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The Station

Even stranger than its premise and scarier than it looks, The Station is a short ride to a great ending.
The Station Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, stability
85% User Score Based on 1,266 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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The Station Game Cover

About

The Station is a single player shooter game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by The Station Game ltd and was released on February 18, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "The Station," you explore a space station after it has experienced a mysterious incident, threatening the delicate balance of peace between two alien civilizations. As a recon specialist, you must piece together what happened and safeguard the mission's secrets. Interact with advanced technology, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth in this suspenseful, atmospheric narrative-driven game.

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The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
The Station screenshot
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85%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,266 reviews
story504 positive mentions
replayability10 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and well-designed environments create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with a surprising plot twist that keeps players invested.
  • Puzzles are straightforward and logical, enhancing the narrative without being overly challenging.
  • Extremely short gameplay, typically completed in 1.5 to 2 hours, which may not justify the price.
  • Limited replayability, as the game does not offer much content beyond the initial playthrough.
  • Some players found the writing and character development lacking, making it hard to connect with the crew.
  • story
    1,150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is primarily conveyed through audio logs and written notes, creating an engaging narrative that, while not groundbreaking, is enjoyable and thought-provoking. Many players appreciated the atmospheric setting and the intriguing plot twist at the end, although some found the story to be predictable and the overall experience too short, typically lasting around 1.5 to 3 hours. Despite its brevity, the game is recommended for fans of narrative-driven experiences, as it effectively combines exploration with storytelling, though some wished for a deeper and more fleshed-out narrative.

    • “The story is compelling, especially after you finish.”
    • “The story is actually pretty deep because although you play as a human observing another alien race, the commentary is actually about our current society.”
    • “The story that you discover through exploring is phenomenal and the ending is mind blowing.”
    • “A slow casual playthrough is under 2 hours, and there is very little content in the game; the puzzles are simplistic, and the story is an overdone sci-fi cliché you can see coming a parsec away.”
    • “The writing is extremely cringy and there isn't much science in the story.”
    • “The story however didn't feel as mysterious as I hoped, and I wish it was longer.”
  • graphics
    336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere, effectively enhancing the overall experience. Many players noted the attention to detail and the high-quality art style, which fits well within the sci-fi theme. However, some reviews mentioned occasional graphical artifacts and glitches, though these were generally considered acceptable given the game's scope.

    • “The game is pretty short, but the visuals are stunning, and the whole space station vibe is immersive.”
    • “The detailed visuals and items and feeling of being on a spaceship with living quarters is incredible and the best part of the game!”
    • “Absolutely amazing game, amazing storyline and graphics, the gameplay also felt amazing.”
    • “There were some graphical artifacts which would remain no matter how I configured the settings.”
    • “Graphically I had to tweak a lot to make it bearable.”
    • “This is another case of too much time spent on the graphics, not enough on the content.”
  • atmosphere
    248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted design, effectively creating a sense of tension and mystery throughout the experience. Players appreciate the combination of stunning visuals, atmospheric soundscapes, and engaging storytelling, which together enhance the exploration of the space station. While the game is noted to be short, its atmospheric qualities make it a compelling choice for fans of narrative-driven experiences.

    • “A beautifully told story, full of character and atmosphere; games like this don't come along often, but when they do, you know you're in for a good time.”
    • “The atmosphere is beautifully crafted, and the sound design was phenomenal.”
    • “The atmosphere is tense at times but by no means terrifying, and most of your time is spent looking at things and wandering around.”
    • “It definitely succeeds in creating an atmosphere where you feel vulnerable and alone.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game for me feels incredibly tense - the lighting, juddering, carefully-orchestrated ambience and tidbits of information came together to give it a creeping, haunting vibe for the duration of the experience up until the last moment.”
  • gameplay
    144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and solving simple puzzles within a visually appealing environment, but many rooms lack meaningful interaction, leading to a sense of missed potential. Players generally find the experience enjoyable for its story and atmosphere, though the short playtime of around 2-3 hours and limited replay value have led to concerns about its pricing. Overall, while the mechanics are straightforward and well-executed, the game could benefit from more content and complexity to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “Absolutely amazing game, amazing storyline and graphics, the gameplay also felt amazing.”
    • “This is an excellent exploration-mystery-puzzle game with an interesting story and good gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fun, the station is creepy, the puzzles make sense and the premise is refreshing.”
    • “There is a great deal of missed potential here because I finished the game in only two hours and the game could have been quite a lot longer if those rooms contained more gameplay elements.”
    • “It is a shame that the 3D modelers went through so much work to create the environments while the programmers did not program enough gameplay elements to fill in those environments.”
    • “Current pricing for this is way off for the amount of gameplay you get.”
  • music
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric sound design and occasional dramatic scores that enhance the tension, while others noted a lack of a consistent soundtrack. Voice acting is generally well-received, though there are criticisms regarding specific performances. Overall, the combination of ambient sounds and music contributes positively to the game's immersive experience.

    • “Very well-executed: engaging story; solid soundtrack; beautiful environments; smooth gameplay; cool little puzzles that don't leave you pulling out your hair and googling a walkthrough.”
    • “Honestly, it's a very well put together game, great graphics and atmospheric music, can be 100% for easy achievements and the ending is pretty surprising.”
    • “Great story, great music, nice, not overcomplicated puzzles.”
    • “The game tries to build 'scary' tension with music and scripted events, but ultimately I don't think the game even has a fail state.”
    • “There was the occasional dramatic music score, but mainly the game relies on no music and lots of special effect sounds.”
    • “Only complaint is that Silas's voice actor was pretty bad and a soundtrack would have been nice.”
  • replayability
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its minimal replayability, with many reviewers noting its short playtime of 2-3 hours and lack of substantial content to warrant multiple playthroughs. While some enjoyed the atmosphere and gameplay, they still recommend purchasing it on sale due to its limited replay value.

    • “It's a short game without a ton of replay value, other than to grab a couple achievements you may have missed, so I'd recommend purchasing on sale but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the gameplay and would recommend :)”
    • “Additionally, there's not gonna be a huge amount of replay value unless you're really looking for a chill sci-fi walking sim.”
    • “Honestly, I can’t find much replay value.”
    • “The game is quite short and only offers very limited replay value, but the setup is very atmospheric and the story is told in an interesting way.”
    • “While not as short as many seem to think, the station is only 2-3 hours - you won't even unlock any of the trading cards with one playthrough, and a second would be tedious as there's little replayability here.”
  • stability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is mixed, with some players experiencing random glitches and visual bugs, particularly with the species counter, while others report a smooth, bug-free experience. Despite the issues, many find the game's performance acceptable given its scope, especially on Linux, though concerns about its Unity development affiliation linger. Overall, while some players encounter significant bugs, others enjoy a stable playthrough.

    • “No glitches that I noticed.”
    • “Playthrough was bug-free from start to finish, and there were some nice details to enrich the game environment.”
    • “Runs great on Linux, but won't do 4K; I had to run it at 2K (woe is me).”
    • “Error: total species counter clock counts down to 1,278,129, but then glitches.”
    • “Try saving the game, reloading the game, and the total living species counter unfreezes, but has reset back to the start of the game, at 1,345,513.”
    • “First, the game is still buggy.”
  • humor
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is noted for its quirky and self-aware elements, with players appreciating the dysfunctional portrayal of astronaut characters and clever writing that elicits laughs, such as a humorous commentary on screen resolution. While the plot may be lackluster, a surprising twist and moments of funny horror contribute to the overall comedic tone, suggesting that the developers have a distinct sense of humor. However, some feel that the characters lack depth, which may detract from the comedic impact.

    • “It read something to the effect 'I can write something here to make this console look more important, but I don't have to because almost nobody will have good enough screen resolution to read this' that made me laugh.”
    • “Apparently the developers have a sense of humor.”
    • “It's funny that one of the trailer videos quotes Joss Whedon, but they didn't actually manage to take away the key thing that he does.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally impactful, particularly when engaging with its narrative threads and puzzles, which evoke a sense of intelligence and accomplishment. Completing the game in one sitting enhances emotional engagement, as the incidental details contribute significantly to the overall experience. However, some players note that the emotional intelligence of the characters feels inconsistent with the space setting, leading to a mixed emotional response.

    • “I found one of these threads to be particularly heartbreaking if you have been paying attention to other notes in the game.”
    • “I recommend setting aside a couple of hours to complete the game in a single session as you will get more emotional engagement from the incidental information than if you spread it out over a longer period.”
    • “The emotional intelligence capacities of the crew are incompatible with any space program, and yet it is a basic tool for a space sci-fi plot to even work, except Andy Weir's 'The Martian.'”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is noted for its smooth performance and good graphics, particularly for a Unity title. While it runs well and offers decent voice acting and puzzle design, some reviewers suggest that there are better alternatives in the genre, making it a less favorable recommendation for newcomers.

    • “But yeah overall good game, runs smoothly and the graphics were good.”
    • “It's pretty good performance-wise, for a Unity game.”
    • “Graphics are good, performance is smooth, voice acting is as good as the writing lets it be, the puzzles are just enough to think a bit and then move on, and the story has a cool ending.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is noted for its richness and depth, contributing to an engaging exploration experience. However, some players expressed disappointment regarding the game's length and perceived a lack of character development in certain areas. Overall, the character arcs are generally well-received, enhancing the narrative's satisfaction.

    • “The game features rich character development that truly enhances the overall experience.”
    • “Puzzles are interesting and not too challenging, exploration is rewarding with depth and character development, leading to a satisfying and twisty end.”
    • “The character development is rich and adds significant depth to the gameplay.”
    • “The only disappointing aspect of the game was its length and lack of character development.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find that grinding in the game is necessary, as a single playthrough of 2-3 hours does not allow for the completion of all content, such as trading cards. However, many feel that a second playthrough would be tedious due to the lack of replayability.

    • “While not as short as many seem to think, the station is only 2-3 hours - you won't even unlock any of the trading cards with one playthrough, and a second would be tedious as there's little replayability here.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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3h Median play time
14h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 32 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Station is a shooter game with mystery and science fiction themes.

The Station is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing The Station.

The Station was released on February 18, 2018.

The Station was developed by The Station Game ltd.

The Station has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

The Station is a single player game.

Similar games include Tacoma, Gone Home, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Event[0], Spirits of Xanadu and others.