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Shadow Empire

Shadow Empire Game Cover
85%Game Brain Score
gameplay, replayability
graphics, grinding
87% User Score Based on 1,296 reviews
Critic Score 78%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Shadow Empire Game Cover

About

Shadow Empire is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by VR Designs and was released on December 3, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Shadow Empire is a complex turn-based 4X wargame set in an alien universe, where you lead a small nation in reconquering a devastated planet. Manage budgets, commanders, and diplomacy, and make tough decisions in response to ever-changing challenges. This immersive game offers a unique and rich experience, with an emphasis on military strategy and role-playing features."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
Shadow Empire screenshot
+4
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87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,296 reviews
gameplay65 positive mentions
graphics44 negative mentions
  • Incredible depth and complexity, offering a unique blend of 4X and wargame mechanics.
  • Procedurally generated worlds provide endless replayability and unique challenges.
  • Engaging logistics system that requires careful planning and management to succeed.
  • Steep learning curve with a confusing UI that can be overwhelming for new players.
  • Lack of clear tutorials or guidance, making it difficult to understand game mechanics.
  • Graphics are dated and may detract from the overall experience for some players.
  • gameplay
    339 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Shadow Empire is characterized by its remarkable depth and complexity, offering a rich blend of 4X and wargame mechanics that require significant investment in learning. Players often face a steep learning curve due to the intricate systems and a lack of intuitive UI, necessitating the use of extensive manuals and tutorials. Despite these challenges, those who engage with the mechanics find a rewarding and immersive experience that emphasizes strategic planning, logistics, and resource management, making it a standout title for fans of deep strategy games.

    • “Learning the game is half the fun, and coming to an understanding of a new mechanic and being able to implement it to better your empire is very satisfying.”
    • “The true value from this game comes from the depth and quality of the game mechanics.”
    • “If you give this game your patience, it will reward you with gameplay you won't find anywhere else.”
    • “The learning curve is steep, the UI is clunky, but if you take the time to learn how to use the UI and mechanics of this extremely detailed and complex game, it is easily one of the best 4X strategy games ever produced.”
    • “The game has a terrible UI, has no in-game tutorial, has no tool-tips that you actually need, and no acceptable way for you to understand the mechanics involved.”
    • “Not everyone is enjoying the game; I noticed that some are confused and frustrated with the logistics mechanic and the fact that the AI appears to not be subjected to the same rules as the player.”
  • graphics
    234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting their outdated and simplistic nature reminiscent of 90s titles. While some find the visuals charming and functional, others criticize them as unappealing and poorly executed, particularly the AI-generated artwork. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes gameplay depth over visual fidelity, making it more suitable for those who value content and mechanics over aesthetics.

    • “The planet generation is just amazing and the map graphics do a fantastic job of presenting the huge variety in planets so each looks interesting and unique.”
    • “Don't let the graphics fool you, this is an amazingly in-depth strategy wargame.”
    • “The graphics are not pretty but there are graphical mods available which can improve the experience.”
    • “The graphics are not pretty, but there are graphical mods available which can improve the experience.”
    • “The graphics are very basic, like a board game with chits; maybe that was the intent, but it makes it less engaging.”
    • “What is absolute garbage and needs to be reworked--the graphics are so bad, it's painful.”
  • replayability
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its advanced procedural world generation and customizable gameplay elements, which create unique experiences with each playthrough. Players appreciate the depth and complexity of the systems, allowing for varied strategies and challenges based on different planetary conditions. While the steep learning curve may deter some, those who invest the time find an endlessly engaging and rewarding experience.

    • “It's endlessly replayable, and your dollar goes to supporting an independent developer.”
    • “Complicated and complex 4X strategy game with roleplaying elements that offers near endless replayability due to an advanced planetary generation tool.”
    • “The game features a very advanced world generator that offers a lot of replayability.”
    • “The events have no cooldown, not diminishing return, they just spam the same event again and again because the amount of events are a few dozens, repeating themselves in every campaign, hurting the replayability.”
    • “My time is limited and while I am sure there is a lot to reward a player that sticks with this game, fighting against a truly horrendous UI is not something I'm willing to do when there are so many other, far more playable games out there.”
    • “Despite its flaws, Shadow Empire's complexity and replay value make it a rewarding 4x war gaming experience for dedicated players.”
  • story
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Shadow Empire is a rich tapestry of post-apocalyptic lore, where players navigate a universe shaped by a catastrophic galactic conflict that has left civilizations in ruins. The game excels in emergent storytelling, allowing for unique narratives to unfold with each playthrough, driven by detailed backstories and random world generation. While some players feel there are missed opportunities for deeper narrative engagement, the combination of strategic gameplay and role-playing elements creates a compelling experience that encourages players to invest in their civilizations and the stories they create.

    • “I enjoyed reading the backstory in the manual about how humanity migrated to the stars and got into the mess that it is in now.”
    • “The storytelling is amazing; it really makes you feel connected to your growing, infant civilization trying to rebuild and reclaim the planet.”
    • “Every planet has a story; some endured long nuclear wars resulting in large, abandoned, irradiated ruins of mega-cities, while others had plagues wipe them out.”
    • “The sci-fi story is fascinating and explained more in detail in the manual, but you do end up feeling like you're just clicking on buttons to optimize your empire more than roleplaying the 'shadow lord' or something like this.”
    • “Although there are similar pitfalls: some story modules for Shadow Empire feel more like obstacles to what's actually enjoyable, and affect things that aren't as important as the severity of the choices makes them out to be.”
    • “The story modules are currently barebones.”
  • atmosphere
    57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is richly immersive and intricately tied to its planetary generation system, where factors like atmospheric composition, gravity, and environmental conditions significantly influence gameplay and strategy. Players can experience a wide range of settings, from barren moons to lush, hostile worlds, each requiring unique adaptations and strategies for survival. This depth, combined with a charming visual style and engaging roleplay elements, creates a captivating and replayable experience that keeps players invested in their civilizations.

    • “The atmosphere and the immersion are amazing.”
    • “It provides you with a truly astonishing level of depth and captivating atmosphere - to be frank - this game is absolutely insane.”
    • “This game oozes with atmosphere and begs for you to convince friends into doing an old-school multi-month campaign session.”
    • “It was a warm planet, had sea life, but almost no atmosphere - under 200 millibars (for reference, 1000 millibars is an Earth-like atmosphere). I couldn't make propeller airplanes or helicopters unless they were very, very light.”
    • “A highly toxic atmosphere means that infantry casualties will be much higher, as suit punctures result in instant death.”
    • “Then you realize the planet has no atmosphere and only rocket planes can fly.”
  • music
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its distinct sound and atmospheric qualities, while others criticize it for lacking variety and immersion. Many users find the soundtrack to be either charmingly lo-fi or generic, with some describing it as droning or repetitive. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's unique aesthetic, it may not be engaging enough for all players, leading some to prefer listening to their own music instead.

    • “The game has a very distinct sound, music, and visual style that I find either legitimately good (main menu and cover art, the music, terrain art) or charmingly lo-fi (portraits, and event screens).”
    • “The tone of the game as well as the music reminds me of the feeling I got back in the days when I was hooked on the old XCOM games (including Apocalypse).”
    • “Do not worry about what I wrote above, start the game, open the manual for the game in the next window, put on the headphones, close your eyes for a moment - and the cool space dark ambient music will stick you in the chair at the very beginning - now open your eyes, go to page 1 manual and immerse yourself in the dark world of the dystopian society of the future.”
    • “One thing I would definitely improve: more variety in the music soundtracks could further help with the immersion in the game.”
    • “The music is not good.”
    • “The 'music' is not music at all; it's droning.”
  • grinding
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is often tedious and frustrating, particularly in the early stages where players face resource management challenges and complex mechanics. Many players find the combat and logistics systems cumbersome, leading to prolonged stalemates and a lack of engaging gameplay. While the game offers deep mechanics and customization, the overall experience can feel bogged down by repetitive tasks and unclear UI elements.

    • “It feels like the only time I get any fun out of this game is when it is too easy and it starts getting easy about halfway through a game, so the entire first half is just god-awful grindy nonsense where combat doesn't make any sense and engaging in it isn't even prudent because dislodging one militia unit from a minor faction from a hex can take a stupid amount of resources if you don't have an overwhelming advantage in technology.”
    • “Overpriced, poor graphics, clunky, awful UI, and extremely grindy.”
    • “But when there are 8 different major and minor factions attacking you at once, not to mention random squid creatures moving strategically to cut off every supply line you own, it goes from challenging to tedious.”
  • optimization
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to run on various systems and noting significant improvements in performance, particularly regarding AI turn times. However, others have highlighted persistent performance issues, especially during longer games, and a general lack of clarity on factors affecting performance. Overall, while the game is playable and offers deep gameplay, many users feel that further optimization is needed to enhance the experience.

    • “Most intricate and well-made 4X game I have ever played. It runs on almost anything, so if you are worried about performance or don't care for the eye candy and care more about the actual gameplay, buy this; it's worth the price.”
    • “Edit: I changed this review from negative to positive because the performance seems much improved. My main gripe of insanely long AI turns is no longer the case, even with the options enabled that give the AI more time to plan.”
    • “General game performance is excellent.”
    • “However, the factors affecting the performance are not as clear as crystal.”
    • “Optimization in this game does not exist.”
    • “The performance of this game is poor beyond belief.”
  • stability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with players noting it is "almost bug free" and enjoyable despite some inherent design issues. While there are occasional graphical glitches, clunky UI, and textual errors, these do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's interesting mechanics and engaging gameplay, even if some elements feel cumbersome or inelegant.

    • “It's rough but not buggy or broken, and while it has some inherent design issues, for a small production, that's pretty good.”
    • “Almost bug-free, this has to be the best and most frustrating game I have ever played.”
    • “Their top priorities are always to fix crashes, serious bugs, exploits, and graphical glitches.”
    • “The UI is clunky, there are plenty of textual errors, and there are some graphics glitches, but the game is so interesting and enjoyable - the 4X format makes the wargame details much more compelling.”
    • “Apart from its aesthetic shortcomings, it's also cumbersome, inelegant, and sometimes buggy.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its unintentionally hilarious writing and the ability to customize characters with amusing aesthetics, such as replacing creepy default faces with funny anime ones. Players find the game's complex mechanics and realistic simulation amusing, especially when comparing it to other 4X games, which they deem primitive and lacking in humor. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of humor through its gameplay and customization options.

    • “The writing in the game is, probably unintentionally, hilarious.”
    • “Anything about the game can be changed aesthetically, so if you don't like the creepy default faces, you can replace them with funny anime faces.”
    • “Seriously, it's funny to watch when someone who you don't like has to play it.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a profound emotional experience, highlighting the game's immersive storytelling and detailed logistics that evoke a sense of responsibility and connection to their civilization. The intricate dynamics of governance and the impact of decisions create a meaningful context for gameplay, leading to moments of genuine emotional response, including tears of joy. Overall, the game successfully fosters a deep sense of immersion and personal investment in the narrative.

    • “This was the first time I cried while playing this game because of the awesome immersion.”
    • “The fact they are generated by various bodies and characters within the government already made me feel like an actual head of government, dependent on my ministers rather than an omnipotent being - a big plus for me.”
    • “First thing you'll see is the planet generation, then the storytelling behind your civilization, then you're dropped into the map with all those UI items you can only slowly figure out... and as you play your first turns you'll then be hit by the detailed logistics, all the positional wargame elements that made me feel I was playing a sci-fi version of Panzer General (that I craved), and simultaneously a planetary and societal simulation, complete with a self-driven private economy, that kept the war (and the end thereof) in context and meaningful.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Many users feel that the game's monetization strategy, particularly regarding downloadable content (DLC), detracts from the overall experience, labeling it as a cash grab that undermines the game's potential.

    • “This could be a great game if the developer didn't go for the cash grab on the DLC.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
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78%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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39h Median play time
117h Average play time
10-100h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Shadow Empire is a tactical role playing game with warfare and science fiction themes.

Shadow Empire is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 117 hours playing Shadow Empire.

Shadow Empire was released on December 3, 2020.

Shadow Empire was developed by VR Designs.

Shadow Empire has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its graphics.

Shadow Empire is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Old World, Aggressors: Ancient Rome, Terra Invicta, Field of Glory: Empires, Endless Space 2 and others.