Spacebase DF-9

16%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,650 reviews
  • stability
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Spacebase DF-9 Game Cover
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Spacebase DF-9 is a spaceship colonization sim where players build and manage their own space station. Oversee crew members, manage resources, and defend against threats in this open-ended construction and management game. Your spacebase's survival and growth depend on your strategic decisions and ability to maintain order in the final frontier.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

16%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,650 reviews
gameplay92 positive mentions
stability498 negative mentions
  • The game has a fun and intuitive base-building mechanic that allows for creativity.
  • The art style and graphics are appealing, providing a unique aesthetic.
  • The concept of managing a space colony has potential and can be enjoyable for short play sessions.
  • The game is unfinished and has been abandoned by the developers, leaving many promised features unimplemented.
  • The AI is poorly designed, often leading to frustrating gameplay where characters do not follow commands or make poor decisions.
  • Frequent and overwhelming raider attacks can lead to quick and unmanageable losses, making it difficult to progress.
  • stability508 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting it as extremely buggy and unfinished. Many players express frustration over persistent glitches, broken AI, and a lack of promised features, leading to an overall experience that feels incomplete and often unplayable. Despite some acknowledging moments of fun, the consensus is that the game is plagued by issues that detract significantly from its potential.

    • “It came out some years back so it runs great on most any machine and it's a lot of fun.”
    • “Along that note, it's not buggy at all either, and Double Fine is still working hard to make it the best game it can be and unlock its full potential.”
    • “Turns out it's a mostly bug-free, extremely short demo.”
    • “But please, they are selling an unfinished game that's buggy and it will never be fixed.”
    • “It's a buggy, unfinished mess of a game.”
    • “The developers abandoned the game in a bug-ridden state stripped of features, stay away from this mess.”
  • gameplay416 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and significant shortcomings, including repetitive elements, poor AI, and numerous bugs that hinder the overall experience. While some players find the core concepts engaging, many express frustration over the lack of depth, limited content, and the game's unfinished state, leading to a generally unfulfilling experience after a short playtime. Overall, the game shows potential but is marred by its current execution, making it difficult to recommend in its present form.

    • “The gameplay is very interesting and appealing to fans of simulation games and the game has many strengths.”
    • “I find it extremely fun, with some very unique mechanics and concepts that I've never seen elsewhere.”
    • “Great concept and gameplay.”
    • “Boring gameplay elements: some gameplay elements can become repetitive and monotonous, which makes the game boring.”
    • “The game was released as a 'finished product' with incredibly limited content, extremely buggy gameplay, and a generally unfun experience.”
    • “The gameplay in Spacebase is incredibly underdeveloped and clunky.”
  • graphics132 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and isometric design, while others criticize the overall quality as subpar and plagued by graphical glitches. Many note that while the visuals have potential, they feel unfinished and detract from the gameplay experience, leading to a sense of disappointment given the game's promising concept. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but not enough to elevate the game beyond its current state.

    • “The graphics, the music, the gameplay, it's all good.”
    • “The graphics and animation quality are quite nice as are most of the sound effects.”
    • “The graphics are neat, gameplay is potentially superb and endless, there even is some subtle, underlying humor which makes life in space more tolerable.”
    • “Graphics and gameplay have a very slapped together feel.”
    • “Good as a work in progress, terrible as a finished product, bugs and more bugs, repetitive gameplay that gets boring after 5 playthroughs or so and, of course, not very good graphics.”
    • “Graphical glitches and bugs make the game too difficult to make even the most basic bases.”
  • story90 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being non-existent, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of campaign missions, goals, and meaningful content. Many reviews highlight that the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth, leaving players with little motivation to continue after the initial hour of play. Overall, the absence of a compelling narrative or direction significantly detracts from the experience, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction among users.

    • “It's not quite everything it was targeted to be, but there is a hidden storyline in there, and it is fun.”
    • “The interface is well done, the story is funny and the characters are funny themselves.”
    • “Here's an interesting idea, at some point, why not give each base you build some kind of purpose or mission to accomplish and give members of the crew some kind of personality system or background stories and random events.”
    • “Extremely disappointing conclusion to an early access story, even though the developer released the game's source code.”
    • “No story, no drive to build aside from you need more air for the constant stream of new arrivals.”
    • “Fire up the game and start on a random map and you'll have built and encountered everything there is to see in around an hour; there's no point in starting a new game since the same story unfolds every time.”
  • humor80 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its quirky charm and comedic elements, such as absurd character interactions and unexpected glitches that lead to hilariously chaotic situations. However, some reviews highlight that the humor can sometimes feel forced or overshadowed by bugs and unfinished mechanics, leading to frustration rather than laughter. Overall, while the game captures a unique sense of humor reminiscent of Double Fine's style, its execution can be hit or miss, leaving players divided on its comedic effectiveness.

    • “This game is so hilariously bad that it's good again!”
    • “Accidentally commanding your crew to dismantle a machine, but instead telling them to vaporize the floor beneath it too, and having your crew get sucked out into space is hilarious.”
    • “I do love their humor ... a chicken alien beat up a human who was eating because he thought the chicken legs had been from his race/planet.”
    • “It is not funny and will lead inexperienced players straight to a loss.”
    • “It is not funny and will lead inexperienced players straight to a loss.”
  • replayability44 mentions

    Overall, the game suffers from a significant lack of replayability, with many players noting that there is little to do differently after the initial playthrough. Despite some fun elements for genre enthusiasts, the limited content and repetitive mechanics leave most feeling that the game does not warrant multiple playthroughs. Many reviews suggest that without substantial updates and additional content, the replay value remains minimal.

    • “It's cheap and it's replayable.”
    • “Very decent game, is a lot of fun and quite a bit of replay value.”
    • “While definitely a playable alpha build, you can probably do just about everything in eight hours; more content would make replay value more substantial.”
    • “There's nothing to really do differently, so there's virtually no replay value.”
    • “Games of this genre require variety to make it interesting to build and grow, and this game doesn't have what it takes to give it the replay value it would need.”
    • “You have less than 10 hours of gameplay, and no replay value.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its nice and catchy ambient trance soundtrack, which enhances the atmosphere of gameplay. However, some users note that the soundtrack is quite short and can become repetitive, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. Despite these criticisms, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, with some players even finding it soothing enough to fall asleep to while playing.

    • “The graphics, the music, the gameplay, it's all good.”
    • “The premise is fun, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
    • “The soundtrack is enchanting as space scenes are.”
    • “Less than five minutes of music audio.”
    • “Sounds and music 1/10.”
    • “What little music and sounds that there are are annoying as they are repetitive.”
  • monetization28 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users feeling that it was rushed to full release without adequate development. Players express frustration over the lack of depth and unfinished content, suggesting that the developers prioritized quick profits over delivering a polished product. Overall, the sentiment reflects disappointment in the game's monetization approach, which is perceived as exploitative and disrespectful to early supporters.

    • “A true cash grab, plain and simple, and a real slap in the face to those of us that supported it.”
    • “This is a blatant cash grab that was rushed out of early access into 'full' release.”
    • “I'm getting sick of games being released half-finished with little or no depth, in what seems like a cash grab.”
  • optimization26 mentions

    The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to poor performance, particularly in pathfinding and AI mechanics. Users report significant framerate drops due to overloaded HUD menus and overall unoptimized gameplay, suggesting that the game feels unfinished and resembles an alpha build rather than a polished release. Many players express frustration over the lack of development and balance, indicating that the game was prematurely launched without adequate optimization.

    • “Have lots of good tech guys and your base will run smoothly - put lots of gun turrets all around the outside walls and you'll be safe enough to survive a large attack that eventually happens.”
    • “The game's artwork is quite simplistic and usually runs smoothly, but the HUD menus are overloaded with special effects and animations that will make your framerate drop significantly any time they open.”
    • “There was never a beta, so the already content-sparse game was never very well optimized or balanced, which becomes extremely clear after a playthrough or two.”
    • “This inflames the already dismal performance of crew AI and pathfinding.”
    • “This game suffers from terrible performance and is not finished.”
    • “Double Fine has decided (in their infinite wisdom) that it is acceptable to simply take a 0.6 alpha build, and jump straight to a 1.0 release build, stating that they are ceasing all development on a game that is by no means feature complete, has major bugs and performance issues, as you would expect from an alpha.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, especially due to the lack of endgame content and the cumbersome mechanics of managing spaceships and base rooms. While some appreciate the art and occasional updates that introduce new content, many feel that the gameplay quickly becomes a grind for numbers with little incentive to continue once the initial enjoyment wears off. Overall, the game is seen as better suited for short play sessions rather than extended gameplay.

    • “Get real tedious after a short while with no endgame at all.”
    • “But it's easy to see it's incomplete whether it's some missing tool tips, room zones where there isn't much to do, etc. there's no reason to keep playing after you've built anything in your base and enjoyed the inhabitants for a while unless you really enjoy aiming for the 'goals' which just seems like grinding numbers.”
    • “Sure you can keep playing to see how big you can get your base but it simply becomes repetitive and tedious.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its freedom in building and management, complemented by a great soundtrack, creating an engaging experience. However, some players note that the game suffers from bugs and performance issues, particularly with larger crews, which detracts from the overall experience. While the atmosphere is described as cute and interesting, many feel the game is unfinished and not worth a higher price.

    • “The atmosphere of the ship makes you anticipate losing a few citizens, even if you have no idea what's coming.”
    • “A great atmosphere, a lot of complexity and challenge, and some interesting concepts are present here.”
    • “Cute, excellent atmosphere and flavor, but the game is very unfinished and not worth more than a couple of dollars.”
    • “Sure, it looks okay, but the game doesn't understand what a 'low chance of being raided' means.”
    • “If not, stay away and check out either Cosmonautica for a similar 'silly space' atmosphere, or Startopia for a better spaceport management simulation.”
    • “Even if you have no idea what's coming, the atmosphere of the ship makes you anticipate losing a few citizens.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    Reviews highlight the emotional depth of the game, praising its ability to create heartfelt narratives and character connections that resonate with players. However, there is also criticism regarding the developers' handling of the game's release, leading to feelings of disappointment and sadness among the community. Overall, while the game offers a rich emotional experience, its troubled development has left some players feeling let down.

    • “You may also enjoy this if you like making up stories for your characters, as there is a sort of social network generated for each character that you can use to judge their emotional state.”
    • “There is a sense of accomplishment when you get all of your crew members to an emotional state above just 'happy' and reading their logs to see what is going on in their lives.”
    • “Doing so would be disastrous for our reputation and it would kill us emotionally.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for feeling incomplete and unfinished, leaving players dissatisfied with the depth and progression of the characters. This lack of thorough development is highlighted as one of the game's major shortcomings.

    • “These problems are the biggest issues with the game; other aspects, like research, feel unfinished, and the character development is never fully realized.”
    • “The character development feels incomplete, leaving many characters lacking depth and growth throughout the game.”
    • “There are significant shortcomings in character development, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their journeys.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
3-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 44 analyzed playthroughs

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