Star Nomad 2

About

Star Nomad 2 is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Huy Phan and was released on December 14, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A space trader & combat sim meets squad-RPG, large scale conquest, choice driven gameplay with fluid & punchy tactical real-time combat set in a dynamic open-world sandbox.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 133 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

Dynamic and immersive universe with a responsive and evolving economy and faction warfare influenced by player actions.
Engaging and challenging combat system with tactical depth, squadmates, manual turret control, and varied weapon and ship customization.
Active and responsive solo developer, frequent updates, and a well-optimized indie game with pleasant music and retro-inspired visuals.

Steep learning curve with grind-heavy gameplay, especially due to the last-hit-kill mechanic for reward and slow faction reputation gain limiting ship and gear progression.
Repetitive and frustrating late-game due to unbalanced difficulty spikes, persistent hostile invasions, inconvenient docking restrictions during battles, and slow progression or stalemates in faction conquest.
User interface and controls can be clunky or unintuitive; friendly fire and AI behaviors cause occasional frustration; limited mission and story depth.

gameplay
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
Gameplay in this game offers a satisfying blend of top-down space combat, trading, and RPG elements with unique mechanics like kill-steal finishing blows and dynamic faction-influenced economy. While controls and progression can feel clunky or grind-heavy, the gameplay remains engaging, challenging, and replayable, with emergent events and customizable difficulty adding depth. However, some players find certain mechanics frustrating or incomplete, and the content scope is limited due to a small development team.
- “You'll buy new weapons, ships, and upgrades; the gameplay loop is satisfying.”
- “The dynamic economy that directly influences the factions' forces, character progression, and gameplay is what kept me playing it.”
- “The gameplay itself is very fluid, especially in how the ships handle.”
- “In my gameplay experience, half the times I left a planet, it was being attacked by hostiles that appeared to spawn right around it every time I left a planet.”
- “The random ship events feel very much tacked on and don't have any large meaningful effect on gameplay.”
- “The game feels very incomplete and lacks a fulfilling gameplay progression.”
story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
80%
11%
The game's story is minimal and non-linear, focusing more on player-driven exploration and emergent narratives rather than a traditional main plot, with some minor quests and companion backstories providing limited depth. While some find the lack of a strong, cohesive storyline disappointing, others appreciate the freedom to craft their own story within the galaxy's factions and missions. Overall, the story is described as adequate but shallow, appealing mainly to those who prefer open-ended gameplay over narrative-heavy experiences.
- “The game would be even better if there were more late-game story content, but as is it's a masterpiece, especially for a solo developer.”
- “There does actually feel like there's some kind of massive plot going on behind the scenes... now I don't know - but if that plot starts to develop?”
- “As you get deeper into the game you start to unravel overarching storylines.”
- “You cannot complete this game as a merchant; at a certain point, you can no longer advance within a faction by solving trade missions.”
- “Unfortunately, factions do not have storylines and the minor quests do not really chain together to form something larger.”
- “The story in SN2 is relatively shallow overall.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The graphics are simple, 2D, and not highly detailed, reminiscent of classic or flash-style space games, but they effectively complement the game's aesthetic and run smoothly even on low-end hardware. While not flashy or modern, the visuals are pleasant and fit well with the game's cyberpunk-inspired theme, enhancing the overall experience without overshadowing gameplay.
- “A good looking 2D space sim that runs great on my notebook with basic Intel graphics.”
- “The controls are rock solid and the graphics are quite nice.”
- “I find the game's cyberpunk-esque art style rather quaint, and the visual effects are simple but pleasant.”
- “The poor graphics and lack of spoon fed story couldn't take away from the core game.”
- “Its lacking an in-your-face kind of story, it seems fairly simplistic, and the graphics look like a flash game.”
- “It has very simple graphics.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is widely viewed as tedious, repetitive, and overly time-consuming, with much content locked behind extensive grinding mechanics like mining and reputation systems. Many players feel progression is hindered by this grind, making gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging experience.
- “Endless grinding followed by an end game scenario that's impossible to win.”
- “There is a decent shell of a game here, it could be fun but it lacks content and any content that is here is locked behind the grindy reputation system.”
- “After playing through and getting a feel for the game I decided that I do not want to waste hours and hours of my life grinding special ore and faction standing just to progress and earn the right to buy a better ship.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music is highly praised for its variety and ability to enhance the atmosphere, seamlessly shifting from relaxing and spacey tones to intense, adrenaline-pumping tracks during combat. It effectively complements the game's cyberpunk and space themes, contributing to an immersive and nostalgic experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that enriches gameplay and world-building.
- “The music is varied but tasteful, mixing things up so you don't fall asleep—from epic scores to techno-noir tracks that get you pumped up.”
- “There is plenty of variety and it suits the world really well. What I absolutely love is when you engage in a battle and the music switches up to really hype you up!”
- “The music is pretty good in general, with different themes ranging from techno-style combat music to get your blood pumping during pirate raids, epic themes for massive interfaction sieges, and brooding, ominous themes while exploring lawless territory.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers solid replayability through its engaging fight-loot-sell cycle, variety of ships, systems, and weapons, and deep squad-based combat with character progression. While some find the gameplay repetitive and the money grind challenging, the classic arcade feel and planned future features enhance its long-term appeal. Overall, it delivers good replay value, especially considering its price.
- “It's got a classic arcade feel to it; add to that a ton of variety in ships, systems, wares, and guns, and it's also seriously replayable.”
- “This is a game that in its current state has replay value, but with the future planned features will definitely bring me back for sure.”
- “Star Nomad 2 has nothing to do with the first title; it is a deep squad-based combat RPG with character progression, which means there is replay value even in your character build.”
- “Not great, but enjoyable, replayable, and madly entertaining despite the repetitive gameplay (which I normally abhor, but the fight, loot, sell, and fight cycle works).”
- “That says something for replay value but gaining money takes time, possibly too much to risk all your money on roguelike difficulty.”
- “Star Nomad 2 is a deep squad-based combat RPG with character progression, which offers replay value even in your character build.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is situational and darkly comedic, deriving from unexpected consequences like provoking factions to attack or causing chaos by illicit actions, which players find amusing.
- “Do it one time too much and they will attack you, funny ...”
- “It's funny seeing an entire faction crumble due to me hauling drugs to their worlds.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly optimized, running smoothly without any noticeable bugs or performance issues.
- “The game feels very optimized; I haven't noticed any bugs yet.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly even on low-end hardware like integrated Intel graphics, ensuring a reliable experience across various systems.
- “A good looking 2D space sim that runs great on my notebook with basic Intel graphics.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game strikes a balance between simplicity and depth, offering enough progression and customization to engage players without becoming overwhelming. This ensures ongoing interest without complexity.
- “The game is designed to be simple, so it isn’t overwhelming to get started, but there is enough depth in character development, knowledge of enemies, and ship design to keep it from getting stale.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game's atmosphere for its immersive quality, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack, well-composed music, and engaging characters.
- “Immersive atmosphere with captivating soundtrack, music, and characters.”