Deep Sixed

About

In "Deep Sixed," players take on the role of a pilot working off a sentence for a corporation by mapping a distant nebula. The game features a permit-based progression system and a permadeath mechanic, with a spaceship that stays with the player from start to finish. The game's universe is procedurally generated, offering a diverse ecosystem of intergalactic fauna and numerous mysteries to discover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 176 reviews

story24 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and chaotic experience of managing a constantly malfunctioning spaceship, providing a satisfying challenge as players learn to troubleshoot and fix issues on the fly.
The narrative is engaging and humorous, with well-done voice acting that adds depth to the player's relationship with the AI companion.
The gameplay mechanics encourage strategic thinking and multitasking, making each run feel fresh and rewarding as players improve their skills over time.

The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration when trying to navigate menus and perform tasks quickly during emergencies.
The game suffers from bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to loss of progress, particularly in a permadeath context.
Repetitive dialogue and mission structure can become tedious after multiple resets, diminishing the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
88%
1%
The game's story is a mix of entertaining elements and procedural generation, set in a space environment where players must manage a malfunctioning ship while completing missions. While the narrative offers some engaging moments and humor, it can become repetitive due to the permadeath mechanic and the need to replay missions, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the story struggles with pacing and can feel anticlimactic, especially after multiple resets, making it challenging for players to stay invested.
- “The world building - the narrative story - is why I really like this game.”
- “That quest for knowledge about this interesting place is what motivates me to keep fixing all the problems.”
- “A story that is filled with great voice acting and humor that I enjoyed very much.”
- “The game's story is incredibly hard to complete without cheating, and less than 10% of owners obtained the achievement of making it halfway through.”
- “Story/narrative driven games and permadeath just don't suit each other well.”
- “And to make matters worse, you have to sit through the same dialogues, emails, and missions again and again and again...”
gameplay
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of unique mechanics and challenging tasks, primarily revolving around emergency maintenance and power management on a spacecraft, which can lead to a rewarding yet frustrating experience. While the game offers an engaging loop and immersive elements, some players have noted issues with bugs, a lack of gameplay depth after a few hours, and a user interface that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy complex problem-solving and the intricacies of spaceship mechanics, but potential buyers should be aware of its limitations and consider watching gameplay videos before purchasing.
- “Rarely have I seen a game with such unique mechanics that is also so immensely immersive.”
- “The core gameplay involves allocating limited power from your ship's battery to key systems: scanning, hyperdrive, weapons targeting, and weapons in each of the five observation bays.”
- “An original and fun concept with a creative art style and great gameplay is what makes this game worth every penny.”
- “The second problem is that there really isn't that much gameplay there to begin with.”
- “After maybe 2 hours, there are no longer any gameplay challenges left, and the tedium starts setting in.”
- “The user interface and gameplay issues are just too frustrating for the price.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, cartoonish art style that complements its unique atmosphere, despite not being cutting-edge or AAA quality. While some players find the visuals simple and serviceable, they appreciate the indie charm and immersive quality that enhances the gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting for the game's theme, contributing to its originality and appeal.
- “The game has graphics that fit the atmosphere.”
- “It has quality graphics that have the indie charm.”
- “The cartoonish graphics may seem out of place, but do a wonderful job of portraying the clutter and chaos hiding around every inch of the ship.”
- “Simple graphics, simple game.”
- “While the game is far from 4K crazy graphics that AAA developers are slowly working their ways towards.”
- “If this game had AAA quality graphics it would honestly feel different.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, often blending dark comedy with challenging gameplay. Players appreciate the witty writing, engaging voice acting, and the humorous interactions between characters, particularly the relationship with the AI companion. Overall, the game successfully maintains a light-hearted tone amidst its complex and frantic scenarios, making it both entertaining and memorable.
- “This game is hilarious, and it's fun trying to learn how to do all of the things you need to do in the game, and see all the layers of absurd complexity in even the most simple tasks.”
- “The game has a good sense of humor about the hopelessness of the situation, and I enjoy the relationship that develops between the player character and the AI companion.”
- “The writing, voiceover work, and general level of polish are remarkable for a game at this price point, and there is plenty of humor (and classic sci-fi references) to keep the mood light even as you're ever more frantically trying to stay on top of this sinking ship.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with reports of frequent crashes—about 25% on launch and occasional in-game failures—leading to a frustrating troubleshooting experience. While some players appreciate the challenge of managing these issues, others find the bugs detract significantly from gameplay. However, a few users noted that they encountered minimal bugs, suggesting that experiences may vary.
- “Though Deep Sixed is a solidly built product with high production values for its chosen medium, and is pretty much bug-free, I have encountered at least one real bug where the retrieval probe gets stuck.”
- “It's also buggy as hell, crashing on launch about 25% of the time and then occasional in-game crashes.”
- “When you're not trying to fend off hostile aliens, you're trying to fix all the breakdowns that occur every few minutes, and a comprehensive troubleshooting manual and a limited supply of spare parts are all that stands between you and certain death.”
- “You don't fail because you don't manage to follow a complicated troubleshooting procedure, or keep up with cascading failures, or deal with multiple simultaneous issues - you fail because you simply fail a die roll when the game decides to crash the wrong system at the wrong time.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The music in the game has received high praise for its captivating quality, described as a blend of styles reminiscent of Massive Attack and Air, creating an immersive atmosphere. While some sound effects may be unremarkable, the overall audio experience, including voice acting, is considered excellent and enhances gameplay. Many players express a desire to purchase the soundtrack, highlighting its standout role in the game's appeal.
- “I was just in a trance by the fantastic music.”
- “Music is excellent throughout, like an instrumental cross between Massive Attack, Air, and a late-night piano bar.”
- “It's really, really good; this is one game for which I'd go out of my way to buy the soundtrack.”
- “General sound effects and soundtrack might not be anything special, yet they fulfill their roles without forcing me to mute them.”
- “There are no performance options or graphics settings apart from a full-screen/windowed toggle, but sound effects, music, and speech all have separately adjustable volumes.”
- “I had first heard the music and audio while watching someone play it.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a palpable sense of tension and urgency, as players navigate crises like breaches and malfunctions with limited resources. The minimalistic graphics effectively enhance this feeling, creating an engaging environment where players constantly feel on edge and must quickly adapt to challenges. Overall, the blend of humor and high-stakes scenarios contributes to a compelling and immersive experience.
- “There's a good sense of tension, and as others have pointed out, the game does well at creating atmosphere with just a few minimal ingredients.”
- “Funny and atmospheric, I’m enjoying the hell out of this game.”
- “As a beginner, not knowing everything gives the game a certain atmosphere of always being on the verge of wondering when the next malfunction or fight will be, and if you'll be able to handle it.”
- “As a beginner though, not knowing everything gives the game a certain atmosphere of always being on the verge of wondering when the next malfunction or fight will be, and if you'll be able to handle it.”
- “There's a good sense of tension and as others have pointed out, the game does well at creating atmosphere with just a few minimal ingredients.”
- “Strip by duct tape strip, I cover the breach, a race against time as the atmosphere in the room is nearly depleted... just as I did one last desperate fast duct tape action and figured I was safe, my vision blackens around the corners and I pass out.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game offers a solid replayability factor, primarily due to its rogue-like elements and the upcoming addition of an endless mode, which encourages players to challenge themselves and improve their high scores. However, some players note that once they master the mechanics and malfunctions, the replay value may diminish as familiarity sets in. Overall, the combination of gameplay challenges and new modes keeps the experience engaging for multiple playthroughs.
- “Great game, simple premise of single-handedly running a constantly-breaking spaceship made into a very fun and replayable experience.”
- “The developers are also going to be adding an endless mode here in the very near future, that will give the game a little more replayability too.”
- “It has a rogue-like vibe going in that you will die many times, but the main difference is that I can see mastering the different malfunctions eventually making the game's replayability less significant once you have been through it a few times because you will know how to do everything.”
- “The endless mode also provides more replayability to the game as you can challenge yourself to survive as long as you can as difficulty increases, and attempt to beat your own high scores.”
- “The developers are also going to be adding an endless mode here in the very near future, which will give the game a little more replayability too.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
While players report no significant performance issues and confirm that "Deep Sixed" runs well even on budget laptops, there is a desire for more optimization options. The game lacks detailed performance settings or graphics adjustments, offering only a full-screen/windowed toggle and adjustable audio levels.
- “Naturally, I didn’t have any performance issues, and I’m certain that Deep Sixed can be played even on a budget laptop.”
- “I would love to see some more optimization is all.”
- “There are no performance options or graphics settings apart from a full-screen/windowed toggle, but sound effects, music, and speech all have separately adjustable volumes.”
- “Naturally, I didn’t have any performance issues and I’m certain that Deep Sixed can be played even on a budget laptop.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both tedious and frustrating, with some tasks intentionally designed to be monotonous. While the game has promising ideas, the reliance on random number generation for success adds to the overall irritation of the grinding experience.
- “It's got some good ideas, but it quickly becomes tedious and frustrating, and victory is at the mercy of the random number generator.”
- “Some of the tasks are deliberately tedious to begin with.”
- “This game is both tedious and frustrating.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly when experiencing high stakes that resonate with both their own and the character's journey, leading to a profound sense of satisfaction upon completion. However, some feel that the game lacks the social excitement and emotional depth found in other titles like "Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes" and "Papers, Please."
- “I managed to beat the game on my first 'run' (this is a bit of a misnomer, that just means I haven't died a single time), and while the experience was harrowing, it was also an explosion of emotional satisfaction - my stakes and the main character's stakes were equally high.”

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