FTL: Faster Than Light

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1531 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,248 out of 1531
  2. Mixed: 185 out of 1531
  3. Negative: 98 out of 1531

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  1. eponymous
    Jun 29, 2014
    9
    I've circled back to this game a few times having played it clean through at least twice. It represents great value and is quite rewarding. Frustratingly so at times. Hard to get this much entertainment for under 5 bucks.
  2. sypisybi
    Aug 22, 2013
    9
    The enjoyment of simply playing FTL, as well as the amount of replayability through discovering new ships, makes it one of the most enjoyable rogue-likes that you can currently get.
  3. AnonJ
    Nov 16, 2013
    8
    After reading so many unfavorable reviews being rated as most helpful, I actually find the game far beyond my expectation. I understand people's claim about the random difficulty, but otherwise the game is a near-perfect indie game, with a lot of story events and achievements quite attractive. Definitely worth many times of re-playingthrough, unlike some comments claim.(Don't know whetherAfter reading so many unfavorable reviews being rated as most helpful, I actually find the game far beyond my expectation. I understand people's claim about the random difficulty, but otherwise the game is a near-perfect indie game, with a lot of story events and achievements quite attractive. Definitely worth many times of re-playingthrough, unlike some comments claim.(Don't know whether they actually added more elements in later versions, but as long as my experience goes it's really nice). If you really feel some issues about its difficulty, go and use a game editor, now that most of them are already really mature. Then you can enjoy the immersive game world without a gripe.… Expand
  4. Type4101
    Sep 13, 2013
    8
    FTL is proof that gameplay--not graphics--make a game fun. A reasonably-priced indie gem, FTL offers surprising depth in a little package. It is a "rogue-like" game, and that has some pros and cons (brutal difficulty at times due to randomness and permanent death, but a level of satisfaction upon winning that feels like an accomplishment). I eagerly look forward to an even deeper sequelFTL is proof that gameplay--not graphics--make a game fun. A reasonably-priced indie gem, FTL offers surprising depth in a little package. It is a "rogue-like" game, and that has some pros and cons (brutal difficulty at times due to randomness and permanent death, but a level of satisfaction upon winning that feels like an accomplishment). I eagerly look forward to an even deeper sequel (let us hope!).… Expand
  5. neigenoire
    Sep 25, 2013
    10
    Pros:
    + Very fun and addictive
    + Gameplay is simple but very tactical + Can be extremely challenging + Randomness factor coupled with interesting achievements and unlockables add a degree of replayability + Music is absolutely perfect + Makes you feel like a captain of a spaceship Can't really think of any big cons off the top of my head. Just a fun, little game that will rid you    Pros:
    + Very fun and addictive
    + Gameplay is simple but very tactical
    + Can be extremely challenging
    + Randomness factor coupled with interesting achievements and unlockables add a degree of replayability
    + Music is absolutely perfect
    + Makes you feel like a captain of a spaceship

    Can't really think of any big cons off the top of my head. Just a fun, little game that will rid you of sleep for a couple days/weeks.    … Expand
  6. fbtsjxl
    Sep 11, 2013
    9
    FTL is fun, despite the fact that most of the time you die a horrible death as your ship breaks apart and explodes. You play the Captain or Commander of a small starship with an important mission essentially save the galaxy from the enemy fleet.

    On the rare occasion your ship isn’t destroyed prepare to see your roguish crew eviscerated in front of your eyes by praying mantises,    FTL is fun, despite the fact that most of the time you die a horrible death as your ship breaks apart and explodes. You play the Captain or Commander of a small starship with an important mission essentially save the galaxy from the enemy fleet.

    On the rare occasion your ship isn’t destroyed prepare to see your roguish crew eviscerated in front of your eyes by praying mantises, suffocate in the airless corridors of your ship, or test the old adage that in space no one can here you scream.

    Your neighbours will here you scream though as the ship and crew you’ve navigated star systems with and grown attached to are subjected to all sorts of interstellar bad luck.

    That is where the game shines. It's a simple premise, you select a ship, choose and name your crew and set off into the galaxy. The entire galaxy is randomly generated so you will get a different experience each play through you could get very lucky and have a breezy first couple of systems and luck out and find some great weapon systems and tech, or you could have a tough time of it as you are forced to fight your way out of system after system. Your crew give life to the galaxy, you really do grow attached as they do their stuff, as your engineer makes a life saving fix on the damaged engines allowing you the few precious seconds dodging enemy fire and missiles to charge your jump drive then making a dramatic escape! That was just one example of the things that could happen in your run!

    The simple retro-stylings of the graphic make the game feel light hearted and fun despite the threat of your crew being ejected into the void of space at any moment.

    Staying ahead of the encroaching enemy fleet leaves you little time to explore star systems at your leisure. At the same time, this tension forces you to make sure the route you plot through systems is filled with difficult choices. Do I head into a nebula to slow enemy sensors? Blast through a ring of pirates? Or slide my way around enemy ships to make it to the end of the level? This combination of choice and danger makes FTL a gripping experience that is surprisingly nuanced for such a simple premise.    … Expand
  7. Dcruize
    Oct 4, 2013
    9
    The best rogue-like game I've played I'm not usually a fan of them( and stop playing after a couple of deaths), but FTL is an enjoyable and highly challenging blast. The difficulty is very random and I'm convinced the vast majority of seeds are not 'winnable', but hey, all part of the fun.
  8. Muscularmouse
    Sep 23, 2013
    8
    FLT is a perma-death game based on living the Star Trek life you've always wanted to live, being the captain of the vessel. To clarify, FLT being a perma-death game completely changes the way people play the game and how the game is made in general (Not necessarily for the worst). It makes people think twice before making a decision, which is mostly what FLT is based upon, makingFLT is a perma-death game based on living the Star Trek life you've always wanted to live, being the captain of the vessel. To clarify, FLT being a perma-death game completely changes the way people play the game and how the game is made in general (Not necessarily for the worst). It makes people think twice before making a decision, which is mostly what FLT is based upon, making decisions. This is a great approach on a perma-death game rather than it just be 60% luck..... well, it would be if that weren't true for this game.
    All of the decisions you make are based on luck, where you end up teleporting is based on luck, how strong the enemy is luck, but these aren't bad things. These are necessary for a game that has random-generating levels, though, they come with the consequence of needed luck. This would be fine for FLT, but FLT is, as said before, based upon making decisions, which are based upon luck. So, while you have quite some control over how your fate ends, the decisions you make are more like rolling the dice, and choosing which dice to roll, the 6-sided dice, or the 8-sided dice.
    Now on to the part of the game that bothered me the most, the ending, ending boss in particular. Final bosses in games are typically grand, massive, exciting, and the climax of the game. FLT covers all of these factors, however, they overdid one aspect of a final boss that isn't always thought of. The difficulty. The FLT final boss is VERY difficult to defeat, and by VERY difficult, I mean, it makes Ghosts N' Goblins bosses seem like a joke. The difference between FTL and most other games, as said before, is that it's perma-death, and if you can't save at a checkpoint of any sort, you're going to fight that final boss and lose and not be able to fight him again for a while... because the rest of the game is pretty hard too. You can't learn from your mistakes or learns a strategy for the final boss. While you could argue that it's a perma-death game and isn't meant to be memorized, you can't say that beating the final boss the first time around is possible either. The thing is that the boss comes as a surprise. While the hardest ships you may be fighting with may have 3 shields and 2 weapons, the final boss has 5 shields, 4 weapons (including a freaking tri-rocket-launcher thingy that wrecks havoc) with massive health and a cloaking device...... see where the difficulty spike is here?
    Now despite the problems mentioned here, FLT is still a really good game. It puts your strategy to the test is a unique space commanding adventure. It challenges you with thought-provoking problems and and many different situations to deal with. While some situations may be dealt with luck, you will know that you are making your own decisions for the majority of the game..... at least until you reach the final boss.    … Expand
  9. flametail
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    Its a fun space game, but you will get stuck on something, like for example; they ships running out of oxygen and there is a drone in the "O2" chamber, and the doors are open for killing alien reasons.

    That's the fun part, figure it out find out a way to save them.
  10. Idiocracy
    Sep 30, 2013
    10
    I adore this game, enjoyed every minute of it, loved the originality, and loved that the gameplay was exactly what they said it was, there was no trickery. So to decide if you want to play this just read the description and watch the video, easy peasy no way to coq it up. Yes this is a Roguelike game which means yes once you die you die, it also means is random, so if you read that in theI adore this game, enjoyed every minute of it, loved the originality, and loved that the gameplay was exactly what they said it was, there was no trickery. So to decide if you want to play this just read the description and watch the video, easy peasy no way to coq it up. Yes this is a Roguelike game which means yes once you die you die, it also means is random, so if you read that in the description, then saw it in the video, then bought the game and said WTF THIS IS RANDOM AND HARD, then got on here to talk trash about it, then its your fault and go die.… Expand
  11. Jadetiger
    Oct 18, 2013
    8
    When I first booted this game up, I didn't get what all the fuss was about. It's low tech, with very simple graphics. But after I played a while, upgraded my ship, found new crew members, and journeyed deeper into the galaxy, I got it.

    Different weapons work against different shield types. You can upgrade your ship with drones which can ward off missiles or attack an enemy ship.    When I first booted this game up, I didn't get what all the fuss was about. It's low tech, with very simple graphics. But after I played a while, upgraded my ship, found new crew members, and journeyed deeper into the galaxy, I got it.

    Different weapons work against different shield types. You can upgrade your ship with drones which can ward off missiles or attack an enemy ship. This is all presented in a simple manner, but the gameplay is very addicting. The game is perma-death, which keeps you on the edge of your seat.    … Expand
  12. GPuzzle
    Oct 21, 2013
    9
    Roguelikes.
    If you like them, go buy this ASAP.
    If you don't, I'll give you some critical reviews on this game: The game is fun if you enjoy the process of creating something, not the end of it that means that I had more fun trying to figure what would be the most efficient way to solve a problem launch that Hermes Missile right into their weapons or try to set their shields down with    Roguelikes.
    If you like them, go buy this ASAP.
    If you don't, I'll give you some critical reviews on this game:
    The game is fun if you enjoy the process of creating something, not the end of it that means that I had more fun trying to figure what would be the most efficient way to solve a problem launch that Hermes Missile right into their weapons or try to set their shields down with a Ion Beam and a Burst Laser MkII? than I had actually winning the fights. It also raises some morality questions while getting a slave free is certainly the best option, you must spend quite some scrap on it perhaps you could force the slaver into giving on for free for you if you damage his ship enough then again, this won't stop his activities, so you may as well destroy his ship. Also, there are several other options do I upgrade my shields or try to upgrade my weapons? And then again, how am I gonna get the scrap? By killing people?
    The entire game runs on randomness, so it is quite similar to RPG games, and I mean the ones with actual Roleplay, where you throw dice and this makes the entire point of the game. I've never had a single equal game yet. It's fun to see what you can do in the situation. Sure, your skills and your choices matter a lot. They are the main things that you'd expect to be used. Your knowledge. I've gone through over 200 games now, all of them ended up differently. My knowledge mattered. What I did, mattered. It's the fact that your captain may die right now if he doesn't stop fighting the mantises and you'll lose someone with two stars on driving a starship, but, at the same time, the mantises may be able to take down your weapons and you won't be able to fire again until you've cleared them out.
    It's a game where you need to think "maybe I could have done X right here... I should do Y now to counter that and allow me to do Z."
    Not one where you can say "I'll do X and then Y".    … Expand
  13. Azzanation
    Mar 13, 2020
    10
    To this day, FTL is still one of my favourite Rogue Like Indy games. Its brutally difficult however addicting with an amazing sound track and a clever art style. If you have a PC this needs to be played if you are looking for a challenging experience.
  14. PeregrineOmega
    Mar 9, 2014
    10
    Simply put: The Star Trek game they never made. A great little indie title with so much character and heart, it's hard not to get lost in it. It's a real challenge, but not unfair. It encourages replay like no other game I've played, and truly caters to the hardcore sci-fi fan. Worth every penny.
  15. rahto56pilko84
    Nov 22, 2013
    8
    very good game. Not feeling like writing a detailed review, you can just read what others have said already So i am filling this text to reach the 150 character mark!
  16. flame2057
    Nov 30, 2013
    9
    Awesome fun RPG. Very fun and, hard. Great especially if you like star trek! I love how the game doesn't focus on whats outside the ship, but whats going on inside the ship and controlling the crew.
  17. rdowney1
    Dec 25, 2013
    10
    If you want to control a ship, and the crew of it, putting out fires, repairing stuff, and beaming on board enemy ships and taking on their crew, then this is the game for you. On PC, via Steam the game is dirt cheap! It is coming to IPAD, and they are going to release an update for free! Great game. Go buy this game.
  18. Circadia
    Feb 14, 2014
    9
    Fantastic game. Have put over a hundred hours into it already. How many times I have I finished the game, maybe twice. It is a challenging game, but those frustrated with not being able to make it through to the end each time are missing the point. FTL is about the journey through space, the agony of loosing a character you have ranked up, the thrill of hiding in a nebula making repairs,Fantastic game. Have put over a hundred hours into it already. How many times I have I finished the game, maybe twice. It is a challenging game, but those frustrated with not being able to make it through to the end each time are missing the point. FTL is about the journey through space, the agony of loosing a character you have ranked up, the thrill of hiding in a nebula making repairs, the joy of taking down a hardened foe with new upgrades and the sense of actually traversing a dangerous galaxy. I am conrfused by reviews that argue the game is both random and lacks replayability. The random nature of each adventure is what makes the game replayable. Each trip through the game brings different side-quests, random events and enemy vessels. After all the time I have put into the game, I have yet to unlock much of the content or finish many of the side quests. This is the brilliance of the game. While the concept is simple, the designers have maxed the core ideas of the game. I am very eager to see the new content for FTL advanced.… Expand
  19. SilentHell
    Apr 8, 2014
    5
    An interesting game, but the final boss is really, whatever ship u'll have at the end, an unbalanced "pita".

    Another point is the fact that luck (a lil less with last patch) is a too important part : it brings tactics and strategy to a secondary level, and doesnt reward ur carefully assembled setups...

    Lets hope FTL2 will erase those defaults.
  20. pinkj
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    I believe FTL is one of the those games that people will keep playing for years, maybe decades, in the same way there are still people playing Nethack.

    This is a near perfect game in what it sets out to do - to survive against the odds. The more you play (and die), the more the game opens up which eventually makes you a better strategist in certain situations. It is not fully random    I believe FTL is one of the those games that people will keep playing for years, maybe decades, in the same way there are still people playing Nethack.

    This is a near perfect game in what it sets out to do - to survive against the odds. The more you play (and die), the more the game opens up which eventually makes you a better strategist in certain situations. It is not fully random as some reviewers think as each sector grows in difficulty in a predictable way. Over time, you learn what is more likely to work in one case versus another.

    Also, it doesn't get boring as you have the choice of a large number of ships and the game, from start to finish, is less than 2 hours.

    This game is the complete opposite of games like Diablo 3 where D3 makes you feel incredibly powerful almost from the very start. In FTL, you feel very humbled and at odds with the Universe FTL has created. Only when you beat this game will you feel powerful and sense that you've accomplished something more than almost any other game out there.    … Expand
  21. Jbod
    Apr 25, 2014
    9
    Hard and addictive. There is a lot of possible combinations to win (and loose) the game. Great music, great pixel style, if you like it.
    A rare game that has a unique spirit, enjoyable gameplay, and you can stop and play back again anytime you want..
  22. pongkrit03
    Feb 18, 2020
    8
    I just have a chance to play FTL and Wow ! this game is much better than I expected. I beat the game two times now, easy and normal. It is so addictive. The idea is brillantly creative. I never played game like this in my life. I can't even imagine how someone could think of something like this. Luck is also a factor here but if you know how play, you can still manage to win.

    For an    I just have a chance to play FTL and Wow ! this game is much better than I expected. I beat the game two times now, easy and normal. It is so addictive. The idea is brillantly creative. I never played game like this in my life. I can't even imagine how someone could think of something like this. Luck is also a factor here but if you know how play, you can still manage to win.

    For an indy game like this, for this unique space idea and very cheap price. 10/10 deserved.

    Edit:: I would like to lower the score because replayability is not as high as I thought. Once you get a hang of it, winning is not difficult and should not take more than 3 hrs to win a round. Though you have many ships to play, enemies are same. It lost my interest fast.    … Expand
  23. coljac
    May 1, 2014
    10
    Looks like you either love or hate FTL. I love it. It's a relaxing and engaging game with infinite replayability.I have only unlocked a fraction of the ships available in the game and my enthusiasm for getting there has only grown.

    Pluses: Can play in quick bites. Replayable. Great music. Sense of humour. Minuses: Lots of luck involved. High level difficulty. Parts can be repetitive.    Looks like you either love or hate FTL. I love it. It's a relaxing and engaging game with infinite replayability.I have only unlocked a fraction of the ships available in the game and my enthusiasm for getting there has only grown.

    Pluses: Can play in quick bites. Replayable. Great music. Sense of humour.
    Minuses: Lots of luck involved. High level difficulty. Parts can be repetitive.

    Given the price of the game and number of hours I've gotten out of it, one of the best investments I've made.

    "I should really go to bed."
    *looks at clock*
    "One more jump won't hurt..."    … Expand
  24. Gordon7
    May 26, 2014
    5
    This is a great game for skilled gamers, or for a mediocre one like me that has TONS of time (which I don't have. maybe 2-3 hrs/wk to play). This makes it nearly impossible to play. there's really no way to come back to a "saved" game if you die or get close to it. so you have to start from scratch every time. I really don't mind the randomness that many complain about, i like theThis is a great game for skilled gamers, or for a mediocre one like me that has TONS of time (which I don't have. maybe 2-3 hrs/wk to play). This makes it nearly impossible to play. there's really no way to come back to a "saved" game if you die or get close to it. so you have to start from scratch every time. I really don't mind the randomness that many complain about, i like the difficulty it adds. however having to start completely over almost makes it very difficult to achieve much as you can put in a few hours playing only to get killed and have to start all over. This makes it monotonous fairly quickly. I've played this game for 17hrs on easy and only beaten it once (remember: I am not "skilled").

    It would be nice to at least have a "checkpoint" or something to make some recovery of the time spent playing to build up a good ship, i sorta kinda regret the money i've spent on this game now

    Other than this major flaw (for me) I think this is a fantastic game and I like the retro look and feel    … Expand
  25. couchbattle
    May 28, 2014
    9
    What can I say that hasn't been said about this title. Incredibly addicting and well worth the money you will pay for it. Fun and witty with a large learning curve that you can only get more excited about learning about. One of the best titles I have ever played
  26. carlosgtardon
    Jun 10, 2014
    9
    Para mí la gran aventura espacial de los últimos años, las mecánicas son interesantes y te obliga a la rejugabilidad ya que castiga pero pica. Interesante aunque corto, una experiencia de juego recomendable.
  27. hboogie
    Jun 23, 2014
    10
    This is a highly addicting game due to it's roguelike elements. I died so many times I lost count. You need to look up guides to be able to know how to play this game, but once you get the mechanics the game starts to be extremely fun. Even though you start over when you die the game still gives you an incentive to keep playing by being able to unlock other ships, or just playing it againThis is a highly addicting game due to it's roguelike elements. I died so many times I lost count. You need to look up guides to be able to know how to play this game, but once you get the mechanics the game starts to be extremely fun. Even though you start over when you die the game still gives you an incentive to keep playing by being able to unlock other ships, or just playing it again to see if a different strategy will give you a different outcome. This game gives you that sense of progression due to the unlockable features. There are 3 models for each type of ships and you have to unlock each model by doing achievements. The engie and stealth ships are my all time favorites to play with. This game have tons of replay value but with mods it adds even more replay value on top of it. It's a must buy game. 10/10… Expand
  28. Jpelda_CrazyCat
    Nov 3, 2014
    9
    Possibly the best space indie game in a long time, probably history. The game will challenge you, your nerves and logical thinking. After a few hours, the game can get a bit repetitive, but the it shows you something more and the fun is back. I saw, I played, I did not win yet, but I'll work on it. If you like space, strategies and rogue-lite challenging games, you shouldn't miss this one.
  29. whave
    Oct 4, 2014
    10
    First of all, addressing the complaining (most likely) younger generation gamers: no, I haven't only played the game for 2-3 hours. I put 120+ in, and still counting. This game is what I've been waiting for, and I didn't even know it. Reminds me of the golden age (which means the '90s for me) in terms of difficulty, atmosphere and replay value. Of course if you grew up on Halo, CoD and theFirst of all, addressing the complaining (most likely) younger generation gamers: no, I haven't only played the game for 2-3 hours. I put 120+ in, and still counting. This game is what I've been waiting for, and I didn't even know it. Reminds me of the golden age (which means the '90s for me) in terms of difficulty, atmosphere and replay value. Of course if you grew up on Halo, CoD and the likes, you won't value it. If you're a save-load-abusing kid, you won't value it. Yes, this game is not for everyone. But crying for the difficulty? Go and play your twelve-a-dozen railshooters which give you an achievment for shooting your weapon the first time.

    p.s. forgot to mention the AMAZING soundtrack. Ever noticed games these days don't really have a memorable soundtrack? It's either some overused orchestral wannabe-epic background track, or just some ambient whooo-lookatme-im-event-activated foolishness.    … Expand
  30. jphung
    Nov 3, 2014
    7
    Soundtrack: The soundtrack in this game is quite fitting. It uses techno music to put forth a feeling of being in a spaceship. The music itself isn’t distracting and allows the player to immerse himself into the game. However, after a while the music does get quite repetitive. 7/10

    Gameplay: The gameplay for FTL is quite enjoyable as it allows the audience to feel like each decision    Soundtrack: The soundtrack in this game is quite fitting. It uses techno music to put forth a feeling of being in a spaceship. The music itself isn’t distracting and allows the player to immerse himself into the game. However, after a while the music does get quite repetitive. 7/10

    Gameplay: The gameplay for FTL is quite enjoyable as it allows the audience to feel like each decision matters. Each decision in the game comes with pros and cons and makes the player think about each decision they are about to make. Do I send in my crewmembers to help out another crew ship and risk them dying or do I go the safe route and get no reward though? Each decision matters in this game and eventually starts to stack up on the final stage of the game. However, the RNG (Random Number Generator) in this game can screw the player over without notice. Sometimes the game will produce scenarios where it is a lose lose situation over and over again until the player loses. Although this is rare within the game it is still very frustrating to deal with. Overall the gameplay is 8/10.
    Storyline: The storyline in the game is not very long, but is sufficient enough to portray what the game is trying to sell you. In the end though the games storyline feels irrelevant after a couple play through and is quite repetitive. 6/10

    Graphics: Graphics in this game are highly pixelated, but this does not take away from the game nor does it add depth. This time graphic section is N/A.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2012
21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
13
#13 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Gamers' Temple
    May 27, 2013
    87
    Fulfill a sci-fi fantasy by becoming the Captain of your own starship! Don't expect great graphics, but do except to lose many hours to FTL and expect to lose your ship ... a lot.
    Read full review
  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    85
    Kickstarter has accomplished its mission in this one, giving the opportunity to an original, non-mainstream title to go public and meet its well-deserved success. Especially for sci-fi fans, it’s a no-brainer; buy this game at once and live the life of a courageous pilot that only has one mission: survival. [November 2012]
  3. GameStar
    Nov 24, 2012
    77
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
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