Deadnaut

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 110 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
Deadnaut Game Cover
Starting at $4.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

Deadnaut 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.

Play Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews
story10 positive mentions
stability1 negative mentions
  • The game has a fantastic atmosphere, reminiscent of classic sci-fi horror films, creating a tense and immersive experience.
  • Character customization is deep and engaging, allowing players to create unique crew members with varied backgrounds and skills.
  • The gameplay is challenging and rewarding, with each campaign offering different enemies and scenarios, enhancing replayability.
  • The game suffers from a steep learning curve with a lack of tutorials, making it difficult for new players to understand mechanics.
  • Randomness can lead to frustrating experiences, such as encountering unbeatable enemies or losing crew members to unfair circumstances.
  • The interface can be confusing and cumbersome, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.
  • story91 mentions

    The game's story is minimalistic and largely revolves around completing four procedurally generated missions as a salvage team, with little overarching narrative to engage players. While the ship logs and alien descriptions provide some context, the randomness of missions and character interactions often overshadow any coherent plot, leading to a sense of disconnection from the crew's struggles. Players may find themselves more invested in the emergent stories created through gameplay rather than a structured narrative, which can feel repetitive and lacking depth after a few runs.

    • “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.”
    • “The storyline is simple: you are the captain of a salvage team who's going to salvage xenos vessels. Each time the game will generate a random background story.”
    • “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.”
    • “Everything they do is kind of perfectly built around the ability to set the mood for this story, but just as I was getting curious about where the plot would go, it ended.”
    • “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).”
  • gameplay36 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 atmosphere and customization options, others criticize the punishing difficulty and poorly implemented mechanics that can lead to frustrating experiences. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a blend of interesting concepts marred by execution flaws and a lack of engaging content.

    • “The gameplay is quite good in that you have a small squad of highly specialized characters (you can customize them a bunch) 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 game has the facade of being complicated by giving you a ton of stats to manage, but they don't do much to change the game's mechanics.”
    • “However, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, just like Zafehouse Diaries.”
    • “Every little thing you do will end in disaster constantly because the gameplay is half-baked and poorly implemented.”
  • atmosphere35 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and intense qualities, effectively combining dark sci-fi elements with a haunting sound design that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a tense and oppressive mood, particularly while exploring derelict spaceships, although some note that gameplay mechanics can detract from the atmospheric experience. Overall, the game's minimalist style and attention to ambiance make it a standout in terms of atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding content and gameplay frustrations.

    • “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.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally described as basic and minimalistic, 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 sound design, enhancing the overall experience despite their lack of detail. While some players find the graphics mediocre, others argue that the focus on playability over high-end visuals is a strength, allowing for a unique and engaging gameplay 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 atmosphere and aesthetic of this game is fantastic.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability, with some players appreciating the variety of tactics and control it provides, while others find the experience can become predictable and challenging due to its unforgiving mechanics. While fans of RTS games may enjoy the extensive replay value, some players question its longevity due to certain campaign limitations.

    • “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.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; some players express disappointment over the lack of music, feeling that it contributes to a sense of emptiness, while others appreciate the ambient sounds and their role in enhancing the game's atmosphere and tension. The sound design, including music and background effects, is noted for its effectiveness in creating a claustrophobic experience and aiding gameplay, though it is described as muted and not particularly memorable. Overall, the soundscape evokes nostalgia for classic sci-fi horror films, adding depth to the gaming experience.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Add ambient music or radio chatter (chatter comes through in text).”
    • “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.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game exhibits a generally stable performance, with only a few annoying glitches noted.

    • “There are a few annoying glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
    • “The game suffers from several stability issues that can lead to frustrating moments.”
    • “Frequent crashes and bugs make it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
  • grinding1 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.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “After countless hours of repetitive tasks, I find myself questioning if it's worth the effort.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of the game is notably influenced by the characters' educational backgrounds, which not only affects their mission performance but also shapes the dynamics and interactions within the squad.

    • “The optimization of character skills based on their educational background adds a fascinating layer to gameplay, influencing both mission performance and squad dynamics.”
    • “I love how the game optimizes each squad member's interactions based on their unique backgrounds, making every mission feel more immersive and strategic.”
    • “The way optimization is integrated into the game, affecting both individual performance and team synergy, creates a rich and engaging experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Deadnaut

Videos

Similar Games