The Spatials: Galactology

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The Spatials: Galactology is a space station management and colony simulation game. As the captain of a spaceship, you'll build, customize, and defend your space station while managing resources, researching new technologies, and trading with other civilizations. Expect complex gameplay, procedural generation, and a sense of humor in this enhanced version of the original Spatials game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and engaging space colony management experience with a variety of mechanics.
The graphics are charming and the game has a unique art style that adds to its appeal.
The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates and improvements.

There are numerous game-breaking bugs that hinder gameplay, such as resources not being collected and characters not responding to commands.
The UI is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management frustrating.
The game lacks meaningful progression and can feel repetitive, with outdated mechanics and tedious micromanagement.

gameplay
55 mentions
20 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating elements, with many players appreciating the depth and variety of content while also criticizing outdated mechanics, confusing controls, and a lackluster tutorial. The game offers a solid foundation for colony management and exploration, but suffers from balance issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some find it enjoyable and rewarding, others feel it falls short of its potential, particularly in terms of complexity and user-friendliness.
- “Very much enjoyed the amount of content and the different mechanics at play, though in some cases half the fun was figuring out how it all worked.”
- “This game has outstanding gameplay value for its price.”
- “Deep gameplay with planetary exploring, ship building, squad progression, base building, cargo management, research tree... there's a lot here.”
- “In reality, it’s a frustrating mix of outdated mechanics and tedious micromanagement.”
- “There isn't anything to explore really, the controls and mechanics are confusing and take guesswork; the tutorial is extremely annoying.”
- “I ran into too many problems during the first hour of gameplay.”
graphics
35 mentions
31 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a colorful, cartoonish art style that many players find charming and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic titles. While some reviewers appreciate the aesthetic variety and customization options available, others feel that the simplistic graphics do not match the game's ambitious premise, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, the visuals are seen as cute and fun, though they may lack depth and advanced features.
- “The graphics are cartoony and fun, which contrasts with the dangers found in space.”
- “The graphics are bright and charming, and there's plenty to keep you busy between keeping officers and tourists happy and exploring the universe for rarer materials.”
- “The graphics are cutesy and colorful with only basic animations; for some reason, they remind me of the original X-COM games, which is a plus for me, playing on my nostalgia.”
- “The graphics feel too simplistic for the game’s ambitious premise, and the lack of meaningful progression makes the whole experience repetitive.”
- “The graphics have something of a retro feel to them, with relatively simple textures and little in the way of fancy effects and advanced features.”
- “Entity graphics, while well done and cute, become blurry and unpleasant to look at at higher zoom levels.”
story
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is criticized for its lack of a cohesive narrative or endgame goals, relying instead on randomized missions and achievements that diminish replayability. Players express a desire for a more structured storyline and quests, as the current content feels insufficient for those seeking a narrative experience. While there are hints of future content that may enhance the story, the current state leaves much to be desired.
- “I particularly love how you have to go out and explore to find resources in the form of away missions.”
- “Which I assume will be coming back; these further the experience and give a chance for the various planets to provide outside quests for neat toys or rare resources.”
- “This way it will create some interesting story for the player.”
- “Still, lacking a storyline or plot, or some kind of struggle to survive does lower the replayability value.”
- “There isn't much in the game story/objective-wise beyond a list of achievements, so don't buy yet if you are looking for a narrative experience or endgame goals.”
- “At the time of this review, there is no endgame or storyline and I don't really know what's planned before it leaves early access, but there's a fair bit of content already there that you can enjoy.”
music
12 mentions
50 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the high-quality, spacey synthesizer tracks that create a relaxing atmosphere, others find the music repetitive and overly loud, leading to annoyance over time. There are calls for more variety in the soundtrack, suggesting the addition of different styles like piano or guitar to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point, but improvements in diversity and volume control are desired.
- “The music is top notch, though very loud on the default settings, comprising a number of Jarre-like synthesizer tracks with a spacey theme, replete with wooshes and zaps and all those nice sorts of science fiction sounds -- great stuff!”
- “Super chill, relaxing music, and it's just cute.”
- “Good soundtrack”
- “The music becomes repetitive and the sound gets a bit annoying after hearing it quite a few times.”
- “The music is decent to listen to the first couple of times, but after a while, they all sound the same.”
- “I blame the soothing music for that.”
grinding
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unengaging, with outdated mechanics and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience. Players find the micromanagement and combat systems clunky, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment, especially as the novelty of gameplay elements wears off. Despite its interesting concept, the excessive grinding and lack of meaningful rewards make it difficult for many to recommend the game.
- “In reality, it’s a frustrating mix of outdated mechanics and tedious micromanagement.”
- “An interesting idea mixing 'Star Trek' and 'The Sims', but it has far too much grinding and not enough payoffs to consider this a 'good' game.”
- “The planet exploration is another repetitive and eventually mindless part of the game; it gets old to clear out and loot the hostiles and build extractors and other structures after the umpteenth time, and the last update unfortunately expanded this tedious process to trade as well.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its cute graphics and quirky characters, such as a cat commanding a robot army, which adds a lighthearted touch to the base management experience. While players appreciate the amusing elements and the blend of sim-style gameplay with sci-fi humor, some feel that the humor could be further developed to elevate the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as funny and charming, but it has room for improvement in its comedic depth and gameplay mechanics.
- “You're looking at an adorable and funny, yet surprisingly complex base management game.”
- “Characters are really funny (cat with robot army :D) and if you like (like me) management and production games, it does the job well, leaving you to keep playing just a bit more.”
- “Good mix of sim-style gaming, and sci-fi humor.”
optimization
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly when managing complex stations, leading to stuttering and making it unplayable for some users. It appears to rely heavily on a single CPU core, which exacerbates these problems, even on platforms like the Steam Deck. Despite ongoing efforts to improve performance in updates, many players still experience severe limitations as their bases grow in complexity.
- “Frenetic combat, fully-automated supply lines, realistic NPCs with real needs, assembly lines begging to be optimized... so many genres implemented seamlessly.”
- “Every release advances our goals, but we do take detours when needed, like the 2 months long massive rewrite for performance in 3.6 or the 'hell it's about time' for planet stations in 3.8.”
- “Not because the game is bad, but because of performance issues.”
- “It appears to do most work on a single CPU core, and as soon as you have a 'medium' station, you start getting stuttering that makes the game unplayable.”
- “The performance is horrendous; once you reach a certain level of complexity, which you need to make your base profitable, the game becomes unplayable.”
replayability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers significant value for players who enjoy base design, the absence of a compelling storyline or survival elements diminishes its overall appeal. Some players find it visually appealing but lacking in engaging content, while others appreciate that major updates introduce fresh experiences, enhancing replayability.
- “Lots of replayability for those who love designing bases.”
- “Great as is, but every major update adds changes and improvements that provide a fresh experience, making for great replayability.”
- “Unlike other games of this genre, it has a very poor replay value.”
- “Still, lacking a storyline or plot, or some kind of struggle to survive does lower the replayability value.”
- “The game looks sort of pretty, but doesn't have a lot, or any, replayability if you're looking for something engaging and fun.”
stability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as buggy and unrefined, with users noting various stability issues. However, many acknowledge that it is still in early access, which may contribute to these problems.
- “I did find the game a bit buggy though.”
- “A bit buggy, at times.”
- “Buggy and unrefined.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is characterized by a sense of achievement as players build and equip their bases with powerful crews, contrasting with the option to customize the environment to a more subdued aesthetic if the default vibrant style is unappealing.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of this world.”
- “Every corner of the environment is filled with detail, creating a rich and engaging atmosphere.”
- “The tension in the atmosphere keeps you on the edge of your seat, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “If you don't like the candy atmosphere in the game, you are free to create your own station in dull colors.”
- “The atmosphere feels overly simplistic and lacks depth, making it hard to immerse myself in the game world.”
- “The game tries to create a tense atmosphere, but it often falls flat and feels more like a chore than an engaging experience.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization system involves resource extraction from different planets and the construction of buildings like recruitment centers and TV stations to generate income through advertisements. While the previous version offered more variety in monetization options, the current setup is deemed sufficient by users.
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, with constant prompts to spend real money on in-game resources.”
- “It seems like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than allowing them to enjoy the content without spending extra.”
- “The reliance on ads and paid features detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a well-crafted game.”