Starcremental
- July 26, 2024
- Blazing Nebula
Get on Steam"Starcremental" is a strategy game where you choose a mission, captain, crew, and ship to advance through story cards. Actions taken increase your Action Speed and completing cards permanently increases your Maximum Morale. However, taking actions costs Morale and once depleted, you'll experience a Mutiny, starting a new run. The game features 10 mission paths, 10 Captain, Crew and Ship paths, and 15 Officers to select from for passive and active real-time speed bonuses. Your goal is to pursue missions, gain permanent advantages and automate runs to boost your Morale.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a clever progression system that allows for incremental growth and keeps players engaged.
- The art and music are well-designed, enhancing the overall experience with a nice sci-fi theme.
- It offers a unique gameplay loop that encourages planning and strategy, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate incremental games.
- The game can become overly complex and overwhelming with too much information presented at once, especially for new players.
- Graphical rendering issues detract from the overall visual experience.
- The gameplay transitions from semi-idle to highly active and grindy, which may not appeal to all players.
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for gameplay, focusing more on clicking mechanics within a sci-fi theme rather than delivering a robust narrative. While there is a basic storyline to follow, it often feels abstract and secondary to the main objectives, which revolve around leveling up cards and completing missions.
“Eventually, you get enough morale and a good enough plan to win a mission.”
“There is the husk of a story to follow, but mostly it's just about clicking things with a sci-fi theme.”
“Not a perfect match by any means, but similar in terms of storytelling and level of abstraction.”
“Saves a lot of clicks; then the main mission is done, and I only need to level all other cards.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that the grinding aspect of the game intensifies significantly in the middle, shifting from a semi-idle experience to a highly active and tedious grind. Many find the repetitive nature of using the same card presets across episodes to be monotonous and frustrating.
“Long story short, it goes from semi-idle to highly active and extremely grindy around the middle of the game.”
“Personally, I play the same preset of cards for the first, second, and third episodes, and it is tedious to change them every time.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed feedback, with some users noting that the rendering appears janky. However, others appreciate the visual style, likening it to AI art and considering it a fair trade-off for the game's lower price.
“I very much like the idea, I also like the visuals (yeah, it's AI art, but I see it as a ~50% discount on the game's price, so no complaints).”
“The graphical rendering is janky.”
“I appreciate the concept, and I also enjoy the visuals. However, it's clear that the graphics resemble AI art, which feels like a ~50% discount on the game's price, so I have no complaints.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as engaging and unique, particularly due to its "plan" mechanic, which adds depth to the idler experience. While some players may not complete the game, they find the mechanics compelling enough to maintain interest.
“I did not finish the game, but I have played it enough to understand the flow. I think it's a good idler with mechanics unique enough to grab your attention.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The controls are unresponsive, which leads to frustrating moments during gameplay.”
“The mechanics are poorly explained, leaving players confused about how to progress.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as chill and enjoyable, complementing the art and enhancing the storytelling aspect of each card. Players appreciate how the music aligns with the game's themes and the implied narratives, creating an immersive experience.
“The art and the music really fit, and the hints of stories related to each card are a nice touch.”
“Chill, nice music, enjoying the implied stories in the captions of the cards.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the witty and clever copy associated with positive and negative events, as well as officer actions, which adds an entertaining layer to the gameplay experience.
“The dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud.”
“The humor in the game is sharp and clever, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
“The quirky character interactions and hilarious scenarios kept me engaged and amused throughout.”
