Naev

About

Naev is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Naev and was released on July 17, 2017. It received positive reviews from players.

Naev is a game about space exploration, trade and combat. Players travel the galaxy and earn money by trading, fighting and performing missions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 152 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Naev captures the spirit of classic space simulators, offering a deep and engaging gameplay experience with various roles like trading, piracy, and exploration.
The game features a charming art style and a rich lore, providing a nostalgic feel for fans of the genre, especially those who enjoyed the Escape Velocity series.
As an open-source project, Naev is continuously updated and improved by a dedicated community, making it a worthwhile experience for players looking for a free game with potential.

The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with combat and pirate encounters, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences for new players.
Navigation can be cumbersome due to the reliance on jump points and the lack of clear guidance, making it difficult to progress without getting lost or overwhelmed.
While the game is free, it is still in development and lacks some polish, with bugs and a steep learning curve that may deter casual players.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
80%
4%
The game's story is described as engaging and filled with exploration opportunities, featuring multiple factions and story arcs that can provide around 20-40 hours of content, though it is noted to be incomplete and sometimes lacks resolution. Players appreciate the humor and variety in missions, but many express frustration with bugs, mission difficulty, and the lack of clear guidance on mission challenges. Overall, while the narrative has potential and offers enjoyable moments, it suffers from inconsistencies and unfinished elements that detract from the experience.
- “Love the aspect of exploration and the storytelling.”
- “The way that the game is planned out is that there are four chapters in the storyline; each faction has a storyline arc in each chapter, where the arc is usually about 6-10 hours of content.”
- “There are a couple of story threads to play through, and a large universe to explore with lots of interesting factions and backstory.”
- “It's very buggy and full of typos; also, the combat sucks and there's no story.”
- “The storyline is incomplete. What has been done is great, but it's less than 20% of the whole planned storyline.”
- “I think it would be better to release fewer mission chains, but elaborate each one to a reasonably satisfying resolution, instead of having intro missions for half a dozen different questlines that go no further.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, highlighting both enjoyable elements and significant frustrations. While some players appreciate the fun mechanics, ship customization, and engaging missions, others criticize features that hinder smooth gameplay and lead to frequent crashes. Overall, the game offers a blend of addictive elements and complex mechanics, but it struggles to deliver a consistently polished experience.
- “A fun simple game that I've found rather addicting. I love the world and lore, the soundtrack is really cool and suits the game, and the gameplay itself is additionally quite fun, at least for me.”
- “Overall, I really like the gameplay. It has an interesting twist on cargo missions, and asteroid mining is always fun, especially if it's a mini-game like in Galaxy on Fire 2. Though I haven't finished any campaign really except for one mission for the trade network for the empire, it was a lot of just blasting pirates, and it was fun.”
- “Awesome gameplay, with so many missions and encounters.”
- “Lucky if you can string together 2-3 minutes of gameplay before it crashes at any time.”
- “Gameplay is pretty simple.”
- “Edit: after about three hours of gameplay, I've noticed a bit more about the game.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them passable and reminiscent of old-school vector graphics, while others appreciate the unique art style and detailed planet models. However, many critiques highlight issues such as poor readability of text, inferior ship models compared to other titles, and a cumbersome interface that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the visuals have their charm, they fall short of modern standards and can hinder gameplay.
- “The art style is cute and it does show that it is an indie game, but regardless I really had a ton of fun.”
- “The physics and controls are nice for a top-down simulator-like space game and the graphics, sounds, and music are pretty good for an open-source game.”
- “The graphics are appealing.”
- “I think the graphics could be a lot better, but like The Ur-Quan Masters, being a FOSS product excuses a lot of shortcomings that gamers shouldn't have to put up with from for-profit products.”
- “The graphics in this game are passable, but could be better.”
- “It is both aesthetically kind of ugly, and it can be hard to read with a lot of small text.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
11%
22%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as one of the best they've encountered, especially considering it features tracks donated by volunteers and composed by developers. While some find the music fitting and enjoyable, others feel it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience, contributing to the game's lore and atmosphere.
- “A fun simple game that I've found rather addicting. I love the world and lore; the soundtrack is really cool and suits the game perfectly. The gameplay itself is additionally quite fun, at least for me.”
- “The soundtrack is one of the best game soundtracks I've ever heard, which is really impressive given that all of the tracks were donated to the game by volunteers or composed by the developers.”
- “There aren't many games I have (relatively) long-term memories of, but cruising Sirius space in my Phalanx, listening to the great soundtrack and trying to avoid being blown up by the FLF will, for whatever reason, always be in my mind.”
- “The soundtrack isn't my thing (I prefer listening to ambient djent music while I play), but it's cool that it has one.”
- “The soundtrack gets repetitive over time, but there are a few pieces I liked.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a mixed experience; while some players find it fair and tolerable, others feel it can become tedious, especially when facing repetitive challenges like relentless pirate encounters. The early game may require significant grinding, which could deter those who prefer a more streamlined experience, despite the presence of engaging mechanics. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as integral to progression, but its execution can lead to frustration for some players.
- “It's just so tedious when you get killed for the 100th time by pirates you can't outrun or outgun.”
- “Everything that's in this game will need to be achieved through grinding.”
- “What I don’t understand is why some of these mechanics all seemingly drag the gameplay to a grinding halt.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization in the game draws comparisons to the Galaxy on Fire series, particularly highlighting concerns about excessive microtransactions, similar to the issues faced in Galaxy on Fire 3.
- “The monetization model feels like a cash grab, reminiscent of the Galaxy on Fire series, especially the third installment, which was riddled with microtransactions.”
- “The game heavily relies on microtransactions, making it difficult to enjoy without spending extra money.”
- “I find the monetization strategy frustrating, as it detracts from the overall gaming experience.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game is reported to be quite buggy, with numerous typos and issues affecting gameplay, particularly for laptop users who struggle with control settings. While it runs well on normal PCs, the overall stability is hindered by these technical problems and cumbersome controls.
- “The game runs smoothly on my laptop, but I wish there was an easier way to disable sticky keys. It can be frustrating to have to spam the left shift key to fire rockets, especially when managing ammo is a concern.”
- “On normal PCs, the stability is fantastic, and I can see how it enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Despite some control challenges, the game maintains a solid performance, making it enjoyable for most players.”
- “It's very buggy and full of typos. Also, the combat is lacking and there's no story.”
- “It's a bit buggy.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a sense of emptiness that can enhance the overall experience, though it occasionally leads to feelings of desolation and lack of engagement.
- “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, drawing you into its world with every detail.”
- “The ambient sounds and visuals create an immersive experience that truly captivates the player.”
- “The eerie silence and subtle background effects enhance the tension, making every moment feel significant.”
- “While the game has a somewhat empty feeling that adds to the atmosphere, it can also make the experience feel a bit hollow.”
- “The atmosphere is lacking depth, leaving the world feeling desolate and uninviting.”
- “Despite attempts to create a moody environment, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its abundant content and thoughtful design, featuring multiple choices that lead to different endings, encouraging players to experience it multiple times.
- “So much content and replayability!”
- “It is a thoughtful game with options that lead to different game endings, making for great replay value.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is commendable, offering a vast array of over 1,000 planets and stations, along with 70 spaceships, 100 weapons, and 120 modifications and gadgets, allowing players to extensively customize their gameplay and enhance battle performance.
- “There are more than 1,000 planets or stations, 70 spaceships, 100 weapons, and 120 other modifications and gadgets that can be used to customize play style and tweak battle performance.”