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In The Black

In The Black Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
73% User Score Based on 84 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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In The Black Game Cover

About In The Black

In The Black is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Impeller Studios and was released on May 5, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Nuclear-powered space combat in the 23rd century! In The Black ® is an intense, realistic space combat simulator with a serious respect for science. It is laser focused on the pilot experience and features single- and online multiplayer game modes, plus robust ship customization options. Nuclear-Powered Space CombatIn The Black is an intense space combat simulator featuring singleplayer and multip…

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Reviews

73%Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Authentic and impressive Newtonian physics-based space combat providing realistic and satisfying gameplay for simulation enthusiasts.
  • Strong atmosphere and presentation with well-designed, practical spacecraft and unique tactical combat that rewards skill and planning.
  • Active and responsive developers engaged with the community, continually improving the game and supporting various control setups including HOTAS.
  • Currently very limited content with repetitive grindy progression, causing slow unlocks and lack of motivation to advance.
  • Numerous bugs, glitches, and UI issues negatively affecting gameplay experience, including occasional crashes and softlocks.
  • Small player base and matchmaking issues, combined with always-online requirement and questionable early access monetization practices such as cosmetic DLCs.

  • gameplay

    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    27% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions

    Gameplay receives mixed reviews: while many praise the solid, realistic flight and combat mechanics as engaging and skill-based, others criticize the slow progression, lack of multiplayer activity, and repetitive, grind-heavy gameplay that can feel boring and unfulfilling in its current early-development state.

    • “So to begin yes this game is very early in development and if that puts you off then it's not a game for you until much down the road but the mechanics and controls of this game are perfect.”
    • “I do tend to get drawn into games with unorthodox mechanics and steep learning curves, and this definitely is one of those games.”
    • “The main thing in my opinion is that the game mechanics are solid and fun.”
    • “At this point this game is just a glorified tech demo: looks pretty, boring gameplay, slow progression, tiny player count, just overall really boring.”
    • “The fact that it's solo only and I haven't seen another player in 18 hours of gameplay is concerning enough, but the grindy progression is a bigger issue.”
    • “They tried way too hard to be as realistic as possible but from a gameplay perspective it just turned into pure annoyance and boredom.”

  • story

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    15% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions

    The story and mission content are generally considered bare-bones, repetitive, and lacking depth, serving mainly as practice and credit-earning opportunities rather than engaging narrative experiences. While some intro missions capture the feeling of being a pilot, most single-player missions feel simplistic and limited, with users hoping for more varied, longer campaign missions and deeper customization in future updates.

    • “There was an extensive ship painting UI, a clear and intuitive ship purchasing and equipment screen, and some really good intro scenario missions that made you feel like you were in it.”
    • “People are unhappy with the game atm but as far as creating an experience that feels like you’re a pilot in The Expanse, they’ve nailed that. It has been a little buggy, but nothing game breaking. I don’t believe the mission content to be too limited as it is great for showing you the ropes if you don’t have experience with a space game like this. I’m excited to see how the PvP develops.”
    • “The demo had missions that gave me that, even with base-level unlocks.”
    • “Only get if you want to throw down the vbux for at the moment a few short unconnected missions over and over again or pvp multiplayer.”
    • “Yes, there is a 'cantracts' mode (aka single player missions) – but that feels just like arena combat too; no ‘flying back’, just straight to the results screen.”
    • “Barebones missions, broken UI, sluggish performance.”

  • grinding

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game features a notably grind-heavy progression system, particularly in its early access state, with repetitive missions and limited content making advancement feel tedious. While some players appreciate the accessible combat and consequences for failure, the grind and lack of engaging variety may deter long-term player retention until more content and refinements are added.

    • “The biggest issue with it right now is the very grindy progression, but again, it's early access.”
    • “There is not much content, and grinding PvE content to progress gets boring fairly fast.”
    • “I did enjoy that there are consequences for losing, like paying for repairs and losing money on mission failure, but with how grindy the beginning felt, I think many players might not stick around to obtain better ships.”

  • graphics

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    71% positive mentions, 29% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are generally praised for being crisp, clean, and well-polished with a contrasty aesthetic, contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, some users feel the visuals lack standout qualities compared to other titles with advanced features like ray tracing, and find the art style uninspiring. Overall, the graphics are solid but not exceptional.

    • “Everything about the game's aesthetic is crisp, clean, and streamlined.”
    • “Excellent graphics, decent sound design, and a well polished physics engine make it an enjoyable experience despite the early access.”
    • “On the positive side, there are tutorials, the game runs well, the graphics are pretty good if you like the contrasty style, you have keybindings and gamepad/HOTAS support, and the price is correct (assuming they add more content for the release).”

  • stability

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    14% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 86% negative mentions

    The game demonstrates generally stable performance with no major crashes, but users frequently encounter various bugs and glitches, especially in the UI and mission sequences. While some issues can be frustrating and occasionally game-breaking, the development team is actively improving the experience, resulting in a functional but still buggy gameplay environment.

    • “There are still things that really annoy me like glitches and bugs, some of which are game breaking in places.”
    • “The UI and build menus are a buggy nightmare with items missing or disappearing.”
    • “I also experienced the buggy intro mission that sent my ship right into the floor with unresponsive controls, so I had to exit to the menu.”

  • monetization

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    67% positive mentions, -67% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Monetization in the game primarily involves microtransactions for cosmetic items like ship paint schemes, which some players find questionable, especially during early access. A significant portion of negative feedback centers on concerns that these microtransactions overshadow genuine development, raising doubts about the game's completion of its roadmap.

    • “And yes there are microtransactions for paint schemes for the ships, which although definitely questionable for the immediate launch in early access, it's at least as inoffensive as they get.”
    • “Of particular note I see in the majority of the negative reviews is the microtransactions.”
    • “Of particular note, I see in the majority of the negative reviews is the microtransactions.”
    • “I found the same broken shell with a monetization layer on top disguised as 'continued development.' I highly doubt development will complete their 'v1' MVP roadmap.”
    • “And yes, there are microtransactions for paint schemes for the ships, which, although definitely questionable for the immediate launch in early access, is at least as inoffensive as they get.”

  • replayability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to reliable outfitting, the reintroduction of co-op mode, and procedurally generated levels, providing endless fun and instant action for players.

    • “The outfitting is now reliable and the reintroduction of co-op has made this well worth acquisition with significant replayability.”
    • “If you want some fun co-op instant action and infinite replay value thanks to procedurally generated levels, then I recommend Desecrators.”

  • optimization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from poor optimization, featuring sluggish performance, a broken user interface, and underdeveloped missions. Overall, it falls short compared to other titles with better performance and polish.

    • “Barebones missions, broken UI, sluggish performance.”
    • “Since then, I’ve played ray-tracing games with fewer performance issues, large-scale PvP with prettier graphics, and Kickstarter scams with more backbone.”

  • atmosphere

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The atmosphere is highly praised for its strong presentation, creating an engaging and enjoyable experience for players.

  • humor

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users find the humor unintended and arise mainly from the game's numerous bugs and problems, making the experience amusing in a frustrating way.

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Play Times

16h Median play time
13h Average play time
8-18h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

In The Black is a shooter game with science fiction theme. Common tags for In The Black include first-person, indie, early access, vehicular combat, combat and others.

In The Black is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing In The Black.

In The Black was released on May 5, 2026.

In The Black was developed by Impeller Studios.

In The Black has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked In The Black for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

In The Black is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Infinity: Battlescape, IRON REBELLION, Nuclear Option, Starminer, QANGA and others.