Starship Traveller

About

Starship Traveller is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Tin Man Games and was released on March 11, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Starship Traveller" is a sci-fi PC game where you captain the starship Traveller, thrown into an unknown universe after passing through a black hole. Your mission is to find a way back to Earth while encountering alien races and planets. The game features physics-based dice rolling for battles, auto-mapping, and an auto-updated adventure sheet to keep track of your progress.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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59%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

story8 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Starship Traveller is a faithful adaptation of the original Fighting Fantasy gamebook, preserving its spirit while enhancing the experience with modern interactive storytelling mechanics and polished visuals.
The game features a well-designed user interface that automates bookkeeping, allowing players to focus on decision-making and narrative flow, making it accessible for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
The storytelling captures the essence of classic sci-fi adventures, offering a sense of wonder and exploration through varied encounters with alien civilizations and moral choices.

The game suffers from a lack of depth in narrative structure and pacing, with some encounters feeling disconnected and choices not always leading to meaningful outcomes.
Despite its engaging premise, the gameplay can feel repetitive and linear, with many paths leading to similar outcomes, diminishing replayability.
Some players found the writing to be lacking in depth and creativity, with a reliance on brevity that fails to fully develop the alien cultures and conflicts presented.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The story of "Starship Traveller" centers on a captain navigating a strange region of space after being thrown into a black hole, with a focus on exploration, moral choices, and crew management. While it evokes a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic sci-fi like Star Trek, opinions on its depth vary; some praise its immersive storytelling and branching paths, while others criticize it for being simplistic and repetitive. Overall, it successfully blends old-school narrative elements with modern interactive mechanics, appealing to both nostalgic fans and new players seeking thoughtful adventures.
- “With no way to contact Earth and limited resources, your mission is to navigate this strange region of space, encounter alien civilizations, manage your crew, and ultimately find a way home.”
- “The story doesn’t rely on melodrama or action-heavy spectacle but instead evokes tension through isolation, discovery, and moral choices.”
- “Each new world visited feels like a short story in itself, with its own rules and dangers.”
- “Game over in 10 minutes lol :) one click and your story is over.”
- “Tedious multiple initial dice rolls which is inconsequential and poor fractured storyline.”
- “After the first few playthroughs you will learn quickly that your choices seem to mean little and the story is not random, so you will be picking from the same choices again and again after you die.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The graphics of "Starship Traveller" have been praised for their modern reinterpretation, featuring vibrant, full-color artwork that enhances the nostalgic feel of the original text adventure. While some reviewers appreciated the polished visuals and updated interface, others criticized the graphics as unoriginal and repetitive, expressing a desire for more dynamic elements like animations. Overall, the game strikes a balance between maintaining its classic roots and offering a visually appealing experience, though opinions on the execution vary.
- “Tin Man Games reimagines this classic text adventure through modern interactive storytelling mechanics, polished visuals, and a thoughtfully updated interface that enhances the experience without compromising its nostalgic roots.”
- “Aesthetically, Starship Traveller is a triumph of modern reinterpretation.”
- “The original black-and-white illustrations have been replaced with full-color artwork by Simon Lissaman, which captures the strangeness and scale of space exploration.”
- “The game is reminiscent of old text-based games of the early 80s, when computer graphics weren't really anything beyond what a Commodore 64 could offer.”
- “Thought I'd give it a go, but the graphics are unimaginative and repetitive; the gameplay is non-existent.”
- “Admittedly, Peter Andrew Jones' artwork seemed to lack detail, but I'd have liked it all the same.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay of this reimagined text adventure combines modern interactive storytelling with branching narrative choices and light role-playing elements, enhanced by polished visuals and a user-friendly interface. While the dice-based combat introduces an element of chance, some players find the gameplay mechanics redundant and the challenges repetitive, though others appreciate the impactful choices and nostalgic feel. Overall, the experience is designed to balance classic elements with new features, allowing players to engage at their own pace.
- “Tin Man Games reimagines this classic text adventure through modern interactive storytelling mechanics, polished visuals, and a thoughtfully updated interface that enhances the experience without compromising its nostalgic roots.”
- “The gameplay unfolds through a hybrid of branching narrative choices and light role-playing mechanics.”
- “Options during gameplay give you a feel of having an impact on the story, and you feel bad when one of your crew dies.”
- “Combat encounters, whether between ships or individuals, rely on dice-based systems similar to traditional tabletop mechanics, introducing an element of chance that mirrors the tension of the unknown.”
- “The gameplay might be redundant even from a gamebook perspective, in the sense that you need to take into consideration the stats of every crew member (let alone the spaceship itself) even though it barely makes a difference for your survival.”
- “Thought I'd give it a go but the graphics are unimaginative and repetitive, the gameplay nonexistent.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The music in the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere with a nostalgic and mysterious ambiance reminiscent of classic sci-fi series like Star Trek. The soundtrack, composed by Ryan Grogan, complements the game's presentation and theme, although some players noted the absence of voice acting. Overall, the combination of engaging music and visuals significantly elevates the experience, making it stand out in its genre.
- “The interface’s clean design reinforces the immersion rather than distracting from it, while subtle audio cues and background music create an ambiance that is both mysterious and nostalgic.”
- “The music and the presentation is top notch, it matches perfectly with the book and really helps immerse yourself; this is a big plus since otherwise, it's exactly the same as reading the book.”
- “Amazing music, art style and story, this one has it all!”
- “The background music by Ryan Grogan is predictably Star Trek-like, with the title screen and ending music specifically resembling Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Prokofiev's 'Troika'.”
- “The background music by Ryan Grogan is predictably Star Trek-like, with the title screen and ending music specifically resembling Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Prokofiev's 'Troika'.”
- “It's worth noting that this game/novel is quite unique among its genre since most of the CYOA stories I've read are bereft of any graphical (i.e., artwork injected into the text) and/or musical representations.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of retro pulp sci-fi and minimalist modern design, creating a timeless and immersive experience. Enhanced by superb music and graphics, it effectively establishes a captivating ambiance that aligns well with its sci-fi theme, making it a notable entry in interactive fiction.
- “The visual presentation evokes a blend of retro pulp sci-fi and minimalist modern design, creating a world that feels timeless yet atmospheric.”
- “The music and graphics are superb, and fit perfectly with the atmosphere and sci-fi theme.”
- “Though modest in scope, its atmosphere, charm, and fidelity to the source material make it a standout entry in the fighting fantasy digital library—a small but shining star in the galaxy of interactive fiction.”
- “Having these additions is a nice change of pace and helps to establish the atmosphere the developer is trying to create.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game offers high replayability due to its branching storylines, diverse paths, and the chance to explore new planets and outcomes with each playthrough. However, some players note that its short length may limit overall replay value.
- “The replayability comes from its branching storylines, varied paths to success or failure, and the possibility of discovering new planets and outcomes on each playthrough.”
- “I have yet to beat the game but am enjoying the replay value a lot in that the game makes me want to beat it!”
- “Short game, little replayability.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the multiple initial dice rolls that feel inconsequential, contributing to a disjointed and unsatisfying storyline.
- “The grinding feels tedious, with multiple initial dice rolls that seem inconsequential and contribute to a poorly fractured storyline.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the gameplay feel monotonous and unengaging.”
- “I found the grinding mechanics to be overly time-consuming, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its instability, with users reporting numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience, leading many to feel it is not worth the investment.
- “The game is incredibly buggy and not worth the money.”
- “Frequent crashes make it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and stability issues throughout my gameplay.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the streamlined stat-based system enhances gameplay efficiency, it can detract from the emotional depth of the experience, making it feel more like a procedural exercise rather than a profound journey.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the character development in this work is minimal, as it is primarily aimed at a younger audience, leading to a straightforward narrative without significant growth or complexity in the characters.
- “It's a kid's book; don't expect character development or plot twists.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Starship Traveller is a role playing game.

Starship Traveller is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Starship Traveller was released on March 11, 2015.

Starship Traveller was developed by Tin Man Games.

Starship Traveller has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Starship Traveller is a single player game.

Similar games include The Forest of Doom, Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2, Fabled Lands, Deathtrap Dungeon: The Interactive Video Adventure, Appointment With FEAR and others.

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