Deep Sky Derelicts

Explore abandoned ships in this very deep but rewarding roguelike.

72%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

73% User Score Based on 1,650 reviews

Critic Score 71%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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About

Deep Sky Derelicts is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Snowhound Games and was released on September 26, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Deep Sky Derelicts is a strategic, turn-based RPG set in a grim, dieselpunk universe. Scavenge for resources, explore derelict spaceships, and engage in tactical combat with pirates and factions. Manage your crew, equip them with upgrades, and level up their skills to survive in this unforgiving, procedurally generated world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+12

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,650 reviews

story100 positive mentions

grinding99 negative mentions

Unique blend of deck-building and turn-based combat mechanics, allowing for diverse character builds and strategies.
Visually appealing with a distinctive comic book art style that enhances the sci-fi atmosphere.
Engaging lore and side quests that add depth to the exploration of derelict spaceships.

Frequent bugs and UI issues that can disrupt gameplay, including soft locks and unresponsive menus.
Repetitive gameplay loop that can become tedious, especially in the later stages of the game.
Difficulty spikes that can feel unfair, with some enemies having overwhelming stats and abilities.

story
580 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
76%
7%
The story in "Deep Sky Derelicts" is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, serving primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a driving force. While there are some amusing side quests and character interactions, the main narrative is often described as simplistic and repetitive, with many missions feeling like generic fetch quests. Overall, players appreciate the humor and occasional interesting lore, but many feel the game lacks a compelling or cohesive story arc, making it less engaging for those seeking a rich narrative experience.
- “The story elements, especially those regarding side missions, are really funny!”
- “This game has an astonishing amount of story RPG elements, where you can express your choice of outcome for certain missions.”
- “The writing and story are interesting and thoughtful as well.”
- “The story takes a back seat to gameplay, and while the story that is there is mildly interesting, it's mostly lore drops instead of an actual story arc.”
- “The plot has no direction, the characters don't have any level of consistency and behave as if they're reading a wiki; it comes across as 'oh wow, that's interesting.'”
- “The story is non-existent, even though it has some scattered plots that are sometimes cool.”
gameplay
572 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The gameplay of "Deep Sky Derelicts" is characterized by a unique blend of turn-based combat and deck-building mechanics, drawing comparisons to titles like "Darkest Dungeon." While many players find the core gameplay loop engaging and addictive, criticisms arise regarding its repetitiveness, lack of depth in mechanics, and unclear tutorials, leading to a frustrating experience for some. Overall, the game offers solid mechanics and customization options, but suffers from balance issues and a lack of compelling content as it progresses.
- “Deep Sky Derelicts is a compelling blend of rogue-like elements, strategic gameplay, and immersive storytelling, set in a richly detailed sci-fi universe.”
- “The gameplay loop is engaging and well-crafted, and the diversity of loot and items keeps the experience fresh.”
- “The core gameplay loop is so satisfying, tweaking the deck of your scavengers after you find some loot.”
- “The real problem is that the encounters and the gameplay loop gets so repetitive, and your teams stomp most the enemies so often, that you're going to be bored to tears by the midpoint-end of the game, wanting the game to end soon so you can go play something else.”
- “Gameplay – combat, inventory management, character growth, store interaction – is really fun at the start of the game but near the end of the game the numbers have increased to the point of annoyance.”
- “The gameplay loop rapidly loses its luster, and becomes slow and boring.”
graphics
389 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The graphics of "Deep Sky Derelicts" have garnered mixed reviews, with many players praising its unique comic book art style and atmospheric visuals reminiscent of "Darkest Dungeon." While some appreciate the aesthetic and find it charming, others criticize the lack of animation and repetitive character designs, leading to a perception of low visual quality. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a strong point, though they may not meet the expectations of players seeking more contemporary graphical fidelity.
- “The art style is absolutely amazing, like an interactive Mike Mignola book.”
- “The graphics in Deep Sky Derelicts are stunning in the same way that Darkest Dungeon manages to be the same.”
- “With its comic book-style graphics and immersive atmosphere, the game offers a refreshing take on the genre.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent.”
- “Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is very low, beneath what PC gamers have come to expect in this era of cutting-edge photorealistic 3D graphics.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
music
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, particularly in combat and exploration. However, several users note that the soundtrack can be repetitive, lacking variety and leading to a sense of monotony over extended play sessions. Overall, while the music is generally well-composed and fitting for the game's theme, there is a consensus that more diverse tracks would significantly improve the experience.
- “The music, be it while exploring or in combat, is great and keeps you on your toes and pumped up, respectively.”
- “One of the most marvelous soundtracks out there that never gets old.”
- “The music is simply amazing, lots of depth, memorable tunes and they really bring up the atmosphere levels.”
- “The music is exciting at first, but there's really only one short track that plays on repeat.”
- “The music is entirely forgettable—I can’t recall a single track.”
- “The music is real droning, there's not much feedback for performing attacks which makes it feel like nothing is happening.”
grinding
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the mid to late game. While some enjoy the satisfaction of leveling up and acquiring loot, the overall experience is often marred by long battles, tedious exploration, and cumbersome inventory management. Players note that the game can become a slog, especially when pursuing achievements or dealing with energy mechanics that disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- “With some tweaking and respecs, I was able to steamroll everything again—no grinding for experience or loot, just me rethinking the strategy, roles, and decks for better synergy and efficiency while also adapting to new enemies. To me, that was the highlight of this game and best illustrates what it is.”
- “If you try to get all the achievements, you will find that it may become quite repetitive and grindy.”
- “The game is very grindy and can be incredibly tedious, especially with battles lasting 10-15 minutes each.”
- “Unfortunately, the mid to late game gets tedious due to repetitive encounters and a lack of variety.”
atmosphere
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, featuring striking art styles, atmospheric sound design, and a gritty, retro-futuristic setting that enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the unique aesthetic and engaging ambiance, some critiques highlight inconsistencies in execution and a lack of depth in gameplay elements that could further enrich the atmosphere. Overall, the combination of visuals, music, and thematic elements creates a compelling environment that resonates with fans of the genre.
- “The atmospheric sound design further enhances the experience, drawing players deeper into the desolate, eerie setting.”
- “From the moment you step into the shoes of a scavenger, tasked with exploring derelict spacecraft in search of valuable loot and clues to the mysteries of the cosmos, Deep Sky Derelicts grips you with its atmospheric visuals and haunting soundtrack.”
- “I really liked this game, the atmosphere is amazing, the artwork is phenomenal and the soundtrack captivating.”
- “The brown/washed-blue color palette adds to the gloomy atmosphere, but it still feels pallid, especially in scenes that should be more colorful (e.g., supercomputers flickering in the background).”
- “You spend 90% of your time looking at your scanner screen, which means the art of the rooms and the atmosphere it could have conveyed is completely wasted.”
- “The atmosphere is weaker, the writing is a bit sparse, and the gameplay isn't as deep.”
replayability
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as solid, with many players appreciating the variety offered through different character classes, abilities, and procedurally generated levels, which encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some reviews note that replay value can diminish after the initial runs due to repetitive elements or a lack of long-term progression. Overall, while many find the game engaging enough for several replays, others feel it may not sustain interest beyond a few sessions.
- “Replayability is great due to quest and encounter RNG and extremely high build variety.”
- “The procedurally generated derelicts ensure that each playthrough is different, adding significant replayability.”
- “Overall, I loved all aspects of the experience, the exploring, fights, deciding which loot to use, how to use my money.. there's lots of room for building the group exactly to your taste, and replayability with trying a different strategy next time using the gear you thought vendor trash last time.”
- “Not much to offer in terms of replayability once you beat the game; there is no long-term progression or anything like that.”
- “Despite having replayability potential, it gets boring after the first playthrough.”
- “The game was designed to be replayable, but it feels like you will see all the content during your first run.”
stability
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and a frustrating user interface. Many players experience issues such as unresponsive controls, freezing on startup, and game-breaking glitches, which detract significantly from the overall experience. While some users note improvements over time, the consensus is that the game remains a "buggy mess," making it difficult to recommend, especially given its age.
- “The game runs great now.”
- “Runs great on my iMac Catalina 10.15.1 (4.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 16 GB 2400 MHz DDR4, Radeon Pro 580 8 GB).”
- “Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
- “Very buggy, and crashes constantly.”
- “It's a buggy mess.”
- “I wish the game wasn't so buggy as it seems very fun, but due to bugs I cannot play it on any of my systems.”
humor
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and entertaining characters, particularly in side missions that often feature quirky and darkly comedic elements. Players appreciate the blend of intelligent humor with whimsical and sometimes cheesy jokes, which enhances the overall experience despite some critiques about the game's tonal inconsistencies. Overall, the humor serves as a strong draw, making the gameplay more engaging and enjoyable.
- “The story elements, especially those regarding side missions, are really funny!”
- “Exquisitely written with a good portion of intelligent humor.”
- “The core gameplay loops are mostly fun and intuitive, the setting is cool and feels lived in, and the writing is pretty funny in places.”
- “It is sometimes whimsical but not funny.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's optimization aspect is a mixed bag; while players enjoy the depth of character and deck optimization, some find the performance lacking, with issues like poor frame rates and repetitive gameplay at max levels. The need for constant tinkering and respecs adds a layer of strategy, but the reliance on luck can detract from the overall experience, especially when enemies become less challenging. Overall, the optimization mechanics are engaging but can lead to a sense of staleness as players reach peak performance without meaningful upgrades.
- “I had to really think to try and get the best performance out of my characters in order to beat it.”
- “Tinkering with the decks and stats to get the best possible synergy between your party members is fun and reasonably deep; you need to spend a solid amount of time on constant optimizations and, sometimes, outright respecs and role switches.”
- “On its own merits, the game is kind of a mildly-flavored deck-builder, which is to say a probabilistic optimization puzzle.”
- “The game forces you into a relentless cycle of item management that detracts from exploration and combat, reminiscent of 'Escape from Tarkov.' In addition, while being literally just a slideshow, it manages to somehow be poorly optimized.”
- “The game also becomes quite repetitive towards the end when you are long at max level with optimized weapons and gear and thus have no real incentive to do any more combat encounters or grind through rooms for better equipment.”
- “A bit of staleness did creep in during the final levels where I was pretty much 100% optimized, couldn't find any meaningful upgrades, and the enemies were nowhere near becoming a problem.”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the depth and versatility offered by two-sided skill trees and subclass options, others criticize the cap at level 10, which limits progression before the game concludes. The unique art style and character design stand out, enhancing the overall experience, but the lack of extensive development options may leave some players wanting more. Overall, the character development system is praised for its strategic depth, particularly in relation to combat mechanics.
- “Possibilities in character development are versatile; each character class provides a two-sided skill tree, where one side includes the choice of a subclass with additional skills.”
- “It's like Darkest Dungeon but has really in-depth character development with a large number of abilities to switch through.”
- “They've got a dynamite character development system, and the combat feels refreshing initially because well-done card combat that still uses character equipment and stats in a direct way is uncommon.”
- “Character development is capped at level 10, which you achieve long before the game ends.”
- “There is a lack of character development.”
- “The character development system feels limited and doesn't evolve as the game progresses.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players finding it to lack depth and engagement, leading to feelings of time wasted. While there are moments of wholesome fun, the overall narrative fails to provide an emotionally charged motivation for players, leaving them wanting more from the experience.
- “Give me an emotionally charged reason to accomplish it.”
- “But when it comes to the UI, there is something I want to cry about.”
- “The story felt incredibly dull and uninspired.”
- “I found it hard to connect with the characters emotionally.”
- “The emotional moments fell flat and lacked impact.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players viewing it as a cash grab masked by appealing aesthetics, while others argue that early access was a necessary move for the studio's survival. The game features an economy and loot system that includes trade and mission-oriented purchases, but there are concerns about the potential for superficial DLCs that do not enhance gameplay meaningfully. Overall, players are wary of exploitative practices and hope for substantial content expansions rather than trivial additions.
- “A damn shame, but really points out why we have to be suspicious of even indie titles at this point - just another shameless cash grab hiding behind a 'cool' sci-fi aesthetic, just like everything else these days.”
- “Manage: comes with an economy and loot system with trade and merchandise and mission-oriented cash grabs with mini mission options and sequences to the derelict ships you explore.”
- “Deep Sky cannot make the mistake of releasing small, meaningless DLCs to cash grab, but should focus on adding to the content and gameplay by expanding their horizons, not merely giving you the base game and irrelevant additions later.”

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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews

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13h Median play time

25h Average play time

5-40h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 23 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Deep Sky Derelicts is a role playing game with science fiction theme.

Deep Sky Derelicts is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 25 hours playing Deep Sky Derelicts.

Deep Sky Derelicts was released on September 26, 2018.

Deep Sky Derelicts was developed by Snowhound Games.

Deep Sky Derelicts has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Deep Sky Derelicts is a single player game.

Similar games include Gordian Quest, Dead Age, Star Renegades, Across the Obelisk, Deck of Ashes and others.

Deep Sky Derelicts

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