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Derelict Star

Derelict Star Game Cover
100%Game Brain Score
gameplay, atmosphere
music, graphics
100% User Score Based on 75 reviews

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Derelict Star Game Cover

About

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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Derelict Star screenshot
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100%
Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
  • Unique and deep momentum-based platforming mechanics that are precise, rewarding, and evolve through player discovery, offering a fresh experience even for seasoned platformer fans.
  • Expansive and well-designed open world with numerous rooms and diverse locations that encourage exploration and revisit with new knowledge, enhanced by a minimalistic but atmospheric art style, sound design, and introspective writing.
  • Generous checkpoint and fast travel system with accessibility options and a thoughtful hint system that balance the challenging difficulty, making the game approachable while maintaining its punishing and satisfying gameplay.
  • Steep learning curve and high difficulty can feel overwhelming, frustrating, or punishing, especially in early sections or when carrying key collectibles which disable checkpoints.
  • Lack of a traditional map or clear guidance can lead to feeling lost or aimless for some players, making exploration potentially confusing or less rewarding until more familiar with the controls and world.
  • Pixelated text can be hard to read for some players, and the slow-paced, momentum-heavy movement might not appeal to those preferring fast or more conventional platforming controls.
  • gameplay
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a masterful blend of precision platforming and momentum-based mechanics, offering deep, intuitive, and progressively challenging movement systems that reward exploration and mastery. It features a wealth of hidden mechanics and secrets within a massive open world, supported by smart level design and a helpful hint system, making it accessible yet richly complex. Fans of classic and innovative platformers alike will find its unique, thoughtful mechanics and fluid feel both refreshing and highly engaging.

    • “This is one of those rare games where it is clear that the developer 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.”
    • “And what a joy this map is to explore, the map is so well designed to give you a challenge that forces you to learn a new mechanic, but gives little hints as to what that mechanic might be, so exploring the world is exploring how your character is able to move at the same time.”
    • “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.”
    • “While the level design has a puzzly ethos, the gameplay is all about the platforming physics and the vaguely lunar lander-ish momentum gameplay.”
    • “But those that do will find a game that tries to fully explore a very specific mechanical idea that's easy to learn but hard to master across 500 bespoke screens.”
  • music
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music across these games is often minimalistic and atmospheric, effectively enhancing feelings of isolation, curiosity, and melancholy while complementing the visuals and gameplay. Soundtracks are praised for their synth and environmental design, contributing to immersive, reflective experiences without overwhelming the player. Overall, the sound design is consistently lauded for fitting the tone and supporting the game's mood and pacing.

    • “This game feels nice, contains cool soundtracks, and all in all has great sfx and sound design.”
    • “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 affects the overall immersion.”
    • “The music is minimalistic and effective, but may feel too understated for some players.”
    • “The minimalist soundtrack helps sell a sense of wistful isolation, but can feel like it lacks variety.”
  • graphics
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics feature a distinctive pico-8 retro art style that is simple yet stylish, effectively conveying a vast, mysterious space environment. The clear visuals and minimalist design enhance the feeling of isolation and exploration, making the world feel both mystical and well-realized. While not flashy, the aesthetics are praised for their clarity, atmosphere, and unique charm.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “And the aesthetics of the world are amazing; I keep being surprised by new areas, there are so many strange mysteries I want to unravel.”
    • “The visuals are very clear and the spikes are easy to see.”
    • “While the platforming can be challenging and sometimes you feel that you need to backtrack a bunch to retry, it's an amazingly growing experience and you explore this space, think you know what it is; the art style helps keep it kinda simple and mystical as well.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its minimalistic environmental storytelling and effective, eerie soundtrack, creating an immersive and captivating experience even within a short playtime.

    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”
    • “The atmosphere is killer, with superb sound design and an eerie derelict ship.”
    • “The atmosphere built up in even the short time I've played so far is very good.”
  • story
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is conveyed primarily through minimalistic environmental storytelling and an atmospheric soundtrack, creating an immersive experience despite the absence of complex plot twists, character upgrades, or additional unlockables.

    • “The atmosphere is great, in particular the minimalistic environmental storytelling and soundtrack.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is appreciated for its clever sarcasm and unexpected wit, particularly showcased through easter eggs and terminal dialogues, 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 you unlock have a specific sort of sarcasm that really underscores that you can feel a human underneath these systems.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding is challenging yet engaging, offering tricky platforming without feeling tedious or repetitive.

  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization focuses on mastering speed buildup and effectively using environmental elements like ice and slime, requiring players to invest time in learning movement mechanics to perform well.

    • “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 just 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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3h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Derelict Star is a platformer game with science fiction theme.

Derelict Star is available on PC, Mac OS 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 music.

Derelict Star is a single player game.

Similar games include Leap Year, ANIMAL WELL, Cavern of Dreams, Super Win the Game, Lone Fungus and others.