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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 133 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 133 reviews
gameplay16 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Deep and unique momentum-based movement system with satisfying and nuanced controls.
  • Large open world with a strong sense of exploration, discovery, and carefully crafted level design.
  • Challenging but fair platforming that rewards skill development, with plenty of checkpoints and assist options to accommodate different skill levels.
  • High difficulty spikes with some brutally precise platforming sections that can cause frustration and fatigue.
  • Limited audiovisual presentation with minimalistic music and pixel art that may not appeal to everyone.
  • Navigation can be confusing due to lack of detailed map information and occasional abrupt screen transitions.

  • gameplay

    65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    25% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The gameplay of Derelict Star centers on mastering a deep, momentum-based precision platforming mechanic, blending exploration with puzzle-like challenges that emphasize learning through discovery. The movement system is intricate yet approachable, supported by a comprehensive hint menu and thoughtful level design that introduces new mechanics organically. While some find the core mechanic compelling and rewarding, others feel the focus on a single gameplay element may limit broader appeal, though overall it is praised for its innovative, carefully crafted platforming experience.

    • “The movement mechanics are really interesting and are introduced or suggested pretty naturally throughout the world.”
    • “The gameplay is paced immaculately; shorter gimmicky segments are interweaved with longer segments so you never get too complacent or too exhausted.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game, as far as I could tell, never tries to teach you these mechanics intentionally.”

  • music

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    32% positive mentions, 52% neutral mentions, 16% negative mentions

    The music in the game is generally minimalist and sparse, effectively enhancing the atmosphere of lonely, introspective exploration with chill synth and chipper yet melancholic tones. While some find it repetitive or wish for more variety, many praise the soundtrack and sound design for perfectly complementing the game's simple visuals and mood, contributing to an immersive and emotionally resonant experience.

    • “Exploring the lonely space station is, on its own, a treat with its cute and minimal pico-8 graphics and chipper yet lonely music.”
    • “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, pushing you forward into the unknown.”
    • “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.”
    • “Music is just okay, with many areas being silent.”
    • “With minimalist visuals and music, the game has very little to show off in the audiovisual department.”
    • “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.”

  • graphics

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    The game features minimalist, pico-8-inspired graphics that effectively convey isolation and loneliness, with a simple yet striking visual style. While the visuals are deliberately limited and sometimes sparse, they complement the atmospheric soundtrack and sound design to create a unique, immersive exploratory experience. Though not flashy or detailed, the aesthetic is praised for being stylish, clear, and well-developed, enhancing the game's mysterious and introspective mood.

    • “Exploring the lonely space station is, on its own, a treat with its cute and minimal pico-8 graphics and chipper yet lonely music.”
    • “The beautiful visuals informed by pico-8 and very spacey, open sound design only enhance the feeling of being lost in this vast abstract world.”
    • “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, stolidly pushing you forward into the unknown.”
    • “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.”
    • “With minimalist visuals and music, the game has very little to show off in the audiovisual department.”

  • story

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The story is generally sparse and lacks engaging narrative elements, with few story beats and minimal environmental storytelling. Players often find it difficult to connect with the character or world due to limited context and a lack of compelling plot development. While the atmosphere and minimalistic storytelling are appreciated, the overall story experience is considered weak and underwhelming.

    • “Would have preferred a bit more story bits.”
    • “The story about a lone, depressed astronaut with self-esteem issues?”
    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”
    • “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 highly praised for its lovingly crafted pixel art, minimalistic environmental storytelling, and an effective soundtrack that combines pragmatic charm with unsettling isolation. The sound design and visuals work seamlessly together to create a compelling, eerie environment that deeply immerses players. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout and favorite aspect of the game.

    • “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 limited but can feel tedious, especially when precise timing is required and small mistakes lead to repeated failures. While the movement mechanics are deep, the experience of overcoming obstacles often becomes frustrating and monotonous rather than engaging.

    • “There is some grinding in a few places, but 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 unexpected wit, especially evident in unlockable terminals and Easter eggs, which add a relatable, human touch to the experience.

    • “You can see the influences in its sense of humor and Easter eggs on display, and that's incredibly rad.”
    • “I really dig how the game has an unexpected sense of humor - the terminals that 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
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Optimization involves a learning curve where players must invest time to build speed and master movement mechanics, including utilizing environmental elements like ice or slime to enhance performance.

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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 ANIMAL WELL, Leap Year, ElecHead, Environmental Station Alpha, Metro Gravity and others.