ShipLord

About

ShipLord is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by EGAMER and was released on December 2, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"ShipLord is a survival game set in space where players dodge asteroids and battle bosses to collect energy and progress through unique levels. A medal-based system rewards players with upgrade points for completing levels on higher difficulties, which can be used to upgrade shield, energy tractor, and force field abilities. With over 100 upgrade points available, players can improve shield and force field duration and cool down times, as well as decrease energy spawn time."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 452 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

ShipLord offers a unique take on the arcade genre by focusing on evasion and resource management rather than combat, providing a refreshing gameplay experience.
The minimalist graphics and electronic soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
The game features a straightforward progression system that rewards players for mastering levels and collecting quasars, appealing to those who enjoy high-score chasing.

The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, as levels often feel similar and lack significant variety in design and mechanics.
The controls are described as clunky and unresponsive, making precise movements difficult, which can lead to frustration during challenging sections.
The absence of offensive capabilities and a compelling narrative may leave some players feeling unsatisfied, as the game relies heavily on endurance rather than dynamic gameplay.

gameplay
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The gameplay of Shiplord is characterized by its arcade-style mechanics focused on dodging asteroids and collecting quasars, offering a blend of reflex-based challenges and light progression. While some players appreciate the fast-paced, addictive nature and the thrill of high-score chasing, others criticize the repetitive gameplay, clunky controls, and lack of meaningful progression, leading to a mixed reception overall. The game appeals to fans of bullet hell genres but may frustrate those seeking more depth and variety in gameplay.
- “The gameplay revolves around navigating your ship through asteroid fields and other cosmic hazards while gathering quasars to earn medals and upgrades.”
- “The glowing asteroids, energy bursts, and color transitions provide a satisfying sense of motion, while the electronic soundtrack underlines the tension and rhythm of gameplay.”
- “It's simple, addictive, and exhilarating gameplay which quickly becomes challenging, not only because of the tricky asteroid trajectories (and sneaky ultra-fast moon rocks!) but also due to the boss fights which really add in variety to the base gameplay.”
- “The lack of significant mechanical progression means the gameplay loop can feel static after the initial few hours.”
- “Once you’ve learned the core mechanics, the experience becomes more about endurance than discovery, and the excitement of early survival gives way to routine repetition.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive and quite boring - well... it might entertain you for the first two levels... then it's only frustration every time you accidentally get hit by an asteroid.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The graphics of "Shiplord" receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the sleek, minimalist design and cosmic backdrops that enhance immersion, while others criticize the visuals as outdated and repetitive. Although there are mentions of decent quality and a retro aesthetic, many users feel the graphics do not meet modern standards, often describing them as basic or below average. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are not the game's strongest aspect, they are serviceable for the genre.
- “Visually, Shiplord presents itself with sleek, minimalist graphics that rely on clean particle effects and cosmic backdrops to create a sense of immersion.”
- “Graphics are really good, the space feeling is great and the music feels awesome.”
- “The game is very responsive, graphics are really clear and I must say stunning, while controls are at the same time extremely balanced.”
- “However, the repetition in visuals becomes apparent after a while.”
- “Repetitive gameplay, clunky controls, and visuals that already looked dated back then.”
- “Graphics, knowing that the game was released in 2015, is not good.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
58%
8%
The music in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its electronic soundtrack for enhancing the gameplay's tension and rhythm, creating an immersive atmosphere during short sessions. However, many reviewers noted the music's repetitiveness and minimalistic design, leading to a lack of variety that can become annoying over time. Overall, while the soundtrack fits the game's theme and has memorable moments, it often falls short of being engaging throughout extended play.
- “The glowing asteroids, energy bursts, and color transitions provide a satisfying sense of motion, while the electronic soundtrack underlines the tension and rhythm of gameplay.”
- “There’s a certain hypnotic quality to how it all fits together—moments where dodging between speeding asteroids while the music builds can feel exhilarating.”
- “Its best moments are fleeting but memorable: threading through waves of asteroids as the music swells, narrowly escaping destruction, and watching your score climb.”
- “The soundtrack and visual effects combine well to create an immersive, meditative atmosphere when played in short sessions, but over time, the repetition and lack of progression expose its minimalist design.”
- “The background music in this game is below average.”
- “To top that, the music behind the game (which one would hope would be interesting to make up for the lack of interesting gameplay) is repetitive, droning, and feels like the music being a Star Trek episode without the dialogue.”
story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story is generally criticized for being basic, poorly written, and lacking depth, with many reviewers suggesting it feels tacked on to justify the gameplay. While some appreciate the simplicity and find it sufficient for the game's context, the overall consensus is that the narrative fails to engage players, making it a weak aspect of the experience.
- “The dialogue helps to add some background story and context to the game, and the music score is quite pleasant.”
- “Story is simple and efficient, and there is a goal to play for.”
- “Story is catching, the mechanism is nostalgic and old-school (in a good way), and all this combined with today's graphics and design makes it one of the best available games in this category.”
- “11 GBP at the time of writing is too much for a fairly basic, fairly short game with no real story.”
- “If you can't make a more coherent, well-presented plot than this, you almost shouldn't bother at all.”
- “The 'story' is really bad, but in these kinds of games, it's always just tacked on to explain the gameplay.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears, with players expressing deep emotional investment despite its minimal narrative and world-building. Many describe it as an "emotional damage simulator," highlighting its surprising depth and ability to evoke strong reactions, including moments of both joy and sorrow. Overall, it appears to create a unique emotional attachment that resonates with players, even in its seemingly simple presentation.
- “I cried.”
- “I laughed, I cried, I alt-tabbed.”
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, particularly outside of boss fights. The repetitive nature of the gameplay leads to frustration, with some players abandoning the game due to the lack of engaging content and frequent setbacks.
- “It can feel a little tedious outside of the boss fights.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is tedious and not fun for me.”
- “There does appear to be a couple of boss levels, but I didn't play that far because after my ship exploded randomly for no reason for the fifth time, I just didn't want to replay these tedious levels anymore.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some users noting it as limited and rating it around 5/10, while others find it more enjoyable, giving it a higher score of 7. This suggests that while there are elements that may encourage replay, they may not be strong enough to sustain long-term interest for all players.
- “Replayability: 5/10”
- “Replayability: 7”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting that it runs smoothly and efficiently. Players can earn medals based on their performance, which can be used to unlock new ships or enhance abilities, adding a rewarding layer to the gameplay experience.
- “Completing stages earns you medals—bronze through diamond—depending on your performance, and these medals serve as currency to unlock new ships or improve your abilities.”
- “Optimized like shit.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a relaxing and immersive experience, enhanced by its soundtrack and visual effects, particularly during short play sessions. However, players note that the minimalist design can lead to a sense of repetition and lack of progression over time.
- “The soundtrack and visual effects combine well to create an immersive, meditative atmosphere when played in short sessions.”
- “Step into the role of the 'shiplord' whose sole mission is to float around in space collecting sparks of energy to stabilize the earth's atmosphere.”
- “The atmospheric music is very relaxing.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from the absurdity of the minimal upgrades available for the ship, where players find it amusing that enhancements are so trivial, such as adding just a fraction of a second to shield time or reducing recharge time by mere moments.
- “The upgrades for your ship are so minimal it's kind of funny; you get a few points to spend after beating each level, and each point does things like add a tenth of a second to your shield time or take half a second off its recharge time.”
- “The game's dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
- “I love how the characters have such quirky personalities; their interactions are hilarious and really add to the overall charm of the game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a stable experience with no significant design flaws or graphic glitches, indicating a well-polished game.