IXION

About

"IXION is a single-player strategy game with a captivating story, whereyou oversee the survival of humanity on a drifting space station. Manage resources, maintain infrastructure, and respond to the needs of your population to ensure their trust and the success of the mission. Despite some bugs and grinding, IXION offers a unique and immersive experience with its atmospheric visuals and humor-laced narrative."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 13,207 reviews

story3.1k positive mentions

replayability112 negative mentions

story
7,116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The story of *Ixion* is widely praised for its engaging narrative and atmospheric presentation, drawing players into a compelling sci-fi tale of survival and exploration aboard a space station. Many reviewers highlight the intriguing plot twists and the emotional weight of the story, although some express disappointment with the pacing and resolution in the later chapters, feeling that the ending lacks depth compared to the buildup. Overall, while the game offers a rich narrative experience, its linear structure and limited replayability are noted as drawbacks.
- “I always thought that most city builders were really lacking a good story or a goal, well Ixion offers you a beautiful one!”
- “This is by far the best story-driven space station city builder I've ever played.”
- “The story unfolds through beautifully crafted cutscenes and in-game events, making you feel the weight of every decision you make.”
- “The story was very strong initially.”
- “The story developer is on reddit and has said that they initially planned for an additional final chapter but had to cut it due to development constraints, and that wasn't surprising to read after playing through the game.”
- “The story starts strong but struggles and seems rushed towards the end.”
gameplay
4,118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
62%
6%
The gameplay of *Ixion* has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its intricate mechanics and engaging story, while others criticize its punishing systems and lack of clarity. Players appreciate the challenge and depth of resource management, akin to *Frostpunk*, but express frustration over poorly explained mechanics, frequent accidents, and the need for constant hull repairs, which can lead to a frustrating experience. Overall, while the game offers a captivating atmosphere and solid core gameplay, it suffers from balancing issues and a steep learning curve that may deter some players.
- “Absolutely love the mechanics and trying to optimize my sectors 10/10!”
- “The gameplay is decent, with challenging encounters that require you to make choices at every exploration point, research node, station, wreck, or planet, and the outcomes fairly reflect the option you chose, rather than a random outcome.”
- “Surprisingly good, engaging gameplay and a really decent story.”
- “This feels unpolished, the gameplay was rather frustrating.”
- “In addition to hardwired and rather thinly explained morale penalties, the game will throw accidents and failures at you semi-regularly, and it won't always explain if this is something you are expected to predict, address or just put up with, because the mechanics that underpin it aren't clear.”
- “Tl;dr: a great game concept that is unfortunately let down by clunky resource management, bugs, poorly explained mechanics and a tendency to punish the player in a way that doesn't even allow them to threat model effectively.”
music
2,369 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
35%
1%
The music in *Ixion* has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and atmospheric depth. Composed by Guillaume David, known for his work on *Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus*, the soundtrack is described as hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the game's visuals and narrative. While some players noted the limited number of tracks leading to repetition, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly enhances the immersive experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely sublime, and along with the sound effects and voice lines, this is one of the most audio appealing games I've ever played.”
- “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, with a hauntingly beautiful score that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music is one of the best I've ever heard in a game, deserves awards.”
- “I had to turn the music off starting chapter 4.”
- “I'm tired of hearing the same fucking part of the soundtrack over and over again.”
- “The music is dull, the scenery is dull, the systems are dull.”
graphics
1,649 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
32%
1%
The graphics of *Ixion* have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and atmospheric design, effectively bringing the cold, dark expanse of space to life. Players appreciate the attention to detail in both the in-game environments and cutscenes, although some have noted performance issues and inconsistencies in graphical quality, particularly in indoor settings. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics, a captivating soundtrack, and engaging storytelling creates an immersive experience that resonates well with fans of the genre.
- “With orchestration from the developers of Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus, Ixion bears impeccable graphical design with a latching story, all cradled by an immaculate soundtrack which will have you grasping onto every fleeting moment.”
- “The graphics are detailed and atmospheric, bringing the cold, dark expanse of space to life.”
- “The visuals are stunning, and the music is probably worth shelving out for the soundtrack if you're into futuristic synth tracks that range from 'Star Trek optimism' to 'hung over aboard the Nostromo' (not actual names).”
- “Also for some reason I found that cutscene performed badly on the Steam Deck, the opening scene was very stuttery and I was sad because it kind of butchered some cutscenes. The Steam Deck performed okay, not brilliantly; the default graphics configuration is set to low, and the keen-eyed among you will spot stutters in gameplay.”
- “The graphics in the game leave a lot to be desired, but with some minor tweaks in the difficulty settings, this game is very fun and can be very addicting.”
- “The graphics are a bit sub-par given it's quite new, but still above 'okay'.”
atmosphere
618 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and detailed design, effectively capturing the bleakness and tension of space exploration. Players commend the stunning graphics and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, creating a sense of isolation and urgency reminiscent of titles like Frostpunk. While the atmosphere is a standout feature, some reviews note that the gameplay can feel tedious, occasionally detracting from the otherwise captivating environment.
- “The graphics are detailed and atmospheric, bringing the cold, dark expanse of space to life.”
- “Frostpunk’s icy landscapes and somber music create a chilling atmosphere, while ixion’s detailed space environments and evocative soundtrack immerse you in the vastness of space.”
- “The atmosphere, story, art, music, and gameplay blend together to form a uniquely surreal experience.”
- “Atmosphere pulls you in, but the core gameplay loop is tedious, unforgiving, and for me, just feels like the illusion of choice.”
- “A potentially great narrative and atmosphere are ruined by intrusive and unrewarding gameplay loops.”
- “Add the Guillaume's crushingly oppressive soundtrack, and the general sense that you are utterly unwelcome in the cold vastness of space, and that basically everything will kill you, and I think you have the game with the most oppressive atmosphere I've ever played or watched.”
replayability
518 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
63%
22%
The game's replayability is generally considered low, primarily due to its linear narrative structure and lack of procedural generation, which results in repetitive gameplay experiences. While some players appreciate the initial journey and the challenge it presents, many express disappointment over the limited options for varied playthroughs, suggesting that additional content or modes could enhance replay value. Overall, while the game offers a satisfying single playthrough, it lacks the depth and variability that would encourage repeated play.
- “Great challenge and good replay value!”
- “Cool story, interesting changes in gameplay that keep you on your toes, and there are events where your decisions interact with future events that add replayability.”
- “The game does have several endings so the replay value is high both for the story's sake as well as achievements, overall efficiency and other quest outcomes.”
- “Unfortunately, the game does lack a lot of replayability; you can play again to go after certain achievements, endings, or make different choices, but as far as general playthroughs go, there's very clearly 'right and wrong' and 'better and worse' choices to make that funnel your playstyles down a certain path.”
- “The game is very linear and story-based, so don't expect it to be very replayable.”
- “The main downside of the game is the relatively low replayability.”
grinding
438 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and frustrating, with many players feeling overwhelmed by the constant micromanagement required for resource distribution and population control. While some appreciate the game's challenging mechanics, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a burdensome experience that detracts from enjoyment, often feeling more like a job than a game. Despite its compelling story and visuals, the repetitive nature of grinding tasks has led to a significant number of players expressing dissatisfaction and a desire for more streamlined gameplay.
- “The game is not tedious, it is demanding and you’d have to be very clever in how you manage the station in consideration of all the potential pitfalls.”
- “Overall after the first 15 hours, I spent more time being plagued with UX and gameplay design issues than having fun, and the end game was just about grinding. There is no real excitement or decision-making there anymore; I just wanted it to end, and because of some early bad decisions I could not know about, I had to reload and resave so many times to grind all that is needed - that does not match my description of 'fun'.”
- “The game has a lot of awesome lore, but it's very often very grindy and there are lots of quest objectives that simply don't make sense and are again grindy.”
- “The game is incredibly detailed in certain areas of resource management and city building mechanics, yet in others, it's incredibly tedious with a number of obvious oversights towards balancing and narrative decisions that don't coherently come together.”
optimization
368 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
68%
15%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially in the later chapters and when managing multiple sectors. While some users noted improvements over time, particularly after updates, others still experienced severe lag and bugs that hindered gameplay. Overall, the game's optimization is seen as a major drawback, with calls for further enhancements to improve performance and reduce the frequency of crashes and stutters.
- “If you love to optimize games like I do, then optimization in Ixion will hit your bloodstream like a drug.”
- “Once you discover the tricks to optimization, the challenges of the last 3 chapters are easy to overcome and you'll likely be trying to get rid of resources than anything.”
- “There was always something that could be made more effective and more efficient, so if you love optimization this is totally something to check out.”
- “I bought the game at launch and the performance was abysmal.”
- “This game is poorly optimized, and is not really playable; it runs extremely slow even on low graphic settings and low resolution.”
- “Unfortunately the devs abandoned it after releasing it, despite it still having severe performance issues, especially in chapter 3.”
stability
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues that may corrupt save files. While some users noted improvements following patches, the overall consensus is that the game remains frustratingly unstable, particularly in late-game scenarios where performance issues and crashes are more prevalent. Despite these challenges, many players still find the game enjoyable, suggesting that the captivating gameplay can sometimes outweigh the technical shortcomings.
- “The game plays, looks, and even runs great on a gaming PC or higher-end desktop.”
- “The story is enthralling, the music is gorgeous, and the gameplay is, from what I've experienced, entirely bug free.”
- “Have been playing after the accident re-balancing patch and it runs great.”
- “It's really buggy, like game-breaking buggy.”
- “The game is a buggy and unbalanced and ultimately broken mess.”
- “Incredibly buggy right now with lots of game-breaking bugs that either soft lock or hard lock your game that also persist on re-loading, causing entire campaigns to be defunct, even with backups.”
emotional
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its captivating story, strong character development, and impactful audio-visual design that enhance immersion. Many express a deep emotional investment in the narrative and characters, experiencing a range of feelings from hope to heartbreak, particularly during pivotal moments. However, some players feel that the emotional weight diminishes upon replaying, and there are calls for more challenging late-game content to maintain engagement.
- “So many fun story beats, sad moments, sweet ones, and fighting tooth and nail trying to survive at points really got me emotionally invested in my little space crew.”
- “The characters are interesting, the story is always in motion, you fight with the unknown all the time, and the best of all - this game has absolutely terrifying villains and even more heartbreaking endings!”
- “I admit that I got attached to my big pretty doughnut ship, and having to separate with the end of the story campaign made me feel something.”
- “At this point, I want to warn you, because if you're reading this and think 'holy sh*t this is a boring story - just wait, it gets incalculably worse :)' - so I do the hoop jumping to eventually get the alloys out.”
humor
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and irony, with players finding amusement in the nonsensical mechanics, such as non-working crew members causing chaos and the ridiculousness of certain achievements. Many reviews highlight the game's blend of dark humor and frustration, where players laugh at the absurd challenges and failures, despite the overall serious tone of the narrative. The comedic elements often stem from exaggerated scenarios, like crew strikes over missed meals and the ludicrously slow technology research, making the experience both entertaining and infuriating.
- “The technology research system is hilarious... it takes like 30 minutes+ of in-game time to research a single thing.”
- “It's funny that half the crew coming out of cryosleep are 'non-workers' and won't work, but the ones who do break stuff with an insane regularity.”
- “Seeing these people crying like little babies and having mental breakdowns due to a few extra hours of work is really almost hilarious to me.”
monetization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
6%
89%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling it resembles a cash grab due to a lack of content updates and misleading advertising. However, others appreciate that the game is a complete product with no additional monetization, presenting it as a passion project rather than a typical cash grab. Overall, while some players are frustrated by the game's issues and perceived lack of value, others commend its straightforward purchase model.
- “Ultimately gets a thumbs up for feeling like a passion project and a straightforward 'buy game, get game' with no additional monetization.”
- “Editing this for people to see, no update for months, looks like a cash grab, actually almost 1 year without content upgrade. 35 euros for that????”
- “Huge potential, turned into another cash grab.”
- “It is too close to a paid advertisement.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game's environments and character designs are praised for their quality and aesthetic appeal, there is no specific mention of character development in the reviews provided.