Ostranauts

About

Ostranauts is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Blue Bottle Games and was released on September 10, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Ostranauts is a single-player Role Playing game with excellent gameplay, good graphics, and good music. Players join the cut-off solar system as an independent scavenger, managing a dysfunctional crew and ship to fend off bankruptcy and threats. Every choice made affects the game's outcome, with character customization and a rich, unique atmosphere."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+15

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,956 reviews

gameplay97 positive mentions

stability145 negative mentions

The game has a unique and immersive atmosphere, capturing the gritty reality of space life.
The gameplay loop of salvaging derelict ships and upgrading your own is satisfying and rewarding.
The developers are active and responsive, regularly updating the game and addressing bugs.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating to play at times.
The UI is clunky and unintuitive, leading to confusion and difficulty in managing tasks.
The steep learning curve can be overwhelming for new players, requiring external resources to fully understand the mechanics.

gameplay
458 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
72%
7%
The gameplay of *Ostranauts* is characterized by a complex and immersive loop centered around salvaging derelict ships, managing resources, and building/upgrading your own vessel. While the mechanics offer depth and potential for engaging gameplay, many players find the learning curve steep and the game plagued by bugs and unclear tutorials, making it challenging to fully enjoy the experience. Despite these issues, the core gameplay is often described as rewarding for those willing to invest time in mastering its intricacies.
- “There are definitely some learning curves and a few bugs that need fixing, but the core gameplay loop is solid.”
- “The gameplay loop is fantastic and the progression is tangible in the sense of your tools, your ship, and the scavenging; eventually you can fix up derelicts and sell them opposed to just scrapping.”
- “The depth of gameplay mechanics allows for a high level of customization and strategic decision-making.”
- “I like how detailed the game is; however, it has too many bugs and weird mechanics to recommend to most people.”
- “Unfortunately, the challenge of Neo Scavenger comes from the unforgiving gameplay, while Ostranauts seems to be all about boring and confusing the player.”
- “The game is just difficult enough to extend gameplay naturally, without it feeling manufactured.”
story
181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
78%
7%
The game's story aspect is currently underdeveloped, with players noting a lack of a cohesive narrative and meaningful character interactions. While there are intriguing elements like character backstory generation and procedural storytelling, many quests feel repetitive and unmotivating, often lacking depth and clarity. Overall, the potential for rich storytelling exists, but it requires significant improvement and expansion to fully engage players.
- “The game has made me sweat and feel anxiety about rental prices and mortgages in a way only real life has before, along with fees, employment, citizenship, interstellar alien murder mysteries, and other mundane facts of human existence that are (almost) seamlessly twisted to resemble gameplay mechanics and drive forward a mostly dynamic and mostly unwritten story.”
- “It's a fantastic experience for anyone who appreciates rich storytelling, tough decisions, and the dark beauty of life in space.”
- “The interesting story is told through character creation, a few pop-ups in the early game, and by the world itself in which every single item and piece of station or ship has its own description.”
- “There's not really a story, not really any characters, not really much of... anything, really.”
- “No real story content yet and I think this game will be in dire need of it relative to what the devs have planned.”
- “It's still very much an early access piece: there's no overarching or procedural story, there's quite a few bugs, and the tutorial and supportive documentation are very barebones.”
graphics
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
61%
14%
The graphics of the game are a polarizing aspect among users, with many praising the retro aesthetic and unique art style that evoke a sense of nostalgia and charm. However, numerous reviews highlight issues with clarity and readability, describing the visuals as cluttered, low-fidelity, and at times confusing, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the graphics for their indie cred and atmospheric fit, others find them frustratingly difficult to navigate, suggesting a need for improvement as the game progresses towards its final release.
- “Incredible world building, really immersive visuals and diegetic UI.”
- “The art style is minimalist but charming, with a lot of attention to detail.”
- “The graphics create a unique atmosphere, evoking a sense of isolation and the vastness of space.”
- “I would also say that the graphics are lacking... it is really difficult to see things as there can be a lot of clutter.”
- “The graphics are rough, which could be okay, but they need to spice it up more than they have; it's extremely pixelated to the point of being reminiscent of 1995 bad.”
- “Awful, awful, awful, headache-inducing, over-complicated, over-cluttered mess in the worst possible graphics style for a game like this.”
stability
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting it as "extremely buggy" and "clunky," leading to frequent freezes, crashes, and game-breaking glitches. While some players acknowledge the potential and fun aspects of the game, they emphasize that its current state is far from polished, making it difficult to recommend for those who are sensitive to technical issues. Overall, the consensus is that while the game shows promise, it requires substantial refinement and bug fixes before it can be considered stable or fully enjoyable.
- “Runs great on Linux.”
- “Also runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “But for the content in the game, once you're used to the controls, it is awesome.”
- “This game is extremely buggy and unoptimized.”
- “The typical playthrough ends when the game is eventually rendered unplayable by steadily accumulating glitches, which happens sooner or later every single time.”
- “It's a buggy mess that'll just raise your blood pressure.”
atmosphere
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and gritty design, effectively capturing the isolation and challenges of space survival. Players appreciate the detailed mechanics of atmospheric management, ship building, and the overall aesthetic that evokes a sense of tension and intrigue reminiscent of classic space operas. Despite some bugs and early development issues, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, promising a rich and engaging experience as it evolves.
- “The atmosphere, the design, the mechanics – they're all weird and fascinating in a way that should hook me for hours.”
- “The atmosphere of the world they have created is just sheer perfection; this game is a 1000+ hour game.”
- “The atmosphere, mechanics, and writing of this game are all incredible, and I can't wait to see how it develops!”
- “The gritty atmosphere and attention to detail make space survival a thrilling challenge.”
- “I've died because I told my character to pry open a crate and he went to get a crowbar from a section of the ship that had no atmosphere without a helmet.”
- “The game is kinda barebones right now, but it already oozes the same bleak and mysterious atmosphere that Neo Scavenger had.”
optimization
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
61%
30%
The optimization of the game is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent performance issues such as stuttering, lag, and memory leaks that worsen over time. While some players have noted improvements through patches and the use of debug tools, the overall consensus is that the game remains unoptimized and buggy, detracting from the experience. Despite its potential, many reviewers express frustration with the current state of performance, indicating that substantial optimization efforts are still needed.
- “Ostranauts is actively developed, and the development team is dedicated to addressing bugs and improving the game's performance.”
- “If optimization improves, I can see this being an amazing game.”
- “Since my initial negative review, the developers of Ostranauts have put tons of time, energy, and effort into making improvements to the game; everything from stability and performance to more features, goals, and locations.”
- “This game is extremely buggy and unoptimized.”
- “The main concern for me now is the unoptimized nature of the game and some of the unfinished parts of the world-state.”
- “The constant stuttering in this game is actually insane.”
grinding
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming. While some appreciate the depth and realism it offers, others criticize the repetitive tasks, poor inventory management, and slow mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game seems to require significant patience and a tolerance for micromanagement, making it less appealing for those who prefer a more streamlined experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It certainly does 'add to the game' as far as stretching out the limited amount of gameplay into hours and hours of nonstop grinding, and your reward is unlocking unfinished features, one week at a time.”
- “The gameplay surrounding dealing with it is so oppressive, unfun, tedious, and in most cases downright impossible that it's ruined the game for me.”
- “Even though I should be tolerant with an early access game, it is difficultly playable and very grindy.”
music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
33%
9%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its ability to enhance the immersive and atmospheric experience, particularly in relation to the game's dystopian setting. While the soundtrack is often described as excellent and fitting, some users noted issues with long periods of silence and a desire for more ambient sounds. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and engagement.
- “The ambient sounds, spaceship hums, and subtle musical cues contribute to the overall atmosphere, adding depth and authenticity to the game.”
- “Amazing game, really good mechanics and immersion, truly great soundtrack (I find myself listening to it while doing other things).”
- “Love the concept, love the vibe, love the art and music.”
- “The OST is not very good; it could use better music.”
- “If I was feeling generous, I'd describe the in-game audio as annoying, the music as instantly muteworthy, the UI as unintuitive, the voice acting as grating, and the overall art direction as just generally very ugly and unappealing in any way.”
- “There are audio sliders, and you will be sliding them often for different vibes or leaving some lower and turning on background music of your own.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the dialogue, quirky concepts, and absurd situations genuinely funny. Many reviews highlight the comedic elements of character interactions, unexpected mishaps, and clever writing, making even frustrating moments entertaining. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, creating a lighthearted experience that keeps players engaged.
- “Most issues I've encountered I find more humorous than annoying, and it is beyond easy to miss hours of your day doing something as simple as figuring out how you want to lay out your ship.”
- “For example, the idea of so-called 'eldritch' meat monsters created by lab-grown meat from human-goat hybrids was a really funny concept.”
- “I love the logs with every detail on what your characters are thinking, most notably during social combats: it's very funny when my flirting goes wrong.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability, with many players praising its depth, challenging gameplay, and continuous updates that enhance the experience. While some users note technical issues and bugs that can hinder playability, the potential for varied playthroughs and engaging mechanics keeps players coming back for more. Many agree that the game is worth the investment, especially as it evolves and improves over time.
- “Replayability is very high, worth every cent.”
- “The game has endless replayability and nearly endless features to look forward to.”
- “The ability to buy and sell ships opens up a lot more replayability.”
- “Whilst this game could allow for a lot of replayability, it has problems.”
- “It's barely workable; saves corrupt frequently, the UI gets buggy randomly, and I've had some black screen lockups. What the game is trying to deliver is pretty amazing, but if you don't want to contribute to what is currently definitely an alpha build, you will probably want to hold off purchasing until it is more playable.”
- “There are several minor content additions that could go a long way to make this more playable.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find moments of immersion and connection through narrative elements, such as the atmospheric storytelling and character interactions, others criticize the game's complexity and lack of coherence, leading to frustration rather than emotional engagement. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, with some appreciating the depth and others feeling disconnected.
- “After a quick injection of nanobots, I bought a meal from the vending machine that made me feel like a millionaire and sat down to eat it and rest in front of the TV until my bleeding stopped.”
- “The ship itself, its atmospheric composition, and the files I obtained after hacking both their 'phones' drew a very clear picture of what happened, which made me feel like that inspector guy from 'The Expanse'.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game begins with a traveler-like system that influences your initial skills and equipment, setting the stage for your journey through the solar system. Players start with minimal resources, including a basic suit and a rudimentary spacecraft, which adds to the challenge of character progression.
- “The game features a traveler-like character development system at the beginning, which influences your skills and starting equipment. From there, you're launched into the solar system with what feels like a flying coffin (unless you're lucky) and a basic suit to protect you from the harshness of space.”
- “The character development is incredibly immersive, allowing players to shape their journey and skills in a way that feels personal and impactful.”
- “I love how the character development system is tied to the narrative, making each choice feel significant as you explore the vastness of space.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving players with little sense of growth or progression.”
- “The initial character choices seem promising, but they quickly become irrelevant as the game progresses, making the experience feel stagnant.”
- “Despite the potential for rich storytelling, the character arcs are poorly executed, resulting in a lack of emotional investment.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing a desire for options to filter out EA titles from their recommendations and advertisements.
- “This game is still a cash grab.”
- “I think we should start a petition to add a filter to opt out of seeing EA titles in your queue or on Steam home page ads.”