Stars in Shadow is a turn-based 4X strategy game and a vivid tribute to the genre classics. Compete with alien factions to explore and colonize nearby starsystems, build fleets to defend against rivals, negotiate or conquer them. Win by unifying the galaxy, through diplomacy or force.
Receive an instant notification when this game hits your target discount
Unified technical telemetry aggregated from Steam, Valve Steam Deck, ProtonDB, PCGamingWiki, and IGDB.
| Language | Interface | Full Audio | Subtitles |
|---|---|---|---|
| English |
Official minimum and recommended hardware configurations.
Top helpful player reviews pulled directly from the Steam open registry with verified playtime hours.
The makers of this game have been playing Master of Orion 2. The look is nearly identical and the tech tree, game play, and even tactical combat are carbon copies. It was a great game to be inspired by. Let's see how they did... The good: The graphics are an upgrade. It's more challenging than MoO2 was once you figured things out. There are more indigenous races and they're quirky and interesting. The ships can be auto-upgraded. Every race can get every technology (which always annoyed a completionist like me in MoO2). You don't have to build so many things to get a colony functioning, which speeds up the game. The "go back" button is simply genius, in that I don't have to save my game every turn to avoid stupid and avoidable mistakes. The bad: The music is forgettable. The races' back-stories mean they can't be customized. The MoO2 antagonists (the Antarens) are space pirates here, bu
This is yet another of those games where I find myself wishing there was an "in-between" option for recommendations, because I don't outright hate this. You can see from my playtime that I have spent a good chunk of time playing Stars in Shadow. The problem is, I have ended every single campaign that I have started in disappointment, and each time that I start a new one thinking I have finally figured out how to make the next match satisfying, I have come back to the menu unhappy, again. The thing about this game is that the mechanics are fun, at first, and the empire building is really satisfying, at first, and the races all seem really cool, so you can't wait to see what's out there and how they all interact... at first... but not for long. Everything starts out all sparkly and cool, but once the paint starts to chip, you find that you are picking it off in chucks as more and more pro
Compared to other modern 4X games (GalCiv 2/3, Endless Space 1/2, Stellaris) Stars in Shadow (SIS) feels rather light. Most core features are all there, but everything is simplified. You could call it streamlined, if you want to give it a more positive spin. The elephant in the room is Masters of Orion 2, to which everybody compares SIS and rightly so. SIS does not offer much improvement or any game changing ideas to the grandfather of space 4X. But on the other hand, there is a reason why MOO2 is considred one of the best 4X games ever made, and as clones go SIS, is one of the best. The biggest weakness of SIS, in my opinion, is the AI. While tactical battle AI is OKish, the strategic AI is just not up to modern standards and prone to very poor decission making. Still, SIS offers a enjoyable, slightly more casual 4X experience. It is definitely recommendable, especially during any
Overall, and especially for an early release, this game is excellent. It feels very much like a greatly updated Master of Orion II in terms of space combat. I applaud you for the way you handled boarding actions in particular. I like the way that resources have been set up, and the option to become a trade magnate by building a fleet of transports is enticing. The tech tree is massive, and each race has its own wonderdful feel tech-wise (played a couple of hundred turns on three so far) The way that race has its own unique ships and roles was well done. (Particularly fond of the Orthin escort cruiser) And even being on the receiving end of Gremak energy torps was enjoyable, if only for a few seconds, simply because they felt unique. Diplomacy feels a bit lacking, but I have great hopes that that will be fleshed out as updates are sent out. A final, and somewhat minor note: I was very
Fun. Pure and simple strategic. Stars in Shadow is easy to learn, fun to play, full of great tactical warfare, and has just enough micro to allow for customization and meaningful choices. If it's not the "best" space 4X of the last few years, it's definately the most fun. This game is sleek, beautifully illustrated, and full of easily-grasped systems that enable meaningful short- & long-term strategy without a steep learning curve. But while the systems are easily grasped, the depth of strategy possible in this game is outstanding. Some players might not enjoy the small number of terrestrial buildings. I think it's very close to the sweetspot between micro-intensive planet-customization and stream-lined empire management. Each planet can support 3-6 buildings (usually) depending on size, S,M,L. Choosing what to build, when, where, has a huge impact on the early game, allowing for a f
I really wanted to enjoy this game, put a good number of hours into it hoping to find a gem. Sadly there are just too many elements that dont work well here. In no particular order: - Managing your empire is tedious. There is a ton of micro management here, very much like Gal Civ 3. Every time you unlock a new tech that affects your worlds you need to go visit them one by one. You will spend more time managing than fighting/strategizing - Combat is just weak. The game tries to duplicate Master of Orion 2 and fails at it. Ship movement much too slow for any strategic depth. You just move forward. Weapons are too powerful resulting in many one shot kills. Troop transports like to hang out in the middle front of your forces instead of at the rear. - Ship designer doesnt work well. There arent enough ways you can meaningfully tweak your ships and there is a clear one or two "best" loadout
Structured threads, verified dev answers and player expertise without chat noise
We fused card games and roguelikes together to make the best single player deckbuilder we could. Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and Slay the Spire!
Balatro is a deck-building roguelite in which players construct poker hands to earn chips and overcome enemy blinds. The game features mechanics for enhancing a deck of playing cards, purchasing Jokers that modify hand effects, and discovering synergies to progress through increasingly challenging encounters.
Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?
An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerun lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome.
An online co-op horror game with up to 6 players. Locate valuable, fully physics-based objects and handle them with care as you retrieve and extract to satisfy your creator's desires.
Fight, Farm, Build and Explore Together in the standalone multiplayer expansion to the uncompromising wilderness survival game, Don't Starve. Discover and explore a massive procedurally generated and biome-rich world with countless resources and threats. Whether you stick to the surface world, go spelunking in the caves, dive deeper into the Ancient Archive, or set sail for the Lunar islands, it will be a long time before you run out of things to do.
Stardew Valley is an open-ended country-life RPG! You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!
Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony simulation game. Deep inside an alien space rock your industrious crew will need to master science, overcome strange new lifeforms, and harness incredible space tech to survive, and possibly, thrive.
Deep within a secure underground facility, a sudden containment breach allows many of the secured anomalies to escape from their chambers. Assist the Foundation in re-securing the facility, help the Insurgency in their goal to capture it, or wreak havoc as an SCP in a frantic bid to escape.
