Interstellaria

About

Interstellaria is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by coldrice and was released on July 17, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Interstellaria is a single-player Science Fiction Real Time Strategy game with a good plot and fabulous gameplay. Manage your crew, customize your ship, and navigate through a dangerous galaxy filled with hostile aliens and anomalies. Enjoy its pretty visuals, great soundtrack, and the humor, but be prepared for lots of grinding and some bugs."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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54%

Audience ScoreBased on 354 reviews

story30 positive mentions

stability39 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and a nostalgic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The space combat is engaging and allows for strategic maneuvering, making battles feel dynamic and rewarding.
The game offers a unique blend of exploration, crew management, and trading, reminiscent of classic titles like Star Control II and FTL.

The user interface is clunky and can be frustrating to navigate, making it difficult to manage crew and inventory effectively.
There are numerous bugs, including pathfinding issues and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to loss of progress.
The game world feels small and static, with limited replayability and a lack of meaningful side quests or dynamic events.

story
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
74%
6%
The story in Interstellaria is generally described as linear and somewhat uninspired, often relying on repetitive fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the humor and the engaging premise involving alien abductions, many criticize the execution, noting a lack of depth and cohesion in the narrative. Overall, the game offers a basic storyline that serves as a backdrop for exploration and gameplay, but it fails to deliver a compelling or immersive experience.
- “The story is great and there's a story behind every planet you can land on.”
- “Each planet you'll encounter is interesting, with unique content and storylines to be uncovered.”
- “It is an awesome game, with a very cool story.”
- “The main story is just a linear and uninspiring streamline of fetch quests; go talk to this quest giver, go to this planet, kill all the monsters, find the quest object, grab all resources, go back to your ship, return to quest giver, rinse and repeat for hours.”
- “First and foremost, this game is story driven and linear, though the story itself is pretty weak.”
- “The story is boring, the music gave me a headache, the art too, and finally the gameplay was just bad!”
gameplay
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of point-and-click mechanics, space and planetside combat, and resource management that some players find engaging while others criticize for being clunky and unintuitive. While the battle mechanics are praised for their skill-based nature, many users express frustration with the game's linearity, lack of depth, and occasional bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a unique but flawed gameplay experience that may appeal to fans of retro-style games but leaves others wanting more in terms of user-friendliness and content.
- “The gameplay feels a bit like FTL with a dash of Starbound mixed in, and maybe some Star Control II -- and if you think that sounds like a fun combination, then I'm happy to confirm that this game mostly pulls it off.”
- “Interesting perspective, great soundtrack, and multiple well-intertwined gameplay mechanics.”
- “This is without a doubt the best part of the game, the soundtrack and simplistic yet challenging mechanics of the battles make it the best feature and I don't regret a second of them. The battle system is very well done; it allows you to take on much larger ships that would destroy you head-on, and the way this works is by a simple dodge system. All in all, this is a superb feature of the game and the one that kept me invested in the game for almost 22 hours.”
- “You'd think point-and-click mechanics used since the old Mac days would have been figured out by 2015, but apparently, you'd be wrong.”
- “I've started maybe 3-5 captains and quit all of them because I'd hit a crash and lose an hour of gameplay that I don't want to plainly repeat.”
- “Movement is clunky and gameplay just isn't fun.”
music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
33%
5%
The music in the game, primarily composed by chipzel, receives widespread acclaim for its engaging chiptune soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Many players highlight the soundtrack as the standout feature, often stating it is worth the price of entry alone, while some express frustration with technical issues related to sound settings. Overall, the music is described as immersive and fitting, significantly contributing to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The chiptunes soundtrack is amazing; for some, possibly worth the price of entry alone.”
- “The soundtrack is by far one of the best I've heard in a very long time; it fits the mood no matter what.”
- “Chipzel's music elevates the entire experience and the depth of the game's design and content is hard to find in games these days.”
- “The story is boring, the music gave me a headache, the art too, and finally the gameplay was just bad!”
- “Since Chipzel sells the soundtrack separately (and, depending on your Steam regional pricing, cheaper than the DLC here), if you just want the soundtrack you might as well buy it straight from the source and skip buying the game.”
- “Soundtrack is cheesy and it makes my ears hurt enough to force me to shut the music and open the interstellar soundtrack up.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic pixel art style and charming aesthetics, while others criticize the low resolution and lack of detail, describing them as bland and uninteresting. Many users noted that the visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic games, but the overall execution feels unfinished and detracts from the gameplay experience. Despite the polarizing opinions, the graphics are often seen as a secondary aspect to the game's deeper mechanics and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Love the art style.”
- “The artwork is pretty charming, and I enjoyed flying through space, customizing my ship, dogfighting other ships, and trundling around on planets.”
- “I immediately fell in love with the retro graphics and doot-y chiptunes.”
- “Pixel graphics are fine, but these are so low res that you can hardly tell what's what.”
- “I can't actually be certain that this is the case because the graphics and UI are so bad, it's pretty impossible to be sure.”
- “The UI is clunky, the universe is tiny, the pixelated graphics could use more work. It seems like all of the hallmarks of a good game are here, but executed in a manner so half-assed and boring the game is borderline unplayable.”
stability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The game is plagued by a significant number of bugs and glitches, affecting gameplay stability and user experience. Players report issues such as freezing, pathfinding problems, and clunky controls, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some find the game fun despite these issues, many express frustration over its persistent instability and lack of polish, especially in newer content.
- “The game started out good with no glitches on the first world where you start out.”
- “This game runs great in windowed mode so I can divide attention.”
- “God forbid you have resolution issues, need to change any of the settings, etc. If you turn on mouse acceleration, the entire game freezes and makes you force quit.”
- “If that wasn't bad enough, the game is horribly buggy, and there is no excuse for a game that has been out this long.”
- “The game has way too many glitches to not be supported; combat is clunky, managing your shipmates is nearly impossible, as they will all stand in the same place.”
grinding
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to engage in repetitive tasks that can feel uninteresting and drawn-out. While some players find enjoyment in the charm of the game, many agree that the extensive grinding needed to progress or improve gear detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding endeavor. The interface and mechanics further exacerbate the tedium, leading to frustration during resource management and exploration.
- “Completing simple tasks takes years because of the tediousness of clicking.”
- “You will experience everything to do within an hour; all that's left is grinding for however long you want to increase meaningless numbers to your satisfaction.”
- “The game promises 'worlds with special rewards'; those rewards are randomized drops of weapons/armor, and if you want to kit out your NPC crew with better gear, you'll likely have to go through a lot of grinding sessions, separated by boring 20-minute waits.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as charming and light-hearted, with a mix of wry and dark undertones that can elicit genuine laughter. While some players find the humor hit or miss, many appreciate the quirky dialogue and random encounters that contribute to the game's overall fun atmosphere. However, the vague story and lack of guidance can detract from the experience, making it challenging for some to fully engage with the humor.
- “Despite its flaws, Interstellaria has a rich atmosphere, with a cute sense of humor coupled with somewhat dark undertones.”
- “Besides, there's a lot of wry humor that made me laugh out loud.”
- “The universe isn't big, but it's big enough that it's worth checking every planet, and there are some unique characters and aliens with all-around pretty funny dialogue.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
50%
29%
Overall, the game's replayability is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of content and linearity that diminishes the incentive to replay. While a few players mention potential variations in gameplay through different ships and configurations, the consensus leans towards minimal to virtually no replay value after the initial playthrough.
- “I would say the game is pretty linear, but has a lot of replayability.”
- “Replay value is okay if you want to try different ships, weapons, or squad formations.”
- “Tons of fun and great replayability.”
- “Too bad it has absolutely no replayability, let alone initial playability at this point.”
- “However, the game also has some significant weaknesses; the primary ones being that it is a pretty short game in terms of the main quest, and that there's currently not really enough world content to justify much replay value after my first playthrough.”
- “Replayability is probably null.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The atmosphere of Interstellaria is characterized by a charming blend of humor and darker themes, complemented by appealing graphics and fitting music. However, players note that the enjoyment of the atmosphere is often undermined by clunky controls and a frustrating interface, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game features a visually pleasing environment and a competent story, the lack of survival elements on planets may leave some players wanting more depth.
- “Despite its flaws, Interstellaria has a rich atmosphere, with a cute sense of humor coupled with somewhat dark undertones.”
- “I've enjoyed the space combat aspect so far, and the music fits the atmosphere well.”
- “It looks good, the atmosphere is nice, and the story is competent.”
- “The attempts at humor mostly mar the atmosphere rather than improve it.”
- “Not only that, but all landable planets have 'breathable atmospheres' - there's zero survival or life support component in the game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players express disappointment over the overall lack of significant growth, others appreciate the potential for meaningful development through random events that can enhance character arcs.
- “That being said, some of the random events that can take place can contribute to some amazing character development!”
- “Character development via random events.”
- “Another area of disappointment for me is the lack of significant character development.”
- “Character development is primarily driven by random events, which feels unsatisfying.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Users report significant optimization issues, including random performance problems and a persistent hang when attempting to sell items. Additionally, the user interface fails to adjust properly to resolution changes, leading to readability challenges, particularly at lower settings.
- “The user interface isn't optimized to change correctly when there is a change in resolution; everything stays in place and then becomes too hard to read if using the smallest resolution setting.”
- “Random performance issues; failed to sell items - it just keeps hanging after pressing 'my items'.”
- “The user interface isn't optimized to adjust correctly when there is a change in resolution. Everything stays in place and becomes too hard to read when using the smallest resolution setting.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight a disconnect between the game's advertising and the actual gameplay experience, noting that players are restricted to a static map and a linear storyline, which may lead to disappointment regarding the monetization aspects.
- “As previous reviewers have mentioned, there is a significant difference between Interstellaria's advertising and what you actually get once you get in-game.”
- “Unlike what the advertising may have you believe, you are bound to a static map and an incredibly linear storyline.”