The Away Team

About

The Away Team is a single player simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Underflow Studios and was released on July 22, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews

story18 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The writing is exceptional, with imaginative and well-paced stories that engage players deeply, reminiscent of classic sci-fi literature.
The game offers meaningful choices that impact the narrative, providing a rich, interactive experience akin to a choose-your-own-adventure novel.
The character traits and crew dynamics add depth to gameplay, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes and scenarios.

The game is heavily text-based, which may deter players who prefer more visual or action-oriented gameplay, and some found the text size difficult to read.
There are technical issues, including crashes and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, leading to frustration for some players.
Some choices feel forced or lack meaningful consequences, which can diminish the sense of agency and impact in the narrative.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The game's story is a richly woven narrative that places players in the role of an AI managing the last interstellar ship from a dying Earth, facing moral dilemmas and resource management while searching for a new habitable planet. With multiple endings and a focus on character traits influencing outcomes, the text-based missions offer engaging, self-contained stories that contribute to an overarching plot reminiscent of classic sci-fi. While some players found the writing overly verbose, many praised its depth and the emotional investment it fosters in the characters and their journeys.
- “This game is a marvelous piece of storytelling that kept me engaged to the very end.”
- “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.”
- “For me, I had difficulty with engrossing myself in the story.”
- “Ultimately, the success of the game hinges on the story and I just couldn't get into it.”
- “The mark-down is due only because it was really, really, really wordy (I do not recommend for light readers). The wordiness did give the game a more in-depth story and imagery though, and the fact that I had little willpower to get another ending after I finished it the first time; I had tried a bit for an extra ending, but after 1 hour I gave up.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The gameplay is primarily focused on making choices and managing a crew, with players selecting team members based on their unique traits and skills for away missions on various planets. While the mechanics involve resource management and crew selection, some players find the gameplay repetitive when transitioning between planets. Despite its simple design and retro graphics, the game offers engaging storytelling that keeps players invested in the outcomes of their decisions.
- “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.”
- “Once at a planet or station of interest, the core mechanic of the game, the away missions, begin. 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.”
- “It really nails the look, feel, and gameplay of those early story-heavy games from back when people hadn't quite decided what story-heavy games were yet.”
- “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”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple, retro pixel art style that complements its text-based choose-your-own-adventure format. While the visuals are not essential to the gameplay, they receive praise for their charm and the developer's ongoing updates, which enhance the overall experience. Some users appreciate the limited technical options for resolution, viewing it as a benefit for those preferring a straightforward setup.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Basically it's a choose your own adventure with some pixel graphics sprayed on the top.”
- “The graphic part is not necessary, but the developer gets extra points for the effort.”
- “Limited technical options for resolution and other related visuals (this may be seen as a plus by those wishing for a simple setup).”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised for its clever and well-written dialogues, blending quirky sci-fi elements with engaging storytelling. Reviewers appreciate the variety in tone, ranging from humorous to ominous, which enhances the overall experience and imagination.
- “The dialogues and stories are so well written and often hilarious.”
- “If you like quirky sci-fi text humor and an interesting story in 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.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability through its choose-your-own-adventure mechanics and a nuanced crew member personality system, which influences gameplay based on character traits. However, some players note that not all choices lead to distinct outcomes, potentially limiting replay value. Community support for additional content and modding could enhance longevity and variety in gameplay experiences.
- “The game has a lot in common with choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks. When your humans explore planets, you'll have to help them decide what they'll do, pulling a lever, exploring a certain zone, being friendly or hostile. Different choices mean different consequences, and the 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, I predict that if the community gets behind this, 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 features a simple but effective simulation part where you have to carefully manage your fuel and food reserves, and find more if you deplete one or the other, which enhances the replayability experience.”
- “Typical adventure game book problems regarding replayability; not all choices give alternative responses but instead 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, then 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 it feels like not all choices lead to meaningful differences, which limits its replayability.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The music in the game is praised for its attractive quality and retro science fiction vibe, contributing to a solid overall art design. While the soundtrack and pixel art are appreciated, some reviewers feel that the appeal may be limited to those who enjoy text-heavy space exploration, drawing comparisons to the music of Mass Effect.
- “The attractive visuals and music, along with solid art design, 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.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its attractive visuals and music, complemented by solid art design that collectively creates a captivating retro science fiction ambiance.
- “The attractive visuals and music, along with solid art design as a whole, give the game a retro science fiction atmosphere.”
- “The atmospheric elements truly immerse you in the game world.”
- “The combination of visuals and sound creates a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has received negative feedback regarding its stability, with multiple users reporting significant bugs that hinder the overall experience.
- “Wanted to like this game, but it was too buggy.”