Spacebase DF-9

About

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

25%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,652 reviews

gameplay58 positive mentions

stability333 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept of building and managing a space station, which can be enjoyable for a short time.
The graphics and art style are decent, providing a charming aesthetic for the gameplay.
There is a dedicated community that has created unofficial patches to improve the game and fix some bugs.

The game is unfinished and has been abandoned by the developers, leaving it in a buggy and incomplete state.
The AI is poorly designed, often leading to characters making illogical decisions that result in their deaths.
There is a lack of content and depth, making the gameplay repetitive and ultimately unsatisfying.

stability
340 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous reviews highlighting its buggy and unfinished state. Many users report game-breaking glitches, poor AI behavior, and a lack of promised features, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels abandoned and is not worth purchasing in its current condition.
- “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.”
- “This is a buggy, incomplete mess that needs to be finished or taken down.”
- “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.”
gameplay
286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
64%
15%
The gameplay of Spacebase DF-9 is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and significant shortcomings. While some players find the base-building and simulation elements engaging, many criticize the repetitive nature, poor AI, and numerous bugs that hinder the overall experience. Overall, the game feels unfinished, with limited content and depth, leading to frustration and disappointment among players.
- “The gameplay is very interesting and appealing to fans of simulation games, and the game has many strengths.”
- “The idea and gameplay of this game are awesome.”
- “I find it extremely fun, with some very unique mechanics and concepts that I've never seen elsewhere.”
- “Boring gameplay elements: some gameplay elements can become repetitive and monotonous, which makes the game boring.”
- “Incomplete gameplay: the game still has many bugs and missing features, which is understandable especially for an early access game, but can still frustrate.”
- “The gameplay is glitchy and it feels the game is not polished all the way through.”
graphics
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting a simplistic and outdated aesthetic that lacks polish and suffers from numerous glitches. While some appreciate the unique art style and find the visuals decent for the game's genre, others criticize the overall execution, describing it as unoptimized and reminiscent of older titles. Overall, the graphics are seen as a potential highlight, but they are marred by technical issues and a lack of depth.
- “The graphics and animation quality are quite nice as are most of the sound effects.”
- “The artwork in this game is really very good.”
- “The graphics are well-done and polished.”
- “The graphics are quite simplistic and usually run smoothly, but the HUD menus are overloaded with special effects and animations that will make your framerate drop significantly whenever they open.”
- “Overall, Spacebase DF-9 is an absolute mess with broken AI, poor graphics, terrible UI, and even worse sound effects.”
- “There are a lot of graphical glitches and bugs that make the game too difficult to make even the most basic bases.”
story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
84%
10%
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting that it lacks any meaningful narrative or depth, leaving players without goals or missions to pursue. While some mention a potential for imaginative storytelling through character interactions, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and fails to engage players with a compelling storyline. As a result, many find the experience frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying.
- “Spacebase DF-9… oh boy, what a backstory this game has… it started as a humble pitch in Amnesia Fortnight 2012, and the idea got enough votes to be made into a playable prototype in just 14 days.”
- “This game's development story was a sad one, all is not lost however, because it is a genuinely good game... for the most part.”
- “I think the original intention for the game was to immerse yourself in the lives of the different people on the base and sort of imagine your own story.”
- “The game really doesn't set anything up for you in terms of a story, so that's about all I have for the first line above.”
- “No story, no drive to build aside from you need more air for the constant stream of new arrivals.”
- “It was fun for all of an hour while I figured it out, then once I did, there was no depth, plot, story, nothing to keep me interested.”
humor
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
5%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of charming and absurd, often eliciting laughter through its quirky dialogue and unexpected situations, such as characters' ridiculous behaviors and unfortunate mishaps. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and find them entertaining, others feel that the humor can wear thin due to repetitive gameplay and bugs that lead to unintentionally funny scenarios. Overall, the game's humor is a defining feature, though it is sometimes overshadowed by its unfinished state and technical issues.
- “This game is so hilariously bad that it's good again!”
- “My techs hovering around the research room and refrigerator while a malfunctioning airlock slowly kills everyone on my station is just hohoho funny.”
- “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.”
- “It is not funny and will lead inexperienced players straight to a loss.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced, making the game less enjoyable.”
- “Jokes are stale and lack creativity, which detracts from the overall experience.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
47%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric and relaxing qualities, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Although there are positive remarks about the soundtrack being nice and fitting the game's theme, issues such as music stopping unexpectedly and a lack of variety detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the music has its moments, it may not leave a lasting impression for many players.
- “The music is quite atmospheric (appropriate to the universe they created) and interesting to listen to.”
- “The premise is fun, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
- “With gorgeous artwork, a decent attempt at UI design, atmospheric music, and an absolutely delightful sense of humor, all of which contributed to an interesting universe of different species and ways of life.”
- “The sound effects and music get repetitive.”
- “Less than five minutes of music audio.”
- “What little music and sounds that there are are annoying as they are repetitive.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
52%
33%
Overall, the game suffers from a significant lack of replayability, with many users noting that it feels unfinished and offers little variety in gameplay. While some players find it enjoyable, the consensus is that the limited content and repetitive mechanics severely diminish the incentive to replay. A few users mention potential for improvement with future updates, but currently, the replay value is minimal.
- “It's cheap and it's replayable.”
- “Very decent game, is a lot of fun and quite a bit of replay value.”
- “Like most simulation and strategy games, there is a metric ton of replayability, even at this alpha stage.”
- “In terms of replay value, I struggle to find any.”
- “There's nothing to really do differently, so there's virtually no replay value.”
- “Game is clearly unfinished and has little replay value.”
monetization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with users labeling it as a blatant cash grab, particularly due to its rushed release and lack of content. Many reviewers express frustration over the developers' unethical practices, feeling scammed for paying a premium price for a broken product that appears to have been released without proper development. Overall, the sentiment reflects a strong discontent with the developers' approach to monetization, which is perceived as prioritizing profit over quality and player satisfaction.
- “The developer is deliberately and unethically trying to scam gamers into paying them the greedy, cash grab price of $10 USD for a game they know is broken.”
- “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.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game where tasks feel cumbersome and lack meaningful progression. While some appreciate the art and occasional fun moments, many express frustration with the lack of endgame content and the overwhelming nature of managing their bases. Despite ongoing updates, the grind often overshadows the enjoyment, leading to a perception of the game as incomplete and lacking replay value.
- “The late game is cheesy and grindy.”
- “Get real tedious after a short while with no endgame at all.”
- “Sure you can keep playing to see how big you can get your base but it simply becomes repetitive and tedious.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
38%
31%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, particularly in AI and pathfinding mechanics. The simplistic artwork runs smoothly, but the overloaded HUD menus cause severe framerate drops. Overall, the game feels unfinished and unbalanced, resembling an alpha build rather than a polished release, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “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 whenever 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.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging soundtrack, charming visuals, and a unique sense of humor that enriches the universe. However, some players note that technical issues, such as bugs and performance slowdowns, detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, many agree that the game's atmosphere remains its strongest feature, offering a captivating and complex environment.
- “A great atmosphere, a lot of complexity and challenge, and some interesting concepts are present here.”
- “With gorgeous artwork, a decent attempt at UI design, atmospheric music, and an absolutely delightful sense of humor, all of which contributed to an interesting universe of different species and ways of life.”
- “Sure, it looks okay, sure, it has its atmosphere, 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.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a strong emotional connection in the game, with players appreciating the heartfelt storytelling and character development that evoke genuine feelings. However, there is also a sense of disappointment and sadness regarding the game's development issues, which have left both fans and developers feeling emotionally drained. Overall, the emotional depth of the characters and their stories is a significant draw, despite the frustrations surrounding the game's progress.
- “Free speech and all that, but Tim Schafer and Double Fine make superb, heartfelt games that justify the entire art form.”
- “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.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth, as alien races do not influence gameplay or abilities, rendering their variety superficial. Additionally, players feel that the character development feels incomplete, contributing to an overall sense of unfinished elements within the game.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with their colonists and witness their growth over time.”
- “I love how the character arcs evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
- “The diverse backgrounds and personalities of the characters add layers to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “These problems are, to me, the biggest ones with the game. Other issues include parts of the game, like research, that have an unfinished feel to them, and they never fully completed character development.”
- “The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I was disappointed with how the characters evolved throughout the game; their arcs felt predictable and uninspired.”