Human-powered spacecraft
- May 3, 2018
- Shiv
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Human-Powered Spacecraft" is a physics-based simulation game that challenges players to design and operate a spacecraft using human power. Players must manage energy levels, navigation, and construction while avoiding various hazards in space. The game features a realistic physics engine and encourages creativity and strategic thinking in space exploration.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Human-powered Spacecraft features a charming narrative with humorous elements that keep players engaged throughout the short playtime.
- The pixel art style is visually appealing, and the gameplay mechanics are simple yet enjoyable, making it accessible for all players.
- At its low price point, the game offers a fun and quick experience, perfect for those looking for a light-hearted distraction.
- The game is extremely short, typically taking less than an hour to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Some players found the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, as it primarily revolves around clicking without significant variation.
- There are issues with translation and writing quality, which can detract from the overall experience and humor of the game.
- story133 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Human-Powered Spacecraft" is a short, humorous narrative that enhances the gameplay experience, making it more engaging than typical idle clickers. While the plot is simple and somewhat cliché, it features amusing twists and a coherent arc that keeps players entertained throughout its brief playtime. Overall, the charming story, combined with cute pixel art and lighthearted humor, makes it a worthwhile experience, especially given its low price.
“If it was not for the story and narrative, I believe the game would lose its charm.”
“The graphics are perfect for the story and the story is memorable, even with the short playtime and this being written months later.”
“The story was relatively novel in its execution and integration into the gameplay model, and was humorous and clever enough to keep me involved long enough to finish the game.”
“The story itself is nothing really more than what the store page offers.”
“The 'story' is not much and extremely simple.”
“I wasn't wrapped into the story because it's fairly sparse, but it kept me interested enough to keep moving forward and clicking away until the end.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simple clicker mechanics, offering a mix of passive and active play styles, with a focus on story progression rather than traditional clicking. While the game is visually appealing and features a charming narrative, many players find the gameplay limited and short, typically lasting around an hour, which may not justify its price for some. Despite its simplicity, the game introduces enough variety and humor to keep players engaged, making it a decent option for casual gamers looking for a brief experience.
“The game gives you enough depth, so you can choose between a more passive gameplay or an active one while sometimes requiring input so you can progress with the different acts in the game.”
“The different levels introduce various mechanics that keep the gameplay interesting.”
“It has a wonderful sense of humor coupled with simple, but addictive clicker gameplay and excellent pixel graphics.”
“Human-powered spacecraft is a relatively short idle clicker that is less about the gameplay of clicking as you would expect; it is more focused on its story and getting you to the end of the game.”
“The implementation of the final challenge is disappointingly awkward -- even when you have effectively solved the puzzle, you have to correctly guess how to implement a strange mechanic that was never used in any other part of the game.”
“The gameplay is essentially some standard variation on the idle-clicker mold, and is not cleverly executed or novel overall.”
- humor46 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "human-powered spacecraft" is generally well-received, with players appreciating its clever and light-hearted dialogue, amusing story twists, and charming pixel art. While many find the humor to be genuinely funny and engaging, some reviewers noted that it can be hit or miss, with a few feeling that the jokes fell flat or were overly simplistic. Overall, the game is characterized as a short, entertaining experience that successfully incorporates humor into its gameplay.
“Human-powered spacecraft has a humorous nature aside from being an excellent but short idle or clicker game.”
“Each game element you encounter has humorous parts that put a smile on your face, and it is enjoyable to progress in the game.”
“A short, charming and funny clicker game about space colonization.”
“I was at least expecting the narration to be handled better, but what you get is a very basic premise/story told through questionable phrasing and grammar, and what I found to be unfunny jokes and puns.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Human-powered spacecraft" are characterized by charming and nostalgic pixel art that complements the game's humorous story and engaging gameplay. While some players appreciate the retro aesthetic, others note the lack of customization options and the simplicity of the visuals. Overall, the pixel graphics are well-received for their personality and detail, making the game visually appealing despite its short playtime.
“The graphics are perfect for the story, and the story is memorable, even the short playtime and this being written months later.”
“It offers beautiful, old-school-stylized pixel art graphics, a cute and funny story, and - of course - a very unique setting.”
“The graphics are really great, full of personality and little details.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
“There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- music23 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as nice and catchy, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere, though it tends to become repetitive over time. While some players appreciate the sound design and find it engaging, others feel it lacks depth and variety, especially given the game's short length. Overall, the music complements the cute pixel art but could benefit from more diversity and exploration.
“The soundtrack is nice and catchy; it gets a little repetitive, but still, it's there.”
“The pixel art is nice, and the music is nice too.”
“Sound: the music and sound design is very nice; I don't have any complaints about it at all.”
“The music is nothing out of the ordinary and the plot is not thick enough to generate enough interest.”
“I enjoyed it at first but anytime you listen to a shorter looped song in a game that may last you an hour, you start to grow tired of it quickly.”
“The music is also something that falls a bit short in my opinion.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is widely regarded as having little to no replayability, with many players noting its linear structure and short length. While it may be enjoyable for a single playthrough, especially for achievement hunters, there are no additional modes or difficulty settings to encourage repeated play.
“It's very linear, so it's probably not too replayable, but definitely worth the price.”
“Once you complete it, there is not much replay value.”
“Little replay value.”
“Replayability: you can't.”
“There is zero replayability and no difficulty settings or 'ex-game' functions.... 0/5 +0”
“Once you complete it there is not much replay value.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game. While some find it manageable and enjoyable due to the engaging story, others feel it can be tedious and detracts from the overall experience.
“Fun little game, not too grindy and has a story. It's a short clicker game, and I recommend this to everyone.”
“It was very grindy for a bit, and it gave me very little enjoyment in its core mechanism of gameplay.”
“A bit grindy but the story is quite enjoyable.”
“A bit grindy”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of games made with Gamemaker Studio is often criticized for leaning towards retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs. However, some titles, like short "clicker" games, are praised for avoiding excessive microtransactions and not artificially prolonging gameplay, offering a more straightforward experience.
“Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
“How do you judge a very short 'clicker' that doesn't try to drag itself out, exponentially slow your progress, or trick you into pointless microtransactions?”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the developer's minimalistic approach, suggesting it has potential for better optimization, particularly for less powerful machines. There is a desire for the game to achieve the performance levels that players expected from similar titles like "Starbound."
“With this minimalistic approach, I think the developer is onto something. He could even set out to make a game that would be what 'Starbound' was supposed to be, optimized to run even on less powerful machines. As of right now, I'd be grateful for that.”
“With this minimalistic approach, I think the developer is onto something. He could even set out to make a game that would be what 'Starbound' was supposed to be, and optimized to run even on less powerful machines. As of right now, I'd be grateful for that.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its charming pixel art and immersive atmosphere, complemented by an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
“A beautifully atmospheric pixel game with great music.”
“The atmosphere is immersive and captivating, drawing you into the game world.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and an enchanting soundtrack creates a truly magical atmosphere.”
