Starlite: Astronaut Rescue

About

In "Starlite: Astronaut Rescue," players embark on a single-player 20-minute adventure on Mars, where they must construct a habitat, craft tools, and use advanced robots. This game offers hands-on science inquiry and problem-solving in physics, mathematics, and engineering, with professional voice acting and a futuristic setting. Purchasing this game guarantees a spot in the Starlite: Astronaut Academy beta test.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

41%

Audience ScoreBased on 148 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game has potential as an educational tool, teaching basic math and science concepts related to space exploration.
It offers a unique experience for a short playtime, making it suitable for younger audiences or those interested in space.
The collaboration with NASA adds a level of credibility and interest to the game's concept.

The gameplay is extremely short, lasting only about 20 minutes, which many players feel is not worth the price.
Controls and interface are clunky and unresponsive, leading to a frustrating experience.
The game feels more like a demo or tech test rather than a fully developed product, lacking depth and replay value.

story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The game's story is a brief and generic rescue mission set in space, lacking depth and exploration opportunities, with players expressing a desire for more content and polish. While the voice acting and graphics show potential, the overall narrative feels underdeveloped and simplistic, leaving players wanting a more engaging experience. Many reviews highlight that the current single mission is too short and linear, making it difficult to recommend without significant improvements.
- “The story's plot is interesting and tightly scripted, the voice acting is excellent, and while you don't get to drive the Minerva, you do get to drive around the SAMs in low gravity.”
- “Very short but I very much enjoyed pretending to be an astronaut on a Mars mission and rescuing someone and driving Rover Johnny 5 about the place.”
- “It's a good short story and definitely not a bad game, and I only wish there was some space for exploration, an open world.”
- “What little simulation it has is completely on rails and there is no way to mess up or discover something that deviates from the main story, which plot also escapes me...”
- “The story is a generic rescue mission, which is outlined in the title of the game.”
- “The actual story is kind of meh but it's only a short little demo.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
55%
20%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers noting that they resemble those of games from the mid-1990s to 2007, featuring low-poly models, flat textures, and various graphical bugs. While some appreciate the game's accessibility on lower-end hardware, the overall visual quality is considered sub-par, detracting from the experience. A few users mentioned that the atmosphere and certain visual elements were appealing, but these positives were overshadowed by the game's numerous graphical shortcomings.
- “The atmosphere is stunning and the visuals are beyond any expectation.”
- “I enjoy the fact that it doesn't require top-end graphics or a power gamer's PC in order to play, and I hope they keep it like that.”
- “Not really up-to-date graphics, but for what the 'game' was meant to be, it is acceptable.”
- “Even with graphics set to the max, I can see the edges a mile away.”
- “There isn't much to say here, except that this title has the graphic fidelity of a 1995 game and it has a single achievement obtainable at the end of the rescue mission, nothing else.”
- “Graphically it's sub-par, with flat textures, stiff and/or missing animations, and very low-poly models; this may make the game run better on a wider variety of hardware, but it makes it look rough, even for an indie game.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay is generally criticized for being short, simplistic, and lacking depth, with most tasks revolving around basic actions like walking and clicking. While some players found the mechanics fluid and the experience somewhat enjoyable, many noted issues with clunky controls and a lack of urgency in the missions. Overall, the game offers a brief, albeit interesting, experience that may not justify its price for most players.
- “Gameplay is short and simple - just as advertised.”
- “The gameplay involves doing basic tasks, like going here, clicking on this, and then it explains stuff to you in a really neat way.”
- “Even though it is short, every task is different from the last, and that's nice considering how repetitive Moonbase Alpha was, so at least they tried to change up the gameplay this time.”
- “It is so short that there is barely any gameplay and not a lot to be learned from; generally, it really isn't worth the asking price no matter what.”
- “The gameplay consists mostly of 'walk here and press E/LMB', so it's not the most intense or involved game, and although you're on a rescue mission to save a pilot running out of oxygen... there is never a real sense of urgency.”
- “When the game says 20 min adventure which turns into more than you bargained for, it does not mean there is more gameplay but it is actually a 20 min adventure to save a guy that all you do is move around a little bit as a robot and get carried 10 feet in a plane that just happens to be there.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous glitches affecting gameplay mechanics such as crafting and puzzles. Users report a frustrating experience due to frequent bugs and performance slowdowns, particularly in the Linux version, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While there is potential for improvement with ongoing updates, the current state is deemed too unstable for a worthwhile purchase.
- “Unfortunately that didn't happen, this game glitches like crazy. The first glitch was the workbench; it wouldn't let me combine the items. After trying about 1000 different directions, I decided to check online to see what I was doing wrong. I did nothing wrong; the game just didn't want to register that I was crafting.”
- “It's far too short and bug-ridden to be worth a purchase at all.”
- “However, it was a long and painful 20 minutes, with graphical and interface glitches and unexplained slowdown.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the driving tracks and expressing a desire for a soundtrack release. However, some feel that the action-adventure music feels out of place, and the overall experience is slightly diminished by the brevity of the tracks. The music is rated around 7/10, indicating a solid but not exceptional score.
- “If the music were available as a soundtrack, I would purchase it in a heartbeat.”
- “This game plays like a PG movie with the music and all.”
- “I did like the music when you were driving the car, but it was a little too short.”
- “Although, the only thing that really was out of place was the 'action-adventure music'.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its extremely short duration, lasting only about five minutes, and is noted to have no replay value, with some users even humorously rating it as -1. Overall, players express disappointment in the lack of content that would encourage repeated play.
- “First thing I'm going to offer you is a warning - this game is about 5 minutes long and has zero replay value.”
- “I want to see more games like this, but be warned that the quality of the experience here is low and the game is only twenty minutes long at most, with no replay value.”
- “The 'game' has a replay value of -1.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is criticized as being poorly executed, resembling a mix of educational content and overt advertising for NASA, which detracts from the overall experience.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game appears to be primarily designed for tablet use, leading to suboptimal performance on other platforms, indicating a lack of proper optimization.
- “The one downside is that it was definitely developed with a tablet in mind and has not been optimized properly.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, exceeding players' expectations and creating an immersive experience.
- “The atmosphere is stunning, and the visuals are beyond any expectation.”
- “The game creates an immersive environment that draws you in completely.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after playing.”