Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime

About

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime is a single player hack and slash game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Spiritus Games and was released on November 10, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

In Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime, play as the last royal warrior in a medieval universe invaded by sci-fi elements, with pixel and hand-drawn art. The sun has been stolen by the Void Lords, your brothers are missing, and the kingdom's future hangs in the balance. Prepare for numerous deaths in this challenging space adventure.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime screenshot

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork and impressive world-building, creating a unique medieval space universe.
Combat mechanics are engaging and require precise positioning and timing, making for a satisfying gameplay experience.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to the game's future development.

The game currently lacks content, with only a few hours of gameplay available, leading to repetitive experiences.
There are significant balancing issues, particularly with weapon variety and enemy difficulty, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
The game has faced long periods without updates, raising concerns about its development and potential abandonment.

gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
57%
11%
The gameplay is highlighted for its mechanically excellent combat system that combines physics with engaging rogue-like elements, allowing for strategic planning and unique builds. While the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, some players find the content repetitive and the upgrade system lacking depth. Overall, the game offers a refreshing experience with a beautiful art style and challenging gameplay, though it is still in early access and may require further development to enhance variety and depth.
- “The combat core is mechanically excellent with no close analogs, and is the main draw for me.”
- “Gameplay is pretty engaging, and with a little time to get used to combat, it felt even better.”
- “The game ties old nostalgic looks from *Hammer Fight* and the fun rogue-style mechanics to just get stronger and stronger, with a brilliant blend of physics and combat.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it makes you have to plan your positioning, as you're in trouble if you get surrounded by swinging enemies and asteroids—you're not meant to be in that position to begin with; look for a better fighting area.”
- “The map nodes and events leave something to be desired; it all becomes repetitive very quickly, but the core combat mechanics are solid enough that I would say it's worth your time.”
- “Unfortunately, it falls down in gameplay.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful artwork and unique pixel art style, contributing to an immersive world and atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the solid graphics, engaging aesthetic, and the harmonious integration of visuals with sound and gameplay, highlighting the game's personality and charm. Overall, the art style is seen as a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience, even in its early access stage.
- “Beautiful artwork and amazing world building.”
- “Phenomenal graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.”
- “While the content currently present in the game isn't vast, the art style and core gameplay are actually really, really good.”
- “This game has a lot of personality, and it shines through in the visuals, sounds, and even the dialogue.”
- “The artwork lends well to the immersion, plus the music is on point.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's story is praised for its originality, blending action and rogue-like elements with a steampunk aesthetic, providing an engaging narrative set in space. However, some players find the dialogue repetitive and the mission structure can lead to frustration, particularly with tight fuel constraints and tedious gameplay loops. Overall, while the story is a highlight, it could benefit from further refinement to enhance player engagement.
- “Spaceships mixed with old world story and technologies.”
- “Played the beta several times and really liked it, very fun game, love the story :)”
- “It's an original concept with a mix of action, rogue-like gameplay, and a good storyline in space with a steampunk aesthetic.”
- “☐ no story”
- “I think it's a little bit repetitive and some of the dialogue needs more work to keep it engaging. Some loading screens and frustrating map layouts could do with some work, as currently there is a tiny bit of frustration for me in these parts. It's almost too tempting to ignore everything and click through the dialogue, and some jumps seem totally pointless. Sometimes you do gear check type quests on jump 1, so every option is obviously going to be bad, and random heavy damage feels unavoidable.”
- “There are a number of things that happen in the mission loop that can get frustrating and tedious as the loop is repeated upon each node you go to.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance immersion, with players noting its pleasantness and effectiveness in various contexts, such as interactions and specific moments like meeting a hermit. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's art style and graphics, contributing to a promising gameplay experience.
- “Phenomenal graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.”
- “The artwork lends well to the immersion plus the music is on point.”
- “I love the subtle music when you meet a hermit, and the portraits are drawn in such a nice style!”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't add to the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, making it feel disjointed.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment to progress. The scarcity of health and cumbersome ship controls exacerbate the irritation, making repetitive mission loops feel particularly burdensome.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “That makes a degree of sense for the setting, but the fact that health is so scarce and remains lost after battle makes every bump or scrape into a tooth-grinding irritation - especially annoying when the ships handle like hippos in a bathtub.”
- “There are a number of things that happen in the mission loop that can get frustrating and tedious as the loop is repeated upon each node you go to.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is generally well-received, with users noting that while the exploration layer has some depth, they quickly found efficient strategies. The technical aspects of control and performance are praised for their solid implementation, indicating a strong foundation for further development.
- “The exploration layer is okay; it has some depth, but I optimized my approach to it fairly quickly.”
- “I am happy to support its development, especially because the technical aspects of control and performance are so well implemented already.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its original and consistent lore, complemented by a captivating art style. While the concept of medieval melee space knights may stretch believability, players are excited about the overall ambiance and eagerly anticipate the full release.
- “The lore and atmosphere are original and consistent, though, of course, medieval melee space knights can only make so much sense.”
- “I love the art style and general atmosphere in the game so far, and I can't wait to see what the full game will be like upon release.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that the limited variety of weapons and events, combined with an unbalanced skill system, significantly detracts from the game's replayability, making it feel repetitive and less engaging over time.
- “Very few weapons, very few events that you'll see over and over, and what feels like an unbalanced skill system do not add much replayability.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime is a hack and slash game with science fiction theme.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime is available on PC and Windows.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime was released on November 10, 2022.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime was developed by Spiritus Games.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime is a single player game.

Similar games include EVERSPACE, GODBREAKERS, Hyper Light Breaker, Ember Knights, Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms and others.

Fabular: Once Upon a Spacetime

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