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Phantom Signal

88%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding
88% User Score Based on 200 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux
Buy Nowfrom $5.99
Buy NowGet on Steam$5.99

About

In "Phantom Signal," control an industrial fabricator to construct an energy grid, procure resources, and upgrade your ship after an unknown enemy attack. Unique enemy characteristics require strategic base construction and defense as you travel through multiple star systems to find the source of the signal. Invite friends to compete on Steam Leaderboards and Cloud for top spots while completing missions.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 200 reviews
story16 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Phantom Signal offers a unique twist on the tower defense genre with its resource management and strategic gameplay, making it engaging and fun.
  • The game features a clean and simple interface with pleasant graphics and a relaxing soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
  • At its low price point, the game provides good value with multiple missions and a variety of challenges, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the genre.
  • The game suffers from a lack of content, with limited tower and enemy variety, leading to repetitive gameplay over time.
  • There are significant bugs, including issues with achievements and mission progression, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • The pacing can be frustrating, as the game often requires quick reactions to enemy waves, making strategic planning difficult.
  • story
    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally considered minimal and serves primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay, with a focus on completing various missions rather than deep narrative engagement. While there are around 16 main story missions and several side missions, many players find the storyline to be short and somewhat irrelevant, often overshadowed by repetitive gameplay mechanics. Some reviewers appreciate the intriguing premise and the potential for strategic depth, but overall, the narrative lacks significant development and could benefit from more fleshing out.

    • “Here we've got a tower defense game with RTS elements, giving us freedom, skill trees, and a (somewhat) decent campaign story.”
    • “A tower defense styled sci-fi game set in space with beautiful set-pieces, a nice little story, varying mission types, and tech trees you can fill out as you go.”
    • “There is a perk tree and the story has me wondering what's going on.”
    • “The story is irrelevant, as each level is just a variation on the same rudimentary gameplay: point-and-click linking of 'asteroids' to 'miners' to 'power sources' to 'lasers', etc. (the different units are just circles with icons).”
    • “The main storyline is a bit short though.”
    • “There is also a story, which of course revolves around this mysterious phantom signal, but mostly serves to progress you from mission to mission.”
  • gameplay
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by simple, point-and-click mechanics that involve resource gathering and tower defense elements, making it accessible and engaging for players. While the graphics are minimalistic and suitable for mobile, they may not meet expectations on PC. Many reviewers appreciate the addictive nature and depth of the gameplay, though some express a desire for more features, variety in missions, and improved mechanics.

    • “The theme of the game kept me engaged, and the pacing of the gameplay - and the variation of level designs - made it exciting to complete each level.”
    • “I also like the gameplay because it is not too complicated with too many options and things to learn; you can just dive in and start playing right away.”
    • “The gameplay is simple and yet there is depth to it.”
    • “The story is irrelevant, as each level is just a variation on the same rudimentary gameplay: point-and-click linking of 'asteroids' to 'miners' to 'power sources' to 'lasers', etc. (the different units are just circles with icons).”
    • “Both the graphics and gameplay are fine for a mobile game, but fall short on PC.”
    • “I would like the game to have more gameplay in terms of the number of missions, buildings, and research branches.”
  • graphics
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users appreciating the clean visuals, soft colors, and effective design that create a pleasant atmosphere. While the graphics are considered solid for a mobile game, they may not meet the expectations of PC gamers, with some describing them as basic yet effective. Overall, the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, though players who prioritize graphics may find them lacking compared to other platforms.

    • “I was a big fan of the original, and it's nice to have a modern version with better graphics and effects, so I'm very happy with my purchase.”
    • “Graphically the game is mostly quite nice, with soft colors and pretty backgrounds, and very clear separation of color schemes.”
    • “Its got solid graphics and sound design, creates a good atmosphere.”
    • “Both the graphics and gameplay are fine for a mobile game, but fall short on PC.”
    • “The graphics are fairly basic, but effective.”
    • “Graphics are minimalistic but sufficient to support gameplay.”
  • music
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its relaxing and ambient qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others find it repetitive and stressful. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fitting and clean, contributing positively to the game's user-friendly atmosphere. Despite some criticisms, many players consider the music a strong point, particularly during gameplay moments.

    • “Graphically the game is pretty good and the soundtrack is relaxing but suits the game very well.”
    • “Really liked the ambient background music - has not started to annoy me yet (as most do).”
    • “The main advantages are music and certain gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Game is ok but the music is beyond repetitive.”
    • “Stressful music.”
    • “Decent music.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers excellent replayability through its survival mode and a daily-resetting leaderboard, encouraging players to compete for high scores and revisit the game frequently.

    • “To add replayability, there is a survival mode, and a leaderboard that resets every day to compete for the top slot.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally well-optimized, offering good performance and a solid technical foundation. Players have noted the absence of serious bugs and appreciate the varied music during combat moments.

    • “Quite well optimized, I found.”
    • “In the technical section, it is correct; good performance, different music for the moments of fighting, without serious bugs.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is noted for its playful and amusing gameplay, despite a lack of content. Players find the comedic elements engaging, particularly the humorous situations that arise, such as the reliance on missiles for survival in the story.

    • “It has a lack of content, but everything looks pretty and it plays funny.”
    • “One funny thing, you'll be a goner not long into the story without the missiles.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its solid graphics and sound design, which effectively contribute to an immersive experience.

    • “It's got solid graphics and sound design, creating a captivating atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the survival mode to be tedious and frustrating, as it requires mastering overly complex micro-management systems to achieve decent progress. This leads to a repetitive experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “The survival mode becomes tedious with the way you are forced to play, and the fact that you're very likely never going to get a decent time unless you master the crappiest hyper micro-managing systems.”

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