Starlost - Space Shooter | Game Brain

About

Starlost - Space Shooter is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Hoodwinked Studios and was released on October 15, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Sci-fi shoot-em-up. Build your ship, crush your enemies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,260 reviews

story57 positive mentions

grinding109 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and engaging gameplay that keeps players hooked.
Non-intrusive ads that do not disrupt the gaming experience.
Deep customization options for ships and a rewarding upgrade system.

The game can become overly grindy, especially in later levels, making progression feel tedious.
Some players experience crashes and bugs that hinder gameplay.
Difficulty spikes, particularly with bosses, can be frustrating and may require grinding or spending money to overcome.

story
129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging and well-written, while others describe it as mediocre or lacking depth. Players appreciate the humor and character interactions, but some express a desire for a longer storyline and more side missions to enhance the experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid foundation that could benefit from expansions and additional content.
- “The story is captivating, the graphics are decent, the special effects are awesome, and overall I had a lot of fun.”
- “Great game, addictive and fun. I do have an idea for a line of research something along the lines of different ships we control like the ship that's there is a corvette. Maybe have the ability to buy bigger and stronger ships, destroyers, cruisers, battleships, etc. or even a few more missions maybe to find NPC allies or something.”
- “Amazing game with good graphics, even better control, and incredible missions. I'm shocked to see the low rating because I played a long time ago and it was splendid.”
- “The story is mediocre, and I find the use of the stock photos very humorous but cheesy.”
- “Sure, the story sounds like it is written by a nine-year-old.”
- “The storyline and banter between the characters is not good.”
grinding
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The game features a significant amount of grinding, which players find both enjoyable and tedious at times. While some appreciate the challenge and the sense of progression it offers, others feel that the grinding becomes monotonous, especially in the later stages where enemy difficulty spikes. Overall, the grinding aspect is a defining feature of the game, appealing to some players while potentially deterring more casual gamers.
- “Polished, challenging, but not too grindy.”
- “The difficulty gets pretty high and grinding has become very monotonous and tedious.”
- “Progress is nice at first but it's clear they designed it for you to hit walls to force you to grind out the farming.”
- “Loved the graphics and all the awesome details about what upgrades are for, but I couldn't play this for more than 2 or 3 days… already uninstalled… for me the game just feels too grindy… like you have to keep mining and mining and mining… got tired of it.”
graphics
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
26%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise, with many users highlighting their beauty, smoothness, and attention to detail, even on lower settings. Players appreciate the visual design and animations, which enhance the overall gameplay experience, although some have noted minor issues with controls and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Fantastic graphics, fun gameplay, even some witty dialogue.”
- “The graphics, animations, and storyline are top notch!”
- “The graphics are great, the controls are amazing; it does hit a paywall that is well worth it because the game itself is better than many console games on the market for much less in total.”
- “The rocket barrage subsystem briefly freezes the game while on low-quality graphics settings.”
- “I get to the first 'starlost' graphic, and the screen goes blank and does nothing.”
- “Not sure just what I'm supposed to expect... half the graphics are just pink spots, making objectives almost impossible to discern.”
gameplay
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The gameplay is widely praised for its fun, engaging mechanics and intuitive controls, offering a mix of challenge and rewarding progression. Players appreciate the deep customization options and the humorous narrative, although some note issues with enemy spawning and a grindy experience. Overall, the gameplay is described as solid and addictive, with beautiful graphics enhancing the experience, despite occasional frustrations with difficulty spikes and control sensitivity.
- “Fun gameplay, funny story, intuitive controls, deep customization, great progression.”
- “Amazing gameplay, graphics, and funny dialogue that makes you want more.”
- “Incredible, please make this a console game, however you can possibly, this would be incredible somehow, absolutely love this game, keep coming back to it as it's so addictive once you started, upgrading and pure mechanics is top notch, please release more updates, I'll happily take this game on to make it better.”
- “Although some mechanics could be improved in the campaign, such as buffing the guns we use at the beginning because the hordes of enemies always coming at you while you're mining is overwhelming, or maybe tone the quantity of enemies down a bit.”
- “A little underwhelming when bosses drop less scrap than what you mine. Once I got to the boss that teleports and hits you constantly, it makes the gameplay less about skill and more about how much time is invested in mining or money spent.”
- “If you like grinding, zero actual gameplay, no skill elements, and no gameplay variety whatsoever, this is the game for you!”
monetization
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
8%
84%
The monetization model of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the non-intrusive nature of ads and the absence of pay-to-win mechanics. While optional in-app purchases exist, they are primarily seen as a way to support the developers rather than a necessity for gameplay progression. However, some users have expressed frustration with ad placements that can obstruct gameplay, indicating a mixed experience regarding ad visibility.
- “Honestly, you'll want to spend the $4 for ad-free + double resources, but other than that, the in-app purchases are all 'skip some grinding' and totally optional.”
- “It's also very possible to go through the entire single-player campaign without making any in-app purchases.”
- “One of the few games that doesn't shove its microtransactions down your throat or keep content behind paid gates.”
- “Before I even started, the opening menu is littered with obvious pay-to-win buys, the tutorial is obnoxious, and I was 10 seconds in before banner ads started popping up on the screen.”
- “Fun game, but I'm upset that I can buy credits with real money, but I still get ads because I have to pay for the license even though I've spent more than what they ask for the license. I would like my money back.”
- “Uninstalled as soon as the ads popped up in-game. Shame on you, devs...”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its funny dialogue, creative storytelling, and self-aware comedic elements. Many reviews note that the humor enhances the overall experience, making the gameplay more enjoyable and engaging. While some find certain aspects cheesy, the consensus is that the humor effectively complements the solid gameplay and graphics.
- “Amazing gameplay, graphics, and funny dialogue that makes you want more.”
- “A really fun mix of soothing farming, intense space combat, and an odd/self-aware sense of humor.”
- “Not a money grab whatsoever, hilarious dialogues, good soundtrack, and engaging gameplay.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as being unable to move or target enemies. Many users have experienced significant issues, including losing progress due to these technical problems, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. While the concept and gameplay are appreciated, the persistent instability remains a major concern that needs addressing.
- “The crashes and freezes!”
- “Game keeps crashing in the middle of gameplay. I keep rebooting and playing, but it still crashes and freezes.”
- “I love this game, but now I can't even play it. It freezes as soon as I open the game. It was one of my favorites, but now not so much.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The music in the game is praised for enhancing the overall experience, with players finding it enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay. It complements the engaging dialogues and adds to the cathartic feel of the grind, making it a notable aspect of the game.
- “In fact, the grind is actually a little cathartic; put on some decent music or a podcast you like and break some asteroids!”
- “Not a money grab whatsoever; hilarious dialogues, a good soundtrack, and engaging gameplay.”
- “Story, graphics, UI, music, weapons, upgrades, and more.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
- “The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The audio quality of the music is subpar, which detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Overall, users express mixed feelings about optimization; while some feel that the game could benefit from improved graphics optimization, others praise its excellent performance and addictive gameplay.
- “With optimization of graphics, the game runs smoothly and looks fantastic.”
- “Great game, very addictive, excellent performance, and easy to play.”
- “I think it could be more optimized.”
- “The optimization of graphics needs significant improvement.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development has been criticized for its poor design, with users noting that the character aesthetics clash significantly with the overall cartoonish graphics of the game, leading to a disjointed visual experience.
- “Character designs are the absolute worst; they're so vastly out of place in the cartoonish graphics used for all other elements in the game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with any of the protagonists.”
- “There is a lack of meaningful choices that affect character growth, leaving the narrative feeling flat and unengaging.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users emphasize the importance of maintaining relevance in game content to enhance replayability, suggesting that engaging and fresh experiences are key to encouraging players to return.
- “The game offers a wealth of choices that make each playthrough feel unique, ensuring high replayability.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
- “The dynamic gameplay mechanics and random events keep the experience fresh, making it incredibly replayable.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is noted for its immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like "Freelancer" and "Space Rangers," blending top-down gameplay with alien shooter elements. However, some players find that intrusive ads disrupt this immersion, detracting from the overall experience.
- “This game has its own atmosphere, reminiscent of legendary space shooters and Freelancer, yet presented in a top-down format with alien shooter elements.”
- “I understand ads like this in apps that aren't creating an atmosphere like a board game, but here it's just immersion-breaking and I hate it.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the control scheme, noting that the reliance on touch can lead to frequent obstacles and interruptions, detracting from the emotional immersion of the gameplay experience.