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Derelict Star

Derelict Star Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, story
96% User Score Based on 101 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSSteam DeckWindows
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Derelict Star Game Cover

About Derelict Star

Derelict Star is a single player platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by gate and was released on April 2, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Poor planning has put you in a tough situation: your spacecraft is nearly out of power and an abandoned derelict freighter is your only chance for survival. Can you overcome the tricky obstacles that await you and collect enough power to make it out alive? Note from the developer:I am obsessed with platformers and the minute details of how they control and I wanted to create a game that feature…

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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 101 reviews
gameplay13 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Exceptional momentum-based platforming with deep, precise, and nuanced controls that reward mastery and experimentation.
  • Well-designed exploration-focused Metroidvania-style world with a large and varied map, generous checkpoints, and optional challenges that cater to both casual and completionist players.
  • Immersive atmosphere created by minimalist pixel art, excellent sound design, and a fitting soundtrack that complements the mood of isolation and discovery.
  • High difficulty and precision demands may frustrate players, with some sequences feeling borderline insurmountable and requiring extreme patience or assist options.
  • The open-world design and lack of a traditional map or direction can cause players to feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of progress, leading to potential frustration.
  • Some quality of life issues, such as slow menu text, occasional lack of checkpoints after difficult sections, and obscure mechanics that require memorization, can hamper the overall experience.

  • gameplay

    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    27% positive mentions, 67% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The gameplay is centered around mastering a deep, nuanced movement mechanic that combines precise momentum-based platforming with expansive exploration and puzzle elements. Players appreciate the game's intricate design, rewarding mastery and discovery through clever level challenges and a supportive hint system, though some find the focus on a single core mechanic less engaging. Overall, it's praised as a thoughtfully crafted, mechanically rich platformer that offers a fresh and satisfying experience for fans of precision and exploration-based gameplay.

    • “A great game full of secrets where the only thing stopping you from progress is discovering the mechanics and developing lethal precision.”
    • “This is one of those rare games where it is clear that the dev has a true deep understanding of all the mechanics in play and has built the various challenges around said knowledge.”
    • “Satisfyingly simple movement mechanics that are both intuitive to understand and hide a real bottomless depth of challenge and complexity that will eat your evening away.”
    • “At that point I was considering if I wanted to invest hours upon hours of my time to master the game's one single actual gameplay mechanic, movement (which is very interesting, but not enough on its own), coupled with no story, boring presentation, terrible quality of life and a large amount of useless collectables.”
    • “It's so very obvious that a lot of care has been put into this game, the mechanics all seem to work well together and it's certainly a feat to make a 'metroidvania' that isn't actually limiting you in any way at the start, but this feels more like Getting Over It rather than platformers that I actually have fun playing.”
    • “Plays like an alien tried to create a video game after having just Sonic 1, the original Metroid, and knowledge of the p-meter mechanic from SMB3.”

  • music

    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    42% positive mentions, 33% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions

    The music is consistently praised for its minimalistic, synth-driven soundtrack that effectively conveys moods of isolation, curiosity, and melancholy, enhancing the game's atmosphere without overwhelming it. Combined with excellent sound design and fitting audio cues, the soundtrack supports exploration and emotional engagement, creating a cohesive and immersive experience.

    • “All this is wrapped up in a simple but effective graphical style backed by a top-notch soundtrack and impressive sound design, that imparts opposing atmospheres of pragmatic charm and unsettling isolation, stolidly pushing you forward into the unknown.”
    • “Derelict Star really sells the idea of being lost and alone in space with the sparse chill synth music, the retro art style with the omnipresent darkness around you and bits of introspective writing.”
    • “Also, I have to say that the minimalist sound design is pretty fantastic - I love the popping and clicking in the green tubes that the slime makes, and the synthy soundtrack helps sell a sense of wistful isolation without feeling like it's just stealing Metroid's vibe.”
    • “The soundtrack is sparse in some locations, which can detract from immersion.”
    • “The minimalistic soundtrack, while effective, can feel too limited and repetitive at times.”
    • “The music fits the low-pressure tone of the game, but lacks variety and depth.”

  • graphics

    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    25% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions

    The game's graphics embrace a minimalist pico-8-inspired style that is simple yet artistically well-developed, effectively conveying a sense of isolation and mystery in its abstract world. While some find the visuals overly minimal and lacking differentiation, many praise the clear, stylish design that enhances the exploratory atmosphere and complements the immersive sound design. Overall, the graphics contribute meaningfully to the game's unique and evocative aesthetic.

    • “All this is wrapped up in a simple but effective graphical style backed by a top-notch soundtrack and impressive sound design, imparting opposing atmospheres of pragmatic charm and unsettling isolation, pushing you forward into the unknown.”
    • “The beautiful visuals informed by pico-8 and very spacey, open sound design enhance the feeling of being lost in this vast abstract world.”
    • “Derelict Star really sells the idea of being lost and alone in space with sparse chill synth music, retro art style with omnipresent darkness, and bits of introspective writing.”
    • “The game also takes the concept of 'limitation breeds creativity' to an irrational degree - the visuals provide less than the minimum amount of information; you don't even get a different sprite to differentiate between ascending and descending states!”
    • “The incredibly simple graphics and presentation did not improve or really change in any way in the first few areas I visited.”
    • “While the platforming can be challenging and sometimes you feel that you need to backtrack a bunch to retry, the artstyle helps keep it kinda simple and mystical as well.”

  • story

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    The story is widely viewed as lacking depth and engagement, with a minimalistic approach that leaves players feeling disconnected from the character’s goals and the game world. While the atmosphere and soundtrack receive praise, the narrative itself is seen as sparse and unmotivating, relying heavily on environmental cues without delivering a compelling plot or character development.

    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”
    • “The story about a lone, depressed astronaut with self-esteem issues.”
    • “However, I was immediately disappointed when I was thrust into a very samey looking large open world, with no environmental storytelling and little to no context of why I should care about the goals of my character or the world.”
    • “At that point, I was considering if I wanted to invest hours upon hours of my time to master the game's one single actual gameplay mechanic, movement (which is very interesting, but not enough on its own), coupled with no story, boring presentation, terrible quality of life, and a large amount of useless collectables.”
    • “The story about a lone, depressed astronaut with self-esteem issues?”

  • atmosphere

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its minimalist yet impactful environmental storytelling, complemented by a top-notch soundtrack and impressive sound design. This combination creates a compelling blend of pragmatic charm and unsettling isolation, immersing players in an eerie, compelling setting.

    • “All this is wrapped up in a simple but effective graphical style backed by a top-notch soundtrack and impressive sound design, that imparts opposing atmospheres of pragmatic charm and unsettling isolation, stolidly pushing you forward into the unknown.”
    • “The atmosphere is killer, with superb sound design and an eerie derelict ship.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”

  • grinding

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 80% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game occurs sporadically but is mostly characterized by tedious, precision-demanding challenges that can feel frustrating and repetitive. While the movement mechanics are deep, many players find the experience more boring than engaging due to frequent punishing trial-and-error gameplay.

    • “There is some of that, in a few places, but by volume, most of the game is twitchy, tedious, stilted, and demanding of precision.”
    • “Bashing my head against an obstacle because I mistime the inputs (the sequence of which I know to be correct) by just a tiny bit is simply tedious and boring.”
    • “In precision platformers, you're destined to get stuck eventually, grinding away at a difficult save.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's humor is praised for its clever sarcasm and human touch, particularly evident in the witty easter eggs and terminal dialogues, adding a refreshing and engaging layer to the experience.

    • “You can see the influences in its sense of humor and Easter eggs on display, and that's incredibly rad.”
    • “I dig how the game has an unexpected sense of humor - the terminals you unlock have a specific sort of sarcasm that really underscores that you can feel a human underneath these systems.”

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's optimization involves a learning curve where players must first understand how to build and maintain speed using environmental elements like ice and slime, making gameplay a balance between mastering jumps and movement mechanics.

    • “It takes time to get up to full speed, and while half the game is your performance of the jumps, the other half is figuring out how to build that kind of speed in the first place, or how to use the various environmental elements that impact your movement like ice or slime.”
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Play Times

3h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Videos

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Game News

Derelict Star review

June 8 on pcgamer.com

'I do think Blow misunderstood what the game is about': Derelict Star made Jonathan Blow rage quit, but it's the most fascinating indie platformer I've played for years

May 26 on pcgamer.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Derelict Star is a platformer game with science fiction theme. Common tags for Derelict Star include precision platformer, 2d, exploration, pixel graphics, metroidvania and others.

Derelict Star is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Derelict Star.

Derelict Star was released on April 2, 2026.

Derelict Star was developed by gate.

Derelict Star has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Derelict Star for its gameplay but disliked it for its graphics.

Derelict Star is a single player game.

Similar games include ANIMAL WELL, Leap Year, ElecHead, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, Metro Gravity and others.