XO | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

"XO is a single-player Real Time Strategy game that takes about 25 hours to beat. As a fleet commander, you must salvage ships and resources, and navigate political scenarios to save humanity. Each ship you add to your fleet has unique abilities, but also consumes resources, so choose wisely."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 147 reviews

story4 positive mentions

The game offers a unique blend of FTL and Battlestar Galactica, providing an engaging atmosphere and addictive gameplay.
Players appreciate the depth of strategy involved in managing a fleet and the various interactions with factions, making each playthrough feel distinct.
The developer is responsive to feedback and actively works on updates, showing a commitment to improving the game and addressing player concerns.

Many players feel the game is still unfinished, with loose controls, poor visual design, and a lack of polish in various aspects.
The reliance on RNG for resource management and encounters can lead to frustrating gameplay, where success often feels out of the player's control.
Bugs and balancing issues, particularly in the final battle and fleet management, detract from the overall experience and can lead to repetitive gameplay.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The game's story is praised for its originality and depth, drawing comparisons to the newer Battlestar Galactica series and FTL, with players enjoying the mix of humor and heartbreak. While the overarching plot involves collecting ships and fleeing from pursuers, the narrative is enriched by faction interactions, dialogue, and a rudimentary diplomacy system, though some players feel rushed due to gameplay mechanics. Despite minor bugs and a simple core plot, the game offers replayability through varied encounters that influence the story and player decisions.
- “Super original, the developer really cares about making the game good. It's fun to play, the story is captivating, and I wish it went on longer every time I finish a run.”
- “The game can be played through several times because the smaller random encounters will change your fleet and its story, politics, and tactics in different ways each time you play.”
- “The story feels deeper than FTL, especially the decisions feel more real than FTL.”
- “But most times, I'm rushing to quickly try and complete quests, plot jumps, sort ships, gather resources, transfer crew to new ships, defending against enemy ships to be able to fully appreciate all this content.”
- “The game's plot is pretty simple: collect ships and get to the end while outrunning your pursuers.”
- “There's a bug in a quest where the rovers ask you to save their children and there's no other options to proceed.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of strengths and weaknesses. While the game features interesting mechanics, unique encounters, and a solid tactical framework, it suffers from loose controls, a muddy visual design, and a poorly thought-out user experience. The fast-paced nature can hinder the exploration of its diverse ship types and mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience, though some players find enjoyment in its early stages and overall concept.
- “The game mechanics are easy to learn, and they create a great framework for the tactics and drama of the game.”
- “There is some surprisingly deep gameplay to be had here.”
- “Encounters are interesting, the art style and the inclusion of orbital mechanics really gives the game a unique flavor, and combat is pretty cool as well.”
- “The controls are loose, the visual design is muddy, the UX is poorly thought out, the writing is grating, the gameplay is boring, and the overall vision is not visualized.”
- “The core of XOS gameplay doesn't seem to be that complicated; rather, whether you win or lose is largely going to come down to knowing which are the trap options in the events and whether you can luck past all the random fleet drama that can happen.”
- “This game will live or die by how well the time-sensitive element is balanced in the final version, and right now they still haven't really figured out how to make it mesh properly with the other mechanics, in my opinion.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game's graphics have received high praise for their creative and functional wireframe vector style, reminiscent of Tron, which enhances the overall aesthetic and gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique ship designs and the incorporation of orbital mechanics, contributing to a visually engaging and distinctive atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, earning top marks from players.
- “The wireframe, vector graphics style is interesting and is a perfectly functional method of presenting this game.”
- “Tron-like art style is great, music is great.”
- “Encounters are interesting, the art style and the inclusion of orbital mechanics really gives the game a unique flavor, and combat is pretty cool as well.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its variability, with some writing being quite funny while other moments evoke a more serious tone, creating a balance between humor and heartbreak. Overall, players appreciate the comedic elements, rating the storytelling as an 8/10 for its effective blend of humor and emotional depth.
- “Some of the writing is quite funny, others are not.”
- “8/10 - story (swings between humorous to heartbreaking)”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised, with users highlighting it as engaging and enjoyable, contributing significantly to the overall fun experience.
- “Great game, has a good atmosphere and is a lot of fun.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received consistent praise, with users highlighting its quality and effectiveness in enhancing the overall experience, alongside the appealing Tron-like art style.
- “The Tron-like art style is great, and the music is fantastic.”
- “The Tron-like art style is great, and the music is fantastic.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to oscillate between humor and heartbreak, creating a compelling narrative experience that resonates with players. Overall, reviewers consistently rate the story highly, reflecting its impactful emotional range.
- “8/10 - The story swings between humorous and heartbreaking, creating a deeply emotional experience.”
- “8/10 - The narrative oscillates between moments of humor and profound heartbreak, evoking strong emotions.”