Space Wars: Interstellar Empires

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Space Wars: Interstellar Empires is a multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Desert Owl Games LLC and was released on December 8, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Helm your own ship, battle for supremacy in a multi-faction war, and conquer the cosmos in this science fiction turn-based strategy game. Select from more than 100+ diverse star ships and fight for territory across a 2D hex-based grid. Advance your race’s control of the galaxy, defeat enemy factions and conquer the universe in the name of your people.

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Space Wars: Interstellar Empires screenshot

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game offers a unique turn-based strategy experience with a focus on tactical gameplay and resource management.
The community is welcoming and helpful, providing support for new players to learn the game mechanics.
The graphics and ship designs are visually appealing, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

The game suffers from a slow pace, with long wait times for turns that can lead to tedious gameplay.
There are significant balance issues between factions, making it difficult for new players to compete against more experienced ones.
The game lacks comprehensive tutorials and documentation, leaving new players confused about mechanics and strategies.

gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
60%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by a deep, turn-based combat system with energy allocation mechanics, but it suffers from a steep learning curve and a lack of clear instructions on game mechanics. Players often find themselves grinding against AI for minimal XP, and the limited variety in ships can lead to repetitive experiences. While the game shows potential and offers unique strategic elements, it is still in early access and requires further refinement to enhance playability and user experience.
- “I like the energy allocation mechanics and the turn-based combat.”
- “Even in beta, the gameplay is fun.”
- “How you win or lose ships is up to you, but good teamwork and tactical gameplay (as well as the meta strategy on the big galaxy map) make for a fun game I've never seen in the online gaming industry.”
- “No meaningful ways to go up in levels unless you know someone who is higher level and exploits the game mechanics to get you higher faster.”
- “Sadly, no amount of polish will ever make this game fun when its core gameplay is just so awful.”
- “I advise anyone who is thinking of investing their time into this game to note the extensive lack of information, which in my opinion seems to be done on purpose to hide the lack of polish and the presence of faulty mechanics that simply don't work.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The game's story is criticized for its lack of a cohesive campaign, offering only repetitive missions that fail to engage players. While there is some lore and backstory for factions, many players find the solo missions uninteresting and unrewarding, leading to a grind for experience rather than an immersive narrative experience. However, there is potential for exciting player-driven stories and legends to emerge from the competitive gameplay, appealing to a niche audience willing to invest time.
- “You get to pick a free ship, fly around and learn to fight, find a team online when you are, and learn to pilot the ship that they need to win battles. Then, when you've gotten a bit better, you pick the bigger ships and find a team to train. The personal wars between great pilots and teams start up, leading to great stories and legends of how this commander or team risked everything to win the game or save their homeworld. It's good, and it will be great; come and help me tell an awesome story.”
- “Then there's the lore behind each mission, which I only discovered later, and how much thought was put into the backstory.”
- “On top of the vast story behind the factions, there are numerous handcrafted and unique ships.”
- “No campaign or story.”
- “You get missions until you hit 3k exp then nothing but trying to fight borders.”
- “Overall this is a very niche PvP game, for very hardcore players, with plenty of time on their hands that don't mind grinding repetitive missions to get to PvP.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
22%
21%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the unique designs and overall quality, while others find them mediocre and a potential deterrent for new gamers. Despite being in beta and experiencing some bugs, many users appreciate the visual details and express optimism for future improvements. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point by some, but not universally acclaimed.
- “Great graphics overall, good community of players willing to help teach and show the ropes and rules of the war effort. When an issue is noted or found, it is quickly resolved.”
- “By the way, I am impressed by the quality of the graphics.”
- “Great lore and excellent graphics; this game feels like a labor of love.”
- “This has some really mediocre looking graphics that will understandably be a turn off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract gamers despite having no up-front cost.”
- “It's pretty boring, seems just like a version of XCOM, but in space; the graphics could be better, the tutorial was boring and long.”
- “This game is in beta and as such has bugs being ironed out consisting of balance, playstyle, and graphical issues.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, often requiring over 100 hours for minimal experience gains, particularly due to unbalanced character progression and a low player population. Many express frustration with the difficulty of competing against AI and other players, leading to a repetitive and unenjoyable experience. Overall, the grind is seen as a significant drawback that detracts from the game's fun factor.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Game is far too grindy and in the end not very fun.”
- “Expect to put in over 100 hours of grinding for pitiful XP (killing AI gives 1/5th the XP of humans, but there are no opposing humans to farm since no one plays and you're not competitive at lower tiers).”
- “The low population makes grinding out sectors dull and gives very little payout for the hours of work.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players feeling that it is not truly free due to the prevalence of mobile app store-like microtransactions. However, it is noted that all in-game purchases are limited to cosmetic items.
- “It's just a cash grab that failed.”
- “On pricing and value for gamers, this isn't really free as the game is infested with mobile app store-like microtransactions.”
- “Any in-game purchases are strictly cosmetic.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The music in the game is considered average, with some players suggesting that it may be beneficial to listen to classical music instead, especially when facing challenging enemies like the Genari tier 5. Overall, while the music isn't a standout feature, it doesn't detract from the gameplay experience.
- “I'd still suggest you join the game and perhaps listen to some classical music, as you'll die a lot to Genari tier 5; the tier 3 can be dealt with.”
- “The music was okay.”
- “I would suggest you join the game, but perhaps listen to some classical music, as you'll die a lot to Genari tier 5; the tier 3 can be dealt with.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has been reported to have some stability issues, with users noting that it is "a little buggy."
- “The game is a little buggy.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes that made it unplayable at times.”
- “There are numerous glitches that disrupt the overall experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by heightened stakes that necessitate effective communication among players, enhancing the overall intensity of the experience.
- “This type of atmosphere raises the stakes; it also means that communication is a must.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has seen consistent improvements through weekly patches that address bugs and enhance overall optimization.
- “They've been releasing weekly patches for bug fixes and optimizations.”
- “The game's performance has significantly improved thanks to the regular optimization updates.”
- “I appreciate how the developers are committed to optimizing the game for a smoother experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game offers strong replayability through its multiple starting factions, currently featuring the Genari and Sol Imperial Worlds, with plans to expand to two additional factions, the Ma'alaketh and the Hive, enhancing the variety of gameplay experiences.
- “There are two starting factions, the Genari and the Sol Imperial Worlds, with plans to include two more playable factions: the Ma'alaketh and the Hive.”
- “The variety of factions and their unique playstyles keeps the game fresh and encourages multiple playthroughs.”
- “Each faction offers a different narrative experience, making it worthwhile to replay the game with different choices.”
- “The game offers only two starting factions, the Genari and the Sol Imperial Worlds, with plans for two more playable factions, the Ma'alaketh and the Hive, but this limited selection makes replayability feel lacking.”
- “Once you've played through the available factions, there isn't much incentive to replay the game, as the core mechanics and story remain largely the same.”
- “The addition of new factions in future updates might improve replayability, but as it stands, the current content feels too repetitive.”

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Space Wars: Interstellar Empires is a strategy game.

Space Wars: Interstellar Empires is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

Space Wars: Interstellar Empires was released on December 8, 2017.

Space Wars: Interstellar Empires was developed by Desert Owl Games LLC.

Space Wars: Interstellar Empires has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Space Wars: Interstellar Empires is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Naval Action, Gloria Victis, Star Conflict, Fractured Space, Galactic Junk League and others.

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