Spaceland: Sci-Fi Indie Tactics
- September 30, 2019
- Tortuga Team
Mashing together Starcraft and XCOM, Spaceland is one of the most fun, turn-based strategy games out there.
Get on Steam"Spaceland" is a Science Fiction Role Playing game that combines dynamic turn-based battles with rich storytelling. Create a squad of 7 space rangers, each with unique fighting styles, and explore the mysterious planet using an array of weapons and equipment. Experience sensational graphics, beautiful soundtracks, and engaging gameplay in this multiplayer or single-player adventure. The game is inspired by old-school tactics such as Incubation and Laser Squad.
iPad
iPhone
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- Charming graphics and art style that appeal to a wide audience.
- Casual and accessible gameplay, making it a good introduction to turn-based tactics for newcomers.
- Offers a variety of missions and character abilities, providing some tactical depth despite its simplicity.
- Gameplay is overly simplistic and linear, lacking the depth and complexity found in more advanced tactical games like XCOM.
- Repetitive mission structure requiring multiple playthroughs to achieve all objectives can become tedious.
- Dialogue and story elements are poorly written and lack engagement, detracting from the overall experience.
- story82 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered weak and linear, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth in character development and writing quality. While some players appreciate the cute animated style and find the missions engaging, others feel that the narrative fails to excite or motivate continued play. Overall, the storyline serves primarily to support the gameplay mechanics rather than offering a compelling experience.
“Fun intro XCOM-type game with a cute animated style and a gripping little story!”
“The storyline is fun, the sound effects and music are great, and farming money and chips is simply a pleasure.”
“Overall good art, great gameplay, nice music, and while the story isn't too deep, it still makes you wonder about what comes next.”
“The story is insipid and the writing is bad.”
“The storyline is very boring.”
“Characters are stereotypical and the story progresses blandly.”
- graphics50 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the charming and polished art style, which features cute, cartoony characters and vibrant visuals. While some players appreciate the simplicity and uniqueness of the graphics, others feel that they may come off as childish or reminiscent of browser games. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point that enhances the game's appeal, particularly for fans of turn-based strategy.
“Highly slick and polished graphics, tactically challenging and worth the modest purchase price!”
“The game attracted with its beautiful and luscious graphics and is suitable for those who love turn-based strategy games.”
“I myself am a huge fan of these new type of polished graphics as they really are pleasing to look at and in this category 'Spaceland' clearly delivers.”
“Very simple graphics and plot.”
“It's as simplistic and childish as the graphics imply.”
“Never cared for graphics on my potato, but I wouldn't play a mobile-looking game for the price that is asked.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its casual and straightforward mechanics, combining action-point movement and shooting with puzzle elements. While the visuals and animations are polished, many players feel the game lacks depth and complexity, particularly in its tactical options and metagame features. It may appeal to younger audiences or those seeking a simplified alternative to more intricate strategy games like XCOM, but seasoned players might find it lacking in challenge and variety.
“The gameplay is simple and straightforward.”
“Well done animations and UI together with overall game mechanics make this game a joy to play.”
“A great game with strong gameplay and nice visuals.”
“The art and gameplay at the surface is really neat and polished, but after playing for some time you understand that there isn't a whole lot of depth to the game loop.”
“If you're coming in looking for a simplified XCOM, you're probably going to be pretty disappointed; it's got the overhead/isometric thing going and you blast aliens, but there is no base building mechanic, no management of a large roster of randomized characters, no research of funky technologies, etc.”
“But £14.00 for a PC game that offers a few hours of gameplay is a big disappointment.”
- music15 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric and rhythmic qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive and not particularly memorable. Overall, the soundtrack is described as beautiful and fitting, contributing positively to the game's engaging art style and storyline.
“The world map music is serviceable, and has an eerie yet calm vibe which is nice.”
“In general, the atmosphere is exciting, and this is largely due to the musical accompaniment.”
“The soundtrack is also beautiful.”
“The battle music is fine the first time, and extremely repetitive after that.”
“Sounds and music are okay, not great.”
“Not the best music.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as dynamic and immersive, with a nostalgic quality that evokes fond memories of fantasy worlds and engaging storytelling. While some players appreciate the clean UI and musical accompaniment that enhance the experience, others feel that the overall atmosphere may not fully resonate with them, despite its exciting elements. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating environment that encourages exploration and interaction.
“The visual atmosphere was fun when it didn’t look like a budget title, the UI was clean if not a bit too simple, and the gameplay became a little more varied and challenging by the end.”
“A cool atmospheric game that immerses you in the good old fantasy worlds from the books you loved so much as a child.”
“In general, the atmosphere is exciting, and this is largely due to the musical accompaniment.”
“However, I didn't get the atmosphere of the game.”
“First of all, I really enjoyed 'Incubation' back in the days, even when its graphics were wildly outdated; it was the atmosphere created with it that always draws me back to this game once in a while.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting that once maps are completed, there is little incentive to replay them beyond attempting harder difficulties or collecting items. While some elements, like secrets and completion goals, offer slight motivation for replay, the general consensus is that the game lacks depth in this area, making it primarily appealing to completionists. Future updates may introduce additional content to enhance replayability, but currently, it is seen as minimal.
“Stages and battles are replayable and are meant to be, as you simply can't earn enough money for all upgrades just by going straight through the game.”
“Secrets on levels provide various information about the game world, and completion goals (time, turns, kills, survival) together add to the replayability.”
“I suppose that could lead to some replayability...”
“Since you've already played each map multiple times, there's not a lot of replay value, other than starting over at a harder difficulty.”
“It has zero replay value.”
“Not much replayability at the moment, but I believe the devs are adding side quests and alternate endings, so that's all to the good.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring them to replay levels multiple times to collect necessary items, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While the storyline and audio elements are praised, the necessity for precision and luck in grinding can make the experience feel frustrating and monotonous.
“The game that is built with it is kind of boring and sometimes difficult at the same time... tedious, that's the word.”
“Having to do many levels multiple times to get all the chips is tedious, especially on some levels which require precision in addition to some luck to get.”
“It simply became tedious.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is tied to its progression, as players must meet specific performance standards to unlock the final chapter, indicating a requirement for skilled troops to advance. This design choice suggests that optimization is crucial for fully experiencing the game's content.
“The main story features 29 chapters, with chapter 29 locked behind a minimum performance standards barrier, requiring skilled troops to access it.”
“The optimization of troop skills is crucial for progressing through the challenging later chapters of the game.”
“Players must strategically enhance their units to meet the performance standards necessary for unlocking advanced content.”
“The main story features 29 chapters, but chapter 29 is locked behind a minimum performance standards barrier, requiring skilled troops to access it.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end devices.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as superficial, with players noting that the story and relationships feel tacked on and lack depth, resulting in minimal lore to engage with.
“The story, character development, and relationships are just tacked on, and there’s not much lore.”
“Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
“The characters are one-dimensional, making it hard to care about their journeys or choices.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization model could be improved by offering it at a lower price point of £3.00 or as a free-to-play option with microtransactions, indicating a preference for more accessible pricing strategies.
“If it were available on mobile for £3.00 (or free with microtransactions), it could have been great.”
