Space Commander: War and Trade

About

Space Commander: War and Trade is a single-player space-sim offering diverse campaigns from arcade shooter to sandbox RPG. Build and customize your fleet, choose from various career paths including mercenary, trader, or space pirate, and upgrade your commander skills to fit your unique playstyle. Engage in combat, trade, or piracy to gain experience and progress through the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Space Commander: War and Trade screenshot

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 367 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

The game offers a large universe with a variety of missions and challenges, making it engaging for players who enjoy exploration and combat.
The mechanics, while sometimes repetitive, are solid and provide a good foundation for gameplay, especially for those who enjoy leveling up and gaining abilities.
The game is free to play and does not require in-game purchases to enjoy, allowing players to experience the content without spending money.

The controls can be clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to maneuver ships effectively during combat.
Many players report issues with the game's economy, stating that mission rewards are often insufficient to cover repair and fuel costs, leading to a grind.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, such as problems with landing and AI behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
86%
3%
The game's story is described as somewhat engaging but ultimately lacks depth and becomes repetitive, with many players feeling that the missions do not adequately reward their efforts, particularly in combat scenarios. While there are interesting elements and a backstory, the narrative often feels overshadowed by gameplay mechanics that prioritize grinding for credits through trading rather than meaningful story progression. Overall, the storyline is seen as a basic framework that could benefit from expansion and improvement in mission rewards.
- “The storyline screams of plot-manipulation and I've barely started the tutorial.”
- “I liked the storyline, but not how it is told (just text messages).”
- “The trading part can feel a bit repetitive sometimes, just like any trading game, but there is a storyline with a lot of dialogue and some progression, from piloting a single light fighter ship to managing a trading empire.”
- “After the first jump gate finished building, there's no more storyline.”
- “The storyline screams of plot manipulation and I've barely started the tutorial.”
- “Once you completed the story, it becomes really dull and not worth playing.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
21%
8%
The graphics of the game receive generally positive feedback, with many users praising their quality and playability, especially for a free title. While some players note issues like screen tearing and dated visuals reminiscent of mobile games, others highlight the impressive aesthetics and performance on lower-end systems. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience despite some minor criticisms.
- “The graphics and sound are very good.”
- “The performance is also really good, and paired with the good graphics it looks like a game that costs way more than free.”
- “It has amazing graphics, great controls and many other very amazing features!”
- “But do not let that discourage you, it is a fun occasionally challenging little space sim. The controls are over simplistic and the graphics are nothing to write home about, but it's a fun little free game that I keep downloaded for when my rural internet goes out and I can't hop on Star Citizen.”
- “The visuals don't look terrible for a mobile app, unusual for sure, but the end result here is just a very shallow game that looks like it might be a competitor to X, or Privateer, or any other great space sim... but it's just not, it's a simple mobile app and won't satisfy serious PC gamers.”
- “The graphics look dated, or pulled straight from a mobile game, as expected.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
11%
Gameplay in this title is characterized by a mix of solid combat mechanics and repetitive elements, with missions that present a fair challenge. While the space combat is fluid and engaging, some players find the mechanics overly simplistic and prone to becoming stale, particularly in terms of targeting and flight dynamics. Despite its potential and enjoyable aspects, many reviewers express a desire for more complexity and depth in gameplay, alongside improvements to the overall experience.
- “Key factors: playability (jump in and play), combat, cool gear, good interpersonal diplomacy/deals, and gameplay.”
- “The space combat is fluid and crisp, the mechanics are nice. I like the auto-targeting that still doesn't feel cheap (you have to maintain a lock on target, you have to be in range which is not very easy at times, you have to have a clear field of shot, etc.).”
- “Space fight mechanics are solid with very few bugs that I've encountered.”
- “Unfortunately, the combat mechanics are rather simple and are prone to getting stale.”
- “Game world feels empty, game mechanics are very simplistic and underwhelming; the biggest offender is combat, which is horrible. You can only target your weapons at a very small distance, and even bombers can only fire in what is basically melee range.”
- “I wish only the space mechanics were more complex with XYZ axes and not just XY axes and thrust speed; now it's just like normal speed and turbo, and you can't brake.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely viewed as tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the slow progression and difficulty in earning in-game currency. While some find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the challenge it presents, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that the game is better suited for those who enjoy extensive grinding or are willing to invest real money to expedite progress.
- “Makes this a grind to level up ships... kind of tedious.”
- “It can also be insanely hard to get money, as it's just grinding and being killed over and over again till you win.”
- “Game designed to keep you frustrated and grinding for funds, or throwing your real life money into their microtransactions.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The monetization model of the game is heavily criticized for its reliance on microtransactions, which many players feel are necessary to progress and enhance gameplay. While the game is free to play and offers some options to earn in-game currency through ads, it is perceived as a cash grab designed to frustrate players into spending real money. Some users note that while in-game purchases exist, they do not significantly impact gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about the overall monetization strategy.
- “Yes, there are in-game purchases, but this game is free to play and looks great even on a low-end graphics card or integrated system!”
- “It has some in-game purchases for ships and credits, but it doesn't affect the gameplay at all.”
- “A nice spaceship game; yes, it is free and yes, it has microtransactions, but in my first two hours of gameplay, this has not been a problem.”
- “It's an honest game if you do not pay, because the controls are not yours; the spaceship drives itself into debris and enemies, giving you damage. You can only evolve through money and in-game purchases, which by the way drives me away from the game.”
- “Game designed to keep you frustrated and grinding for funds, or throwing your real-life money into their microtransactions.”
- “This app/game was designed for in-game purchases that balance the gameplay and game economics.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its pleasantness and ability to enhance the ambiance, despite being somewhat repetitive. However, some reviewers criticize the soundtrack's quality and feel that it does not compensate for the game's simplistic mechanics and lackluster combat experience. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it is not enough to elevate the overall gameplay.
- “The music and ambient effects really help to enhance the overall experience.”
- “Though repetitive, the music and flying around just for the ambience is enough for me.”
- “I nearly forgot to mention that the music/soundtrack is great.”
- “The soundtrack is low quality, and the game world feels empty. The game mechanics are very simplistic and underwhelming.”
- “Though repetitive, the music (or your own) and flying around just for the ambience is enough for me.”
- “The combat is horrible; you can only target your weapons at a very small distance, and even bombers can only fire in what is basically melee range.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting a lack of bugs or glitches, while others have encountered serious issues that hinder gameplay, such as enemy fighters spawning incorrectly and subpar AI combat. Additionally, the game's status as a port has led to limited updates for fixing these problems, which is a common concern with this developer.
- “Because it's a port, it never really saw much in the way of updates to fix some buggy controls or expand the game, which is very sad and actually very common for this developer.”
- “There are some bugs and glitches like enemy fighters spawning under the surface when fighting on planets, and the AI combat is rather lackluster.”
- “There are some serious glitches that prevent you from playing the game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, particularly on Linux, where it runs flawlessly without performance issues. Users appreciate the good graphics and overall performance, suggesting it feels more premium than its free price tag.
- “On Linux, the game runs flawlessly with no performance problems, which suggests it may not be built with the Unity engine, as games using that engine often have performance issues.”
- “There are no performance problems.”
- “The performance is really good, and combined with the impressive graphics, it feels like a game that costs much more than it actually does.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as surprising and effective, with players finding comedic moments in unexpected scenarios, such as a ship exploding due to turret failure. Overall, the humor adds an enjoyable layer to the gameplay experience.
- “Absolutely surprising and funny!”
- “Sure, it's funny when a ship blows up due to a turret failure, but it works.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's atmosphere is generally well-received, with pleasant and immersive sound design enhancing the experience. However, some players express frustration that the space flight mechanics feel more like atmospheric flight, though they are willing to overlook this due to other positive features of the game.
- “The sound is pleasant, atmospheric, and not too annoying.”
- “I was initially annoyed that the space flight resembled flight within the atmosphere more than actual space flight, but I'm willing to set that aside because of the other features of the game.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion I was hoping for.”
- “I found the environment to be lifeless, with no real sense of danger or excitement.”
- “The sound design is underwhelming, failing to enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users note that while the game offers engaging content that encourages replayability, the wacky controls, particularly with mouse and keyboard sensitivity, can hinder the overall experience. Adjusting settings may improve playability, but the control issues could affect players' willingness to replay the game.

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14h Median play time

16h Average play time

8-25h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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