The Away Team

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 43 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Away Team Game Cover
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"The Away Team" is a sci-fi, narrative-driven game where players lead ordinary people who survived an alien attack. Players must manage the crew, manage resources, and navigate political and ethical dilemmas while trying to find a way back to Earth. The game features branching dialogue options and consequences, with multiple endings based on the choices made.

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Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews
story9 positive mentions
gameplay1 negative mentions
  • The writing is exceptional, with imaginative and engaging stories that draw players in, reminiscent of classic sci-fi literature.
  • The game offers meaningful choices that impact the narrative, providing a sense of urgency and investment in the crew's survival.
  • The developers are active in updating the game and engaging with the community, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many choices leading to similar outcomes and a reliance on luck.
  • The game is heavily text-based, which may deter players who prefer more visual or action-oriented gameplay.
  • There are technical issues, including bugs and crashes, which can disrupt the experience and lead to frustration.
  • story35 mentions

    The game's story is a compelling blend of sci-fi adventure and moral dilemmas, where players assume the role of an AI managing the last interstellar ship from a dying Earth. With rich, descriptive writing and multiple endings, the narrative engages players through challenging choices that impact crew survival and mission outcomes. While some find the text-heavy format overwhelming, many praise its depth and the interactive nature of the storytelling, making it a standout experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “I'm not entirely sure how much of the rich text there is before it repeats, but the challenge of not running out of food and fuel while hunting for a new planetary home for the very last interstellar ship out of several dozen to depart dying Earth, while being the character of the nominally benevolent yet absolutely pragmatic AI that is trying to keep your crew alive while knowing how dangerous space exploration is, and that there are moral choices to make to keep a mission going, make it a difficult game to put down, like a good book.”
    • “Don't be fooled by its simple, retro appearance and pixel graphics: this is a real hidden gem, with very solid writing and an interesting plot that will keep you playing, solar system after solar system, gameplay minutes turning into hours, wondering what will happen next, both to you and to your crew members.”
    • “Awesomely well written choose-your-own-adventure sci-fi story about the end and a possible new beginning of the human race in an episodic format with a general arc in Star Trek style.”
    • “Ultimately, the success of the game hinges on the story and I just couldn't get into it.”
    • “For me, I had difficulty with engrossing myself in the story.”
    • “The mark-down is due only because it was really wordy, and the fact that I had little willpower to get another ending after I finished it the first time.”
  • gameplay9 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily focused on making choices and experiencing their consequences, with a simple design that emphasizes resource management and crew selection. Players engage in away missions on various planets, where character traits influence outcomes and interactions with self-contained stories. While the gameplay may feel repetitive at times, its solid writing and engaging plot keep players invested for hours.

    • “Don't be fooled by its simple, retro appearance and pixel graphics: this is a real hidden gem, with very solid writing and an interesting plot that will keep you playing, solar system after solar system, gameplay minutes turning into hours, wondering what will happen next, both to you and to your crew members.”
    • “The gameplay is relatively simple in design; when beginning a new game, you select a crew from a list of possible members, each with their own set of careers, skills, and personality, which establishes your available team for the rest of the game.”
    • “Once at a planet or station of interest, the core mechanic of the game, the away missions, begins. From here, you must select up to six people to send on a mission to investigate and search for resources, interacting with self-contained stories on each world, though in rare cases, information gleaned on one world can aid choices on another.”
    • “The gameplay is relatively simple in design; when beginning a new game, you select a crew from a list of possible members, each with their own set of careers, skills, and personality, which establishes your available team for the rest of the game.”
    • “The gameplay basically comes down to resource management and crew selection, but neither of these would be deep enough to sustain the game on their own.”
    • “- repetitive gameplay when moving from planet to planet”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics of the game are described as simple and retro, primarily serving as a visual overlay for its text-based choose-your-own-adventure gameplay. While the pixel art may not be essential, it adds charm and receives praise for regular updates and workshop support. Some users appreciate the limited technical options for resolution, viewing it as a benefit for those preferring a straightforward setup.

    • “It's great, and gets semi-regular updates with quality of life changes, new graphics, workshop support, changes to existing missions, and even occasionally new missions.”
    • “Don't be fooled by its simple, retro appearance and pixel graphics: this is a real hidden gem, with very solid writing and an interesting plot that will keep you playing, solar system after solar system, gameplay minutes turning into hours, wondering what will happen next, both to you and to your crew members.”
    • “The graphic part is not necessary, but the developer gets extra points for the effort.”
    • “Basically, it's a choose your own adventure with some pixel graphics sprayed on top.”
    • “The graphic part is not necessary, but the developer gets extra points for the effort.”
    • “This is a text choose your own adventure game, with graphics in the right margin.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by well-written dialogues and stories that range from quirky and hilarious to ominous, providing a diverse and engaging experience. Players appreciate the blend of sci-fi elements with comedic storytelling, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy imaginative narratives.

    • “The dialogues and stories are so well written and often hilarious.”
    • “If you like quirky sci-fi text humor, interesting stories, and a cool world to explore, buy it.”
    • “The stories were varied, from humorous to ominous, and it was easy to imagine most of what was going on in my head.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through its choose-your-own-adventure mechanics and a nuanced crew member personality system, which influences interactions and outcomes based on player choices. However, some users note that not all choices lead to varied responses, potentially limiting replay value. Community support for additional stories and modding could enhance longevity and replayability further.

    • “The game has a lot in common with choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks, where your humans explore planets and you help them decide their actions. Different choices lead to different consequences, and the addition of a simple but effective simulation aspect, along with a deeply interesting crew member personality system, adds a ton of replayability. A strong farmer will act, speak, and perform differently than a genial but disabled scientist.”
    • “Final verdict: I have had quite a bit of fun with the game. While it does feel a tad overpriced and I predict some replayability issues, if the community gets behind it, the possibility for additional stories and developments through writing and modding can add a great deal of further life to this well-written adventure.”
    • “The game has a lot in common with choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks, but adds a simple yet effective simulation part. However, it feels like replayability is limited because not all choices provide alternative responses; some just tick internal flags within the program.”
    • “Final verdict: I have had quite a bit of fun with the game, but it does feel a tad overpriced and I predict replayability issues. However, if the community gets behind this, the possibility for additional stories and developments through writing and modding could add a great deal of further life to this well-written adventure.”
    • “Typical adventure gamebook problems regarding replayability: not all choices give alternative responses but instead tick internal flags within the program.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for its attractive retro science fiction vibe, complementing the solid art design and evoking comparisons to the soundtrack of Mass Effect. However, while the pixel art and soundtrack are appreciated, some players feel that the overall experience may not justify the investment unless they have a strong interest in text-heavy space exploration.

    • “The attractive visuals and music, along with solid art design as a whole, give the game a retro science fiction atmosphere.”
    • “When you first boot up this game, you'll think that the music is trying to evoke Mass Effect.”
    • “The pixel art and soundtrack are a nice touch.”
    • “When you first boot up this game, you'll think that the music is trying to evoke Mass Effect.”
    • “The music feels repetitive and lacks the depth needed to enhance the gameplay experience.”
    • “While the visuals are attractive, the music fails to create an engaging atmosphere.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by its attractive visuals and music, complemented by solid art design that collectively creates a compelling retro science fiction ambiance.

    • “The game has an incredibly atmospheric feel that draws you in.”
    • “The attractive visuals and music, along with solid art design, create a captivating retro science fiction atmosphere.”
    • “The overall atmosphere is immersive and engaging, making every moment feel unique.”
    • “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
    • “Despite the attractive visuals, the overall atmosphere feels flat and fails to immerse the player.”
    • “The sound design is underwhelming, which detracts from the intended atmosphere of the game.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting numerous bugs that hinder the overall experience.

    • “Wanted to like this game, but it was too buggy.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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