Void War

About

Void War is a single player survival role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Tundra and was released on June 2, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Command an ancient starship and fight your way to the heart of a dying Empire. Fend off attacks from demented cultists, craven space pirates, and xenophobic Imperial soldiers. Discover powerful artifacts and use them to build your ship into a fearsome war engine. Manage Your ShipYour starship is a mighty and terrible vessel, brimming with arcane technology and devastating weapons. Harness your s…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,568 reviews

gameplay135 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

Void War is a fantastic spiritual successor to FTL, offering a darker and more complex gameplay experience.
The game features a wide variety of ships, commanders, and crew types, allowing for diverse strategies and playstyles.
The addition of psychic powers and crew equipment adds depth to combat and enhances the overall gameplay.

The game can feel overly reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating encounters where luck plays a significant role in success.
Some players find the difficulty spikes, especially during boss fights, to be unbalanced and punishing.
The UI can be cluttered and difficult to read, making it challenging to manage crew and equipment effectively.

gameplay
494 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
71%
2%
The gameplay of "Void War" is heavily inspired by "FTL," featuring familiar mechanics while introducing new elements such as enhanced crew management, boarding actions, and unique abilities. Players appreciate the game's depth and strategic options, although some find it can feel convoluted or overly reliant on RNG. Overall, it successfully combines the core gameplay of "FTL" with a darker, Warhammer 40k aesthetic, offering a fresh yet nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
- “The dark story, the brutal gameplay, and the industrial dark gothic music make me feel like I have my own brutal primitive tech spaceship and am exploring the dark cosmos.”
- “Overall, in a genre that admittedly has few entries, this adds the most new gameplay elements of anything I've seen, and really pushes gameplay into some exciting new directions.”
- “This game took all the excellent mechanics from FTL and perfected them.”
- “But that annoying fuel mechanic was the biggest thorn in my side (I hate game mechanics that force me to adapt to a certain speed).”
- “Haven't finished my second run yet and am already bored... runs drag on for too long and the gameplay is a lot more convoluted than FTL.”
- “This game is a completely watered down version of FTL, just a blatant copy of it, to the point that the only new mechanic added was that they gave your crew members equipable items.”
graphics
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The graphics of Void War are characterized by a stylized 2D pixel art aesthetic that draws heavily from the grimdark themes of Warhammer 40k, creating a unique atmosphere that some players find appealing. However, many reviewers note that the visuals can be cluttered and lack clarity, making it difficult to distinguish between elements during gameplay. While the art style successfully captures a dark and gritty vibe, it has been criticized for sacrificing readability and detail compared to its inspiration, FTL.
- “The graphics are the same pixel-style art as FTL, but again, with much darker styling.”
- “Art is great and the entire aesthetic nails grimdark without just being an outright copy of other media.”
- “Decent 40k-like setting, great gameplay, gorgeous grimdark aesthetic and pixel graphics, extreme replayability, great challenge.”
- “A lot of the mechanics are very cool, and if it were mechanics alone, it would be a very good game—but as of now, it is just too burdened by its art style and lack of colors for you to reliably take advantage of any of those mechanics.”
- “All the weapons look the same, so it's hard to tell them apart without reading their descriptions. They tried too hard to go for a certain art style and sacrificed readability and clarity heavily.”
- “The graphics are much less polished, and the storyline is basically non-existent.”
music
139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
48%
3%
The music in the game has received a mixed response, with many praising its atmospheric and dark gothic qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others feel it lacks the memorable impact of the soundtrack from FTL. Some users describe the soundtrack as fantastic and fitting for the game's grimdark aesthetic, while a few criticize it for being bland or repetitive. Overall, the music is generally seen as a strong component of the game, contributing to its immersive atmosphere, though some players wish for more variety and standout tracks.
- “The dark story, the brutal gameplay, the industrial dark gothic music makes me feel like I have my own brutal primitive tech spaceship and exploring the dark cosmos.”
- “The style is great, the sound design and music is perfectly atmospheric; the whole game is just a great package.”
- “The grimdark atmosphere, references to WH40K, awesome soundtrack, and neat new mechanics all culminate to create an amazing little game that has a ton of replay potential.”
- “The music is oppressive and pulls you in.”
- “The soundtrack needs work; the sound design in general when comparing it to FTL.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't really stand out; only a couple of songs caught my ear.”
story
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
81%
4%
The story in the game is described as dark and gritty, heavily inspired by Warhammer 40k, but it lacks depth and engagement, often feeling secondary to the gameplay. While some players appreciate the thematic elements and the potential for emergent storytelling, many criticize the limited quests and shallow narrative, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a backdrop of grimdark space exploration, but it falls short in delivering a compelling and cohesive storyline.
- “The backstory is gruesome and grim dark, and lets you play thematically if you want to.”
- “With a compelling story of survival, loyalty, and betrayal unfolding in every run, it’s a must-play for those seeking depth, challenge, and a powerful narrative.”
- “Faction allegiances and crew backgrounds enrich the lore, while in-game events and choices shape the unfolding story.”
- “What plot exists is there for the sole purpose of 'explaining' why you're going to your end objective: it has no bearing on anything else and nothing becomes of a successful run other than 'go do it again.'”
- “The gameplay may lure for Warhammer 40k lore or something along those lines, but there is little of that 'story' here.”
- “There is hardly any plot, so don't expect a story like 'Crying Suns.'”
replayability
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The game boasts high replayability, with a variety of factions, ships, commanders, and difficulty levels that keep each playthrough fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the depth and randomness, which can lead to both rewarding and frustrating experiences, but overall, the diverse mechanics and unlockable content contribute to its addictive nature. While some reviewers note that it may not match the staying power of similar titles like FTL, the game still offers substantial replay value and a fun experience.
- “The game has surprising depth and a ton of replay value.”
- “With 12 escalating torment difficulty levels and multiple unlockable ships and commanders, the game offers substantial replayability.”
- “Each run has the potential to be entirely different from the last and offers a ton of replayability.”
- “Interesting ideas and great visuals and really nice Warhammer 40k touch, but the playthrough is so random it spoils all the fun. Sometimes you get lucky and snowball through the entire campaign without issue, sometimes you get bad luck and it's a waste of time. Given that the campaign takes about 2 hours, which is the entire game, the whole concept feels somehow untested. It would make more sense to let players repeat missions until they get strong enough for the next level. This way, you ensure that the random mechanics don't screw the playthrough and allow you to test different things, which would give you replay value where you can try different setups. Here, you pick one bad thing and just snowball to oblivion.”
- “So summed up, it's a 2-hour long game with very random replay value and zero effort to balance things.”
- “All in all, worth a purchase but be aware that it's not as replayable as FTL in its current state.”
atmosphere
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its grimdark aesthetic, heavily influenced by Warhammer 40k, featuring immersive sound design and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the detailed visuals and lore that create a dismal, gritty environment, although some feel it lacks the charm of FTL's atmosphere. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as engaging and intense, contributing significantly to its replayability and enjoyment.
- “The atmosphere is dark, gritty, and hopeless.”
- “The visuals and lore paint a grisly picture of life in that universe, and the music and sound effects add excellent atmosphere.”
- “The grimdark atmosphere, references to Warhammer 40k, awesome soundtrack, and neat new mechanics all culminate to create an amazing little game that has a ton of replay potential.”
- “The atmosphere is really dismal, gritty, lots of beige and blood.”
- “The void war atmosphere, while it fits the game lore itself, still feels out of place in outer space.”
- “The game's atmosphere is steeped in darkness, with themes of sacrifice, corruption, and redemption interwoven throughout the player's journey.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the rewarding progression system and variety of customization options, many find the unlock system excessively grindy and tedious. The need to micromanage crew and equipment, along with the lengthy runs required to unlock ships and commanders, detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of frustration for some players. Despite these criticisms, others highlight that the game is more engaging than similar titles, suggesting that while grinding exists, it may not be as punishing as in other games.
- “Very grindy - I already know I will not unlock many other ships or commanders, unfortunately.”
- “The unlock system is really, really grindy; to unlock all the ships in the game, you would need to win like 30 times.”
- “Becomes a grindy slog quickly, can't recommend.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its hilarious modules and replayability, with players enjoying the absurdity of scenarios like alien cries during ship explosions and over-the-top combat tactics. The dark humor in encounter choices adds to the comedic experience, making it a standout feature that many players appreciate despite criticisms about the story. Overall, the game's humor is described as both comically strong and refreshingly novel.
- “I like the replayability, the novelty, and the funny headcanons I build.”
- “There's something really funny about drowning an enemy ship in summoned demons or when you've got your boarding party equipped to the gills that absolutely slaughter their opposition.”
- “Speaking of encounters, the encounters you get in this game are also varied and often you get to choose pretty fun options, usually very dark humor options I need to add.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally stable with smooth performance, though some users report occasional performance hiccups and random drops during intense moments. While most players experience no crashes and appreciate regular updates, a few have encountered noticeable bugs that affect gameplay.
- “Runs smoothly, 0 crashes, and updates have been regular so far (I purchased in early access).”
- “The game runs smoothly, is simple and easy to play while still being challenging.”
- “Generally stable with smooth performance.”
- “Technically speaking, I experienced performance hiccups, crashes, and bugs; not extreme but noticeable.”
- “I'm surprised I'm getting performance issues.”
- “The only issues I have are sometimes random performance drops, but that tends to happen when there's a lot going on, like when the enemy ship is destroyed but they have boarders on my ship.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
83%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report no crashes and smooth performance during multiple runs, others encounter significant game-breaking glitches, particularly at higher difficulty levels. Many users express frustration over the buggy experience, suggesting that while the game is enjoyable, it currently suffers from stability issues that need addressing through updates.
- “Runs great! I did 5 runs, 2 to the boss, and experienced no crashes or bugs so far.”
- “The game is incredibly stable; I've played for hours without any issues.”
- “I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is; no lag or crashes during my sessions.”
- “There are some game-breaking glitches at higher difficulties that break the game.”
- “It's a fun game, but I cannot recommend it in its current form as it is extremely buggy.”
- “It's super buggy but also really fun; it just needs an update.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is hindered by designs that lack distinctiveness, making it difficult for players to differentiate between characters.
- “The character designs are a bit hard to differentiate.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “I found it difficult to connect with the characters due to their one-dimensional personalities.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a unique blend of wholesome and dark themes, evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic Super Nintendo titles. The juxtaposition of engaging with a death cult in a lighthearted manner creates a compelling emotional experience.
- “It made me feel like I was playing on a Super Nintendo.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is well-received, as it offers substantial content beyond the original game, enhancing replayability and avoiding the pitfalls of a typical cash grab.