigating procedurally generated challenges. While the ship logs and alien descriptions provide some narrative depth, the overall experience feels repetitive and lacks a cohesive plot, leaving players to create their own stories through gameplay. The randomness of missions and crew dynamics adds tension, but many players find the lack of a more developed storyline disappointing.
“The ship logs, the overarching story, the alien descriptions, the enemy characteristics, and the lengthy descriptions for all of the above, are quite well done.”
“The game does a great job making you feel like a remote mission planner.. you feel very distant and disconnected from the life and death struggle of your deadnauts on a strange alien ship.”
“Yet, at the same time, you become more and more attached to these sensor blips on your screen after each (usually harrowing) mission.”
“All of the ship's crew logs are randomly generated, and ultimately this game has no story to uncover, just get through the four levels until you reach the game over screen.”
“There was no closure to this storyline, just me making money, spending that money on better gear, and going on a harder mission thereafter for more money (rinse and repeat).”
“At its current state, it feels rather minimalistic, and after a few missions, it gets rather repetitive.”
- gameplay72 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing and shallow despite the potential for depth in its mechanics. While some appreciate the customization and micromanagement aspects of squad management, others criticize the punishing difficulty and poorly implemented mechanics that can lead to frequent failures. Overall, the atmosphere and aesthetic are praised, but the gameplay often feels half-baked and lacking in meaningful interaction.
“The gameplay is quite good in that you have a small squad of highly specialized characters (you can customize them a lot) and you have to micromanage them carefully to succeed.”
“Great atmosphere, punishing gameplay, good times all around.”
“I love it for the atmosphere, the aesthetic, the tense moment-to-moment gameplay, the customization for your crew, and the unrelenting difficulty of the game.”
“The gameplay seems quite shallow.”
“Every little thing you do will end in disaster constantly because the gameplay is half-baked and poorly implemented.”
“However, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, just like Zafehouse Diaries.”
- atmosphere70 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and intense qualities, effectively combining dark sci-fi elements with strong sound design and minimalist graphics that enhance the overall mood. Players appreciate the tension and sense of exploration while navigating derelict spaceships, although some note that the gameplay mechanics can detract from the experience. Overall, the game is recognized as one of the most atmospheric in its genre, successfully creating a haunting and engaging environment.
“The atmosphere is awesome, both graphics and sounds match perfectly with the gloomy mood of the game, and it's really fun to roam from ship to ship, exploring strange and dreadful places where you never really know what will fall upon you.”
“Deadnaut is one of the most atmospheric games in any genre I have played ever.”
“Incredibly atmospheric and immersive, in a minimalist style that really drove the point home.”
“If it's the atmosphere you want, go buy Elegy for a Dead World.”
“The atmosphere is tense and the mood is oppressive.”
“- intense atmosphere, the sound is well done and when alarms start going off, you start to panic.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as minimalistic and basic, with some reviewers noting that they do not leave a strong impression. However, many appreciate how the simple visuals complement the game's atmosphere and playability, arguing that engaging gameplay can outweigh the need for high-quality graphics. Overall, while the graphics may not be impressive, they effectively support the game's eerie aesthetic and immersive experience.
“The atmosphere is awesome, both graphics and sounds match perfectly with the gloomy mood of the game, and it's really fun to roam from ship to ship, exploring strange and dreadful places where you never really know what will fall upon you.”
“Great atmosphere, superb sound design, fitting (if somewhat minimalistic) graphics, creepy enemies and lots of equipment to research and outfit your deadnauts with.”
“The display screen system is inspired, the graphics are clean and incredibly good, and it's definitely going to get a lot more play going on.”
“The graphics are basic, obviously, so there's nothing to really look at.”
“Graphics are extremely mediocre.”
“In this game where the graphics are virtually missing you will control your group of shapes as they fight against other shapes and have fun looking through a tiny porthole to control them.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game offers a mix of replayability, with some players finding it excellent due to its randomness and tactical variety, while others feel that the quickly recognizable patterns and unforgiving mechanics can diminish the experience. Fans of RTS games may appreciate the extensive control and options available, but the game's challenging elements and limited campaign format may deter some from replaying. Overall, opinions on replayability are varied, with a significant emphasis on personal playstyle and preferences.
“Excellent replayability.”
“Sooner than I expected... but then again, the game does offer high replay value.”
“The replay value for fans of RTS games is immense, and because you have control over nearly every aspect, this is one for the OCD micromanagers among us.”
“Because there is some replayability, but the patterns and contents are quickly known, even if there is randomness in the different aspects.”
“However, it's very unforgiving; some of its mechanics are quite obscure and difficult to figure out, and the tiny iron man-style campaign hurts replayability.”
“Replayability might be questionable for some people.”
- music12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is a point of contention among users, with some expressing disappointment over the lack of music, feeling it contributes to a sense of emptiness. Others appreciate the ambient sounds and background music, noting that they enhance the game's claustrophobic atmosphere and evoke a nostalgic 80s sci-fi horror vibe. Overall, while the sound design is recognized for its effectiveness in gameplay, it is often described as muted and not particularly memorable.
“The music, aliens, and background sounds are really well done. It slightly reminds me of watching one of those old 80s sci-fi horror movies. Additionally, what's also interesting is that sound plays a role in the game; for example, it helps you recognize what kind of enemies are behind certain doors.”
“It's either death or the lonely blackness of space with no music.”
“Add ambient music or radio chatter (chatter comes through in text).”
“Both sound and music are okay... muted and muffled, they add to the claustrophobic intensity and are well utilized, but again aren't anything special.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game has a few annoying glitches, indicating that while stability is generally acceptable, there are minor issues that can disrupt the experience.
“There are a few annoying glitches that disrupt the gameplay.”
“The game suffers from a few annoying glitches that can be frustrating.”
“I encountered a few annoying glitches that affected my overall experience.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely frustrating, with some describing it as "teeth-grindingly" difficult after just a few hours of play.
“I have played this game for about 3 hours, and it's been teeth-grindingly frustrating.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is heavily influenced by the characters' educational backgrounds, which not only affects their mission performance but also shapes the dynamics of interactions within the squad. This adds a layer of depth to gameplay, as players must consider these factors when strategizing.
