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Derelict Star

Derelict Star Game Cover
97%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, story
97% User Score Based on 116 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

97%Audience ScoreBased on 116 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Highly praised precise and deep platforming mechanics that reward mastery and exploration.
  • Generous checkpoint and fast travel systems reduce frustration and support large, open-world exploration.
  • Rich, minimalistic pixel art and atmospheric sound design that enhances immersion and mood.
  • Very challenging difficulty spikes may feel punishing, requiring patience and skill; some find it mentally and physically taxing.
  • Some areas lack clear navigation aids or map details, potentially causing confusion during exploration and backtracking.
  • Occasional design choices such as limited checkpoints in tough sequences and tedious memorization segments can lead to player frustration.

  • gameplay

    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    26% positive mentions, 68% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The gameplay is centered around a deep, precise, and satisfying jetpack-based movement mechanic that is easy to learn but highly challenging to master, encouraging exploration and discovery throughout a richly designed world. It skillfully blends momentum-based platforming with environmental puzzles and optional collectibles, creating a well-paced experience that rewards mechanical mastery. While some find it demanding and niche, fans of intricate, skill-focused platformers consistently praise its thoughtful design, variety, and engaging challenge.

    • “The gameplay is paced immaculately; shorter gimmicky segments are interweaved with longer segments so you never get too complacent or too exhausted.”
    • “It is filled to the brim with fantastic ideas, exquisite level design and an in-depth exploration of its mechanics while remaining perfectly pure and focused.”
    • “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 collectibles.”
    • “Others are long and generally not that mechanically intensive.”
    • “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.”

  • music

    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 21% negative mentions

    The music and soundtrack are widely praised for their minimalistic yet impactful style, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere of isolation, curiosity, and melancholy. The synth-driven, sparse compositions complement the visuals and gameplay, creating a compelling emotional experience without overwhelming the player. Overall, the sound design is considered fantastic, immersive, and integral to the game's mood and pacing.

    • “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 only downside is that you'll likely want to turn off the in-game music, which is a shame because it's really quite fantastic.”
    • “The soundtrack is sparse in some locations, which affects the overall experience.”
    • “With great atmosphere and an effective, if minimal, soundtrack.”

  • graphics

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    23% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 23% negative mentions

    The graphics feature a minimalist, pico-8-inspired style that effectively conveys isolation and mystery, enhancing the game's atmosphere of loneliness and exploration. While visually simple with limited detail, this stark aesthetic is complemented by excellent sound design and creates a striking, memorable experience. Though some may find the visuals too basic, many praise their clear design and well-crafted artistic approach that supports the game's emotional and exploratory themes.

    • “It's stark, striking visuals that build isolation and loneliness, combined with your main character's pensive nature, leaving you with little else but the game and your response to its challenges.”
    • “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, driving 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.”
    • “The game also takes the concept of 'limitation breeds creativity' and runs with it to an irrational degree - the visuals provide less than 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.”
    • “Like, look: if you want to be a reductive gamer, it's 'just' a 2D platformer with simple pico-8 style graphics and bleepy bloopy sounds.”

  • story

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    25% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The story is minimal and sparse, offering few narrative beats and little context to engage players emotionally. While the atmosphere and environmental storytelling have some appeal, the overall plot and character development are underwhelming and fail to provide compelling motivation.

    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”
    • “Would have preferred a bit more story bits.”
    • “Story beats are very, very scarce and you know when they're coming.”
    • “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.”

  • atmosphere

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    43% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its lovingly crafted pixel art, minimalistic environmental storytelling, and exceptional sound design, which together create a compelling blend of pragmatic charm and unsettling isolation. The simple yet effective graphical style, combined with a top-notch soundtrack, immerses players in a haunting and memorable 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.”
    • “The pixel art is so lovingly rendered; each new environmental gimmick stands out as a gameplay element and blends effortlessly into the sprawling atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is killer, with superb sound design and an eerie derelict ship.”

  • grinding

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

    Grinding in the game is minimal but can become tedious due to precise input timing and challenging obstacles. While the movement mechanics are deep, some players find repeated attempts frustrating and boring rather than engaging. However, tricky platforming is generally seen as challenging without feeling overly repetitive.

    • “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.”
    • “The movement is deep, but also tedious and boring.”

  • 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 well-placed Easter eggs, which add a playful and human touch to the experience. Users appreciate the unexpected and engaging sense of humor woven into the game's terminals and overall design.

    • “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 that you unlock have a specific sort of sarcasm that really underscore 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 requires a learning curve, as players must spend time mastering how to build and maintain speed, often by understanding and utilizing environmental elements like ice or slime. This dual focus on performance and technique adds depth but can initially slow progress.

    • “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 up 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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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 ElecHead, ANIMAL WELL, Bionic Bay, Lone Fungus, Toki Tori 2 and others.