Star Dynasties
- September 1, 2021
- Pawley Games
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Star Dynasties" is a strategy role-playing game set in a future where humanity has colonized the stars. Players must navigate political intrigue, form alliances, and make difficult decisions as they try to secure their family's power and influence in a fragile feudal society. The game emphasizes character development, diplomacy, and storytelling in a procedurally generated universe, providing a unique experience with each playthrough.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of character-driven narrative and strategic gameplay, reminiscent of Crusader Kings but set in a sci-fi universe.
- The honor and justice system adds depth to the gameplay, making decisions impactful and creating a dynamic political landscape.
- The art and graphics are appealing, with distinct character portraits and a well-designed interface that enhances the overall experience.
- The game suffers from a lack of content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and limited actions available to players.
- The UI can be clunky and overwhelming, with excessive pop-ups that disrupt the flow of the game and make it difficult to keep track of important events.
- Combat mechanics are overly reliant on RNG, which can lead to frustrating outcomes that feel unfair and diminish player agency.
- gameplay168 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its depth and replay value through intricate mechanics and a sandbox approach, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking character. Many find the turn-based system and political intrigue engaging, but the user interface and certain mechanics, such as military operations and random events, are often described as confusing or poorly explained. Overall, while the game has a solid foundation and potential for unique experiences, it requires further development and refinement to fully realize its ambitions.
“No other 4x game that I know of has ever managed to create 'rise-and-fall' mechanics that can perpetuate a game for as long as the player wants to develop their story; this game did it, and it did it really well.”
“The game mechanics add a lot of replay value, and the sandbox mechanics allow a lot of variety in strategies.”
“The way combat is initiated and prosecuted is very fun and intuitive, without bogging down the dynastic-focused gameplay in the slightest.”
“The gameplay loop is pretty stale.”
“Less than 10 hours of gameplay and I've seen multiple repeated scenarios that feel either scripted or lacking in variety.”
“I really wanted to like this, but the gameplay is just not interesting at all.”
- story80 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its organic storytelling and unique "rise-and-fall" mechanics that allow players to develop their narratives over time, creating a compelling character-driven experience. However, many reviewers note that the storylines can become repetitive, with limited variety in events across multiple playthroughs, which detracts from replay value. Overall, while the game excels in generating engaging personal stories, it struggles with balancing gameplay mechanics that can sometimes overshadow the narrative experience.
“No other 4X game that I know of has ever managed to create 'rise-and-fall' mechanics that can perpetuate a game for as long as the player wants to develop their story; this game did it, and it did it really well.”
“A great storytelling tool if you play without save-scumming and see the grand story of your star family with its victories and failures.”
“It's solid, packs in a whole lot of roleplay storytelling; it gets you attached to characters which makes victory all the sweeter.”
“I've managed to sit through only because I was too interested in seeing the story finish, but it's absolutely abysmal and steals the joy of playing.”
“Repetitive story lines.”
“The game seems like it fights itself; mechanics that could lead to you developing a story often lead to you instead doing something meta to satisfy the game, thus destroying the story.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are described as beautiful yet minimalistic, contributing to an immersive experience that some players find more engaging than other titles like Crusader Kings or Stellaris. The user interface is praised for its simplicity and clarity, although some feel it appears outdated. Overall, the hand-drawn artwork and clean design enhance the gameplay, despite the lack of detailed visuals in combat mechanics.
“The graphics are very nice and the UI is very simple to figure out.”
“+ beautiful but simple graphics”
“Graphics & sound: very good job was done on the hand-made graphics.”
“Combat also should be revamped since they're basically using a paper & pencil dice roll for damage system with no visuals, no sprites, no avatars.”
“UI feels old graphically, but the level of absurd detail is not any crazier than CK3.”
“It has graphics, and game mechanics!”
- replayability16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the unlimited replay potential and varied strategies offered by sandbox mechanics and random map generation, others find the lack of story variation and customization limits replay value significantly. Overall, the experience may appeal to those who enjoy randomness, but players seeking diverse narratives may feel disappointed after their initial playthrough.
“But because this game offers unlimited replayability, even a cheapo like me would consider paying full price.”
“The game mechanics add a lot of replay value, and the sandbox mechanics allow a lot of variety in strategies.”
“It does have some replay value because of the randomness of the map generation, the randomness of where you start, and the attributes of your starting archon as well as your peers, fellow dukes.”
“Low replay value (story events always the same).”
“Once you beat the game as the good guy, there's little to no replay value.”
“I enjoyed the one successful playthrough but am disappointed at zero replay value or variation.”
- music14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it atmospheric and enjoyable, effectively setting the tone without being intrusive. While a few describe the soundtrack as "meh," others appreciate the main theme for its nostalgic qualities and stylistic similarities to classic games like Master of Orion 2. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance.
“I love the narratives I can modify for my games and I love the music.”
“I also really like the main music theme; it reminds me a bit of Master of Orion 2 (another favorite game of mine). It really has a nice style and is very atmospheric.”
“Music is also very enjoyable, atmospheric, and not intrusive.”
“Soundtrack is... well, meh.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the overwhelming number of events and actions required as they progress. While some appreciate the avoidance of micromanagement, the increasing demands can lead to a repetitive and tiresome experience.
“However, the sheer volume of events per action/turn can get a little tedious.”
“The problem being that the bigger you are, the more you are expected to do... here again, this becomes tedious at some point.”
“I understand not wanting to micromanage every colony's building/production, which gets tedious in some games.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive qualities, likened to "Crusader Kings in space" with a compelling turn-based system. The music enhances the experience, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Master of Orion 2, though players desire more customization options for characters and factions to deepen the thematic immersion. Overall, while the atmosphere is strong, there are calls for improvements to enhance player engagement.
“Crusader Kings in space but with a ton of atmosphere and easier to digest with the turn-based system.”
“I also really like the main music theme; it reminds me a bit of Master of Orion 2 (another favorite game of mine). It really has a nice style and is very atmospheric.”
“Music is also very enjoyable, atmospheric, and not intrusive.”
“However, major improvement is needed. Enabling renaming for people, leagues, systems, etc., and allowing portrait selections for all characters (including enemies) would greatly enhance the atmosphere. It's not enjoyable to have the noble House Atreides facing off against Bob Jones.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some users noting a solid, mostly bug-free experience at launch, while others report persistent bugs and a lack of necessary updates to address these issues.
“A solid, mostly bug-free start.”
“The game is buggy and not receiving the updates needed to correct the issues.”
“The game is plagued with bugs and lacks the necessary updates to fix them.”
“Frequent crashes and bugs make the game unplayable, and updates are sorely lacking.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with multiple users highlighting its comedic elements as genuinely funny and enjoyable. Overall, it appears to effectively engage players with its humor.
“Funny”
“It's funny”
“It's funny”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in the late game, leading to a lack of control for players and confusion regarding game mechanics. Users feel that the overall experience is hindered by these shortcomings, despite finding the gameplay enjoyable.
“The game isn't optimized; there is a lack of features, and I don't feel like I'm in control of my character. Also, some things don't make sense, like why every person in my government has to be in my house.”
“It's pretty fun, but I do think it needs a lot of fixing, such as optimization of the late game.”
- character development4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game allows for significant role-playing choices that can lead to dramatic consequences, such as becoming a target for assassination due to selected traits. However, players express a desire for greater depth in political and character development, feeling that the current system often reduces gameplay to managing reputation rather than fostering a more intricate narrative and strategic planning for their empire's future.
“Want to design a custom character that is beyond hated because of the role-playing character development points you've selected (that usually boost military and security)? Prepare to be a target for immediate assassination and overthrow.”
“Want to design a custom character that is beyond hated because of the role-playing character development points you've selected (that usually boost military and security) - prepare to be a target for immediate assassination and overthrow.”
“The events can be interesting and have some unforeseen consequences, which I think are pretty good and add some interest to the game every few turns. However, I would like to see much more depth in terms of the politics, character development, planetary development, and general planning for the future of your empire, as opposed to simply trying to manage your reputation and spending all of your action points fining dukes every turn.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find it challenging to connect emotionally with the game's themes of defense and conquest, as the representation of these elements as mere numbers on a map diminishes their emotional impact.
