Stars in Shadow

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 556 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Stars in Shadow Game Cover
"A great introduction to the 4x genre, Stars in Shadow succeeds at everything it aims for.   The art style is amazing, the gameplay is fun and factions are interesting, held back by only a few lacking systems. "
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Stars in Shadow: Legacies DLC allows players to control cyborg worshipers of a mega-machine and utilize hyperspace lanes with the Arda Seed faction. This expansion explores the causes behind the collapse of the Golden Age and the Great War, adding new depth to the game's lore.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 556 reviews
graphics63 positive mentions
grinding28 negative mentions
  • Stars in Shadow captures the essence of classic 4X games like Master of Orion 2, offering enjoyable turn-based tactical combat and ship customization.
  • The game features a streamlined planet management system that reduces micromanagement while still allowing for meaningful choices.
  • The unique traits and abilities of different races add variety and depth to gameplay, making each playthrough feel distinct.
  • The AI can be unbalanced, often leading to frustrating experiences where it either becomes too easy or overly aggressive without clear reasoning.
  • Diplomacy feels underdeveloped, lacking depth and meaningful interactions, which can make the game feel one-dimensional.
  • The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios with large fleets, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • graphics146 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique, hand-drawn, comic-like art style that many players find charming and immersive, reminiscent of classic titles like Master of Orion. While some describe the visuals as cartoonish and simple, they are generally considered effective and well-suited for the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with vibrant designs and distinct identities for different races. Despite a few critiques regarding the lack of advanced graphical options, the artwork and accompanying sound design contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the 4X genre.

    • “The artwork is phenomenal; it's a hand-drawn, comic-like style that is just amazing and creatively designed.”
    • “The graphics are unique and full of personality, giving the game its own feel and identity.”
    • “The art style is fantastic -- far more vivid and colorful than Moo2, but not 'silly.' The writing, also, is straightforward and competent.”
    • “The graphics are crap but it's a surprisingly good game for fans of things like Civilization.”
    • “Graphics style: there's a lot of blue, 'meme', and it's cartoonish when I'd prefer darker or more realistic.”
    • “The art style may turn off some, given the cartoonish feel.”
  • gameplay128 mentions

    The gameplay of this 4X space strategy game is generally described as streamlined and accessible, making it easy to learn while still offering depth and strategic choices. Players appreciate the clean interface and reduced micromanagement, although some express concerns about the lack of complexity in mechanics and the need for more diverse race features. Overall, while the game provides enjoyable and fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of classic titles like Master of Orion, it suffers from some balance issues and a few frustrating bugs that detract from the experience.

    • “Gameplay is fun and easy to learn.”
    • “The game does some interesting things to reduce micromanagement and offers an interesting mechanic to mix races with different biome preferences to maximize colony population.”
    • “The gameplay hits a sweet spot between ease of play and complexity; there is enough variation amongst the factions and different game mechanics to enable very different play styles to be effective, but it's very quick to learn how to play and pretty efficient to manage your growing empire over time.”
    • “It's a mediocre 4x game, but after playing for a bit, annoying issues start to crop up, making gameplay tedious.”
    • “The gameplay suffers, however, because of the victory condition, lack of hotkeys, and some bugs.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely boring and not well-explained, nor was it well-designed; it had a terrible UI and even worse gameplay.”
  • music41 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its immersive quality and unique style that enhances the overall atmosphere, while others find it forgettable or annoying. Some players appreciate the relaxing and engaging nature of the soundtrack, noting that it complements the visuals well, while a few express a desire to turn it off entirely. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its character and appeal, despite some criticisms.

    • “The soundtrack also does its job of getting you lost in the universe for hours, which is all it really needs to do.”
    • “The music in 'Stars in Shadow' is of very high quality: the composer has a strong and unique style and really knows his gear!”
    • “The artwork is fantastic, the music fits well with the sci-fi motif, and the game runs smoothly.”
    • “It's a good thing you don't need to listen to the music, though.”
    • “What the visual artist adds to the game, the musician almost ruins.”
    • “The bad: the music is forgettable.”
  • grinding31 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game attempts to streamline gameplay by reducing tedious elements common in 4X titles, many players still find aspects of grinding to be present, particularly in tactical combat and resource management. Players express frustration with the slow pace of battles, the need for repetitive micromanagement, and the lack of meaningful engagement in late-game scenarios, leading to a sense of tedium. However, some appreciate the reduced complexity in planetary management, which allows for more focused gameplay without overwhelming micromanagement.

    • “There's no tedious espionage, focus trees, religion management, or any of the stuff that many modern strategy games think sounds good on paper but don't really add to the finished product.”
    • “Planet management is easy and not too tedious.”
    • “Planet build management is not tedious and has an easily seen impact.”
    • “In fact, it quickly began to feel tedious-- from being unable to automate exploration to the tactical combat (I'm not really into tactical combat in my 4x games).”
    • “This highly impacts end game, since whenever you finish the tech tree your only gameplay option is to rush from star to star and fight tedious boring battles in order to complete the game.”
    • “It's incredibly tedious, and after playing through two campaigns I'm still not sure how certain branches unlock.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed, with some players finding it enjoyable due to different factions and strategies, while others feel it lacks depth due to predictable AI behavior and limited challenge. Customization options and unique race advantages contribute to replay value, but the absence of a strong multiplayer community may hinder long-term engagement. Overall, while some players appreciate the replay potential, others see it as somewhat limited.

    • “I was pleasantly surprised with how replayable this game turned out to be!”
    • “Enough changes to the standard 4x format to make it different; different factions provide a decent level of replayability, and building dread stars is always fun!”
    • “The game has some replay value because each race has a significant advantage, and figuring out how to exploit these is interesting.”
    • “No real replay value as the difference between the races are the bonuses they get, which do influence the game and how you play, but not enough to make it fun to play through again.”
    • “Although the replayability value of the game stays strong no matter how many times you restart, the AI will always follow the same route and tactics as before, again and again and again.”
    • “Overall, I like the game, but it is a bit limited in replay value.”
  • story18 mentions

    The game's story is described as creative and deep, with intriguing lore and backstories for each race, though it lacks a cohesive main narrative. Players can uncover bits of lore throughout their playthroughs, but the overall storytelling feels simplistic and may not sustain interest beyond a few sessions. While there are hints of a richer narrative and ongoing development, many elements remain underexplored, leaving players wanting more depth and clarity in the storytelling.

    • “The tech tree is huge and the game also comes complete with menaces (space harpies and pirates) as well as a unique background story.”
    • “There are pieces of a story, hinting at things that were and things to come.”
    • “That being said, there is a good deal of depth here, and a clever storyline/premise.”
    • “Whatever story there is remains locked behind a single research technology, and it's usually something you can't pick until mid-game.”
    • “Unlike MOO2, there are no pre-rendered cutscenes, barely any backstory, and no 'reward' type screens.”
    • “Unfortunately, Stars in Shadow doesn’t have enough of the rich environment present in the outsider storyline.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly for smaller setups, performance issues arise with larger configurations, particularly beyond 99 stars. Users appreciate the game's design choices that enhance the significance of assets, but note that it isn't fully optimized for large-scale battles or extensive diplomatic interactions. Despite some performance limitations, many players report satisfactory experiences with manageable system sizes.

    • “The game runs smoothly - I can run 154 stars on my laptop without lag (that may not seem like a lot but managing 50 planets is a lot).”
    • “Not really having any performance issues... unless I start a game with 500 systems (which is super huge, comes with warnings huge). Even then, the AI calculating at the end of turn isn't that bad.”
    • “To be honest, it felt like there was no difference in performance from 99 to 150.”
    • “It's not optimized or intended for hundreds vs. hundreds battles and stuff, which is cool in that it makes your ships and assets have more relevance and importance.”
    • “There are planned features, and its performance isn't fantastic, but it's a completed game.”
    • “There is also a performance warning for when you try to create a game with over 99 stars; I've set my first game up with 80 and found that it's too small and you run into other races far too quickly.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent glitches and crashes that disrupt gameplay, often requiring restarts. Players have reported significant issues, including debug messages and game freezes, making manual saving essential to avoid losing progress. Overall, the refit feature is particularly criticized for being buggy and underdeveloped.

    • “The refit is one of the most buggy and underdeveloped parts of the game.”
    • “Some glitches and game crashing, forcing a restart.”
    • “Unfortunately, it freezes often and crashes dramatically every 10 minutes.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its engaging aesthetics, music, and graphics, which contribute to a light and enjoyable experience. Despite some flaws, many players find the atmosphere to be a standout feature, enhancing the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game. Overall, it is regarded as a well-crafted blend of art and atmosphere, earning a solid 8/10 rating.

    • “Has to be one of the best 4X games I've played, great art, atmosphere, and really fun and easy to get into!”
    • “Old school but made with care, with excellent writing and atmosphere and fun mechanics.”
    • “There are major flaws, but the combination of aesthetics and atmosphere made something that I could definitely enjoy.”
    • “The music and graphics lend a lightness to the atmosphere.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in "Stars in Shadow" is subtly integrated, balancing complexity and accessibility without veering into whimsy, which appeals to a wide range of players, including seasoned strategists. While the game features engaging lore and amusing visuals, it prioritizes deep gameplay over extensive world-building, making the humor a complementary aspect rather than the main focus. Overall, players appreciate the cleverness of the humor in relation to the game's mechanics and value.

    • “Stars in Shadow perfects the balance of complexity and accessibility, realism and wonder, humor and gravity, easy learning curve and depth of strategic possibility.”
    • “For a mechanics-driven 4X game like this, where the emphasis is on deep gameplay and less on world-building and background setting, this game has a nice lore set that is engaging enough to tie everything else together, with enough humor without being whimsical or silly to keep even the most jaded grognard happy.”
    • “I bought the game for $15; it's funny because I think it's better than Galactic Civilizations III for $40, Stellaris for $40, the new MMO for $30, ES1 for $40, and Stardrive (even though that ship design and combat are really great) for $30.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a sense of heartbreak regarding the game's potential, feeling that a larger development budget could have significantly enhanced its emotional depth. The experience of prolonged gameplay, where empires are in close proximity, adds to the frustration and emotional weight of the game.

    • “It is heartbreaking to imagine what this game could be if it had 10% of the development budget that other major titles had.”
    • “Then I played for several hundred turns where all the borders of my empire and those of the AI empires were touching each other.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, as players feel that it delivers quality gameplay that surpasses the expectations set by its advertising.

  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is enhanced by a visually appealing art style and well-designed characters, contributing to an engaging experience. The interface supports this with clear tool-tips and explanations, although some references may be lacking. Overall, the combination of aesthetics and functionality enriches the character development aspect.

    • “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and motivations becoming more complex as you progress.”
    • “The choices you make significantly impact character growth, making every decision feel weighty and rewarding.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
39hAverage play time
2-120hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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