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. Adamanian
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Wow. I haven't gotten so immediately and utterly addicted to a game this fast since... Civ II?! It's a little hard at first but once you learn from your mistakes things start going more smoothly. The Faster Than Light webpage has some good Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced tip sections that I highly recommend.
  2. AlphaRebel
    Sep 25, 2012
    6
    It's a very interesting concept but after about 30 hours Its pretty obvious that the game really is in need for a wider range of events as the "random encounters" soon become predicable and even the choices you make seem to return the same outcomes (e.g. a ship offers to sell you a "mystery weapon" saying yes means you get ripped off nearly EVERY time (as in they don't give you anythingIt's a very interesting concept but after about 30 hours Its pretty obvious that the game really is in need for a wider range of events as the "random encounters" soon become predicable and even the choices you make seem to return the same outcomes (e.g. a ship offers to sell you a "mystery weapon" saying yes means you get ripped off nearly EVERY time (as in they don't give you anything let alone just a bad gun) while it would be more interesting if they gave you just one of the weapons at random. or trying to free a trapped ship will nearly always result in damage to your ship which basically encourages you to say no to everything.

    It's a shame as it's a nice concept and it's written by a indie company of just 2 guys. I hope more content and patches comes soon.    … Expand
  3. CrummyInsomniac
    Sep 24, 2012
    9
    Faster Than Light is a sci-fi roguelike that follows in the vein of Star Trek. The objective of the game is to lead your single ship across eight sectors and defeat the boss before the enemy fleet catches up to you. The core part of the gameplay is the ship battles, which is quite variable when it comes to the encounters and strategies to win. Do you want to knock down the shields and ripFaster Than Light is a sci-fi roguelike that follows in the vein of Star Trek. The objective of the game is to lead your single ship across eight sectors and defeat the boss before the enemy fleet catches up to you. The core part of the gameplay is the ship battles, which is quite variable when it comes to the encounters and strategies to win. Do you want to knock down the shields and rip them apart with every laser and missile you've got? Maybe you will take it steady by constantly disabling their weapons, giving them a slow but efficient death. You could disable their oxygen supply and set the medical room on fire so they can slowly burn or suffocate to death, leaving you to salvage a ship still in condition. The variable is vast and the fights are an enjoyable factor of the game that keep you on your toes to make sure your crew comes out unscratched. Outside of the combat the gameplay becomes a little lacking. You try manage scraps to buy new items or upgrade your own ship and try to complete quests or special events for a nice reward. It may come out a bit meager compared to the combat gameplay but it helps provide a little stress relief for the big haul you have to make.

    When it comes to the game's design, the pleasant colors and pixels mesh into a simple but endearing style. The music plays off with pleasant and groovy electro tunes that only moderately pick up in tensity when a battle occurs. The game's interface is organized and well-sized, not relying on menu navigation while going through your options.

    Being a roguelike, it's to be expected that the game is going to be difficult. And it is. Even trying the Easy difficulty doesn't show me any differences except that I will get more scraps from accomplishing things. The game is more luck than skill. Running into a solar flare that wipes out your crew or having your weapons constantly disabled in a firefight can quickly stop your adventure despite it having just started five minutes ago. This game can become very generous in one session and quite brutal in another. Losing is not just a possibility, it's to be expected. But with a successful run being around 45-60 minutes, it doesn't feel as upsetting when you can quickly get back on your feet for another round. In the chance that you do defeat the end boss and complete the game, there isn't much to go by replay value except unlocking new ships and doing game achievements. Faster Than Light is an enjoyable game that's very easy to learn but very tough to master. The gameplay's simplicity and short length gives it the lethally addictive formula that gives you the desperation to try another attempt at reaching the end. The reward of finally winning completely renews your spirit It's a fun game but a very harsh one. Game price: $10. Worth: Every penny.    … Expand
  4. Ursa
    Aug 13, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like others here, I really enjoyed the game at parts. Unfortunately it is not quite finished, and extremely unbalanced towards the end. (spoiler alert). The endgame consists of 3 battles with the enemy mothership, however the second encounter is impossible to finish. For some reason the enemy ship will board endless times, and also extremely often, so you cannot defeat the first one before the second comes on. Also the enemies are unable to suffocate via the doors for some reason And as if that weren't enough for some reason the ship loses it's shields every 10 seconds or so, and it's impossible to stop this from happening. When developers fix this bug, I will raise score to 8. It's really annoying, because when you're defeated at the second endgame boss encounter, you realize you've wasted 10 hours of your life because of this bug. Hope this will be fixed soon. -Ursa… Expand
  5. UserExperienceS
    Jan 14, 2013
    7
    At second glance, this game is fun if you do not attach yourself to your achievements in individual games and instead look at this as a unique repeatable puzzle largely dependent upon chance.
  6. M13
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    Having the most fun playing this game that I've had in a looong time. Love the permadeath. And remember people the fights are just as hard on "easy" you just get a bit more money. When I was very young about 24 years ago there was a turn based Mech Warrior RPG.......I loved that then. And I love this now. They seem very similar.
  7. kaiser10951
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Very fun game that may or may not keep you glued for hours. It has a crazy hard difficulty that may turn off some players or may attract some like flies to honey. Be warned, you will either love it or want to smash your computer to tiny bits in rage.
  8. MrSniker
    Oct 2, 2012
    8
    Fun game, have logged ~20 hours into it and for $10 it's pretty solid.

    The graphics are simple and easy to understand, the UI is well laid out and lays all need to know information at your disposal, game's got some difficulty and the game's skill/luck system is pretty balanced. The problems are there's just a lack of content for random encounters. After a few replays you start to    Fun game, have logged ~20 hours into it and for $10 it's pretty solid.

    The graphics are simple and easy to understand, the UI is well laid out and lays all need to know information at your disposal, game's got some difficulty and the game's skill/luck system is pretty balanced.

    The problems are there's just a lack of content for random encounters. After a few replays you start to see patterns in encounters and know what path to pick even before you read the whole thing. Some encounters just seem predetermined for you to fail or lack any substantial rewards to risk your crew and ship over. It just gets a tad old.

    Another problem is un-lockable ships aren't the easiest to unlock and it'd be nice for the developers to include maybe an extra ship or two at the beginning to allow new people for more flexible game play initially. If you've got $10 and enjoy tactical game play with some luck involved, you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  9. dwhee
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Better than any game I've played this year at a fraction of the price. It offers so many things that the industry seems to be completely devoid of these days. First off, there's an actual learning curve. You have to learn by doing in FTL, and it usually results in a few miserable failures before you have any chance of success. There is no hand-holding, no quicksaving- you're simplyBetter than any game I've played this year at a fraction of the price. It offers so many things that the industry seems to be completely devoid of these days. First off, there's an actual learning curve. You have to learn by doing in FTL, and it usually results in a few miserable failures before you have any chance of success. There is no hand-holding, no quicksaving- you're simply expected to go down with the ship and then give it another go. But when you do, you're prepared for more contingencies. What was your flaw? Did you get boarded and defeated because you lacked a strong crew? Did you over-invest in weapons while neglecting defensive subsystems like shields, engines, and cloaking? And if so, which subsystems should you have invested in? The gameplay is about preparing for contingencies, and there are only so many. Once you learn all of them you can adequately spec your ship to be able to counter all of them. However, the game makes it VERY difficult to cover all of your bases, mostly due to a simple lack of resources and time. Not a single player, no matter how experienced, enters the final boss fight with every contingency covered. And as a result, the final battle is always rewarding no matter how prepared you are.

    On top of all that, there are unique random events that can happen in the game that can really change your experience for the better- or the worse. I will always remember an event where my female human pilot was killed trying to save an alien crewmember from a civilian ship- there's no cutscene, no fanfair, just a dialog saying that your pilot is dead and the crewmember survived. That alien crewmember became my new pilot and led us to victory. Sometimes it's more harsh and less dramatic. Find an alien artifact in space? Be careful approaching it. It might cause one of your crew to rapidly age in reverse until they disappear.

    There are lots of achievements, which I'm not usually fond of, but in this case I think they complement the game well. Everyone's going to make multiple attempts at the game, so why not make certain starting options unlockables? I really don't mind achievements when they're not half-ass. Either the entire game should be based around them or they shouldn't be there. The designers of FTL seem to feel the same way.

    Most importantly, the game offers challenge. The "Easy" gamemode is almost inevitably what everyone will start out with, and everyone will likely die several times on it. The difficulty is what made me nostalgic more than any of the excellent retro music and graphics- what happened to side-scrolling action games without a save option, where the last level was legitimately SCARY just because you were afraid of losing your progress? I haven't felt that way about the final battle in a video game in a long time. In almost every game today, you die at the hands of the final boss- and then you're instantly resurrected in the fight again. For example, I remember in Batman- Arkham Asylum where the best strategy was to die in the second phase of the boss fight, because it would instantly resurrect you during that specific phase with full health. Ridiculous. NONE of that bs in FTL.

    FTL is a game about feeling a sense of learning and accomplishment. Victory is only earned through experience and endurance. In your first "winning" game, there will almost assuredly be times when, in any other game, you would have reloaded. A crew member dies to your own negligence; you run out of fuel and have to wait for help; you realize too late that you would've specced differently if you had known better. In any other game you restart. In this game, you keep going. You make it work. After all, it's just a game. Remember when games were like that?    … Expand
  10. The14th
    Jun 4, 2013
    10
    An excellent take on the rouge-like, and possibly the closest we've ever come to how it feels to captain a ship from Star Trek. If you don't love this game and become addicted to it's simple brilliance then you truly have no soul. And FYI, if you can't handle the random encounter generator then you are simply not playing right.
  11. Bigboy0007
    Jan 11, 2014
    9
    Humans are stupid. Giving a game a low score because you can't beat it is stupid. That's not the game, it's you. You can blame bad luck all you want, but using 90% of the ships available I can reach the Last Stand on normal almost every time. At start you will perish, no doubt about it. Spending a lot of time on easy is key; try unlocking all available ships (type A and B) on easy so thatHumans are stupid. Giving a game a low score because you can't beat it is stupid. That's not the game, it's you. You can blame bad luck all you want, but using 90% of the ships available I can reach the Last Stand on normal almost every time. At start you will perish, no doubt about it. Spending a lot of time on easy is key; try unlocking all available ships (type A and B) on easy so that you have a decent arsenal to choose from and you get some game experience. 55 hours in and I'm currently trying to unlock all achievements. It can get repetitive at times but given a few days you'll be coming back for more. Could do with more content, but with the upcoming Advanced Edition update (free of charge) I'll have to return to this review. For the ridiculous prices of the Steam sales, this is a no-brainer.… Expand
  12. PlanByHero
    Jan 22, 2013
    9
    This is a truly excellent game with lovely artwork and an easy pick up & play style. However, it is EXTREMELY difficult. I've been playing it non-stop for weeks since I bought and still haven't beaten it on easy. The randomisation of loot/encounters is done very well so the game never feels unfair but it's still bloody difficult.
  13. sundog005
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    awesome little game, i'm bewildered by the negative reviews...how anyone can criticize this game so heavily is ridiculous I've read their complaints and as a hardcore FTLer of some 89 hours i can tell you most of them are totally unfounded and written by impartial trolls...if you like Sci-Fi and RPG's and don't belong to the "ADD i like my games all graphics and no content and one buttonawesome little game, i'm bewildered by the negative reviews...how anyone can criticize this game so heavily is ridiculous I've read their complaints and as a hardcore FTLer of some 89 hours i can tell you most of them are totally unfounded and written by impartial trolls...if you like Sci-Fi and RPG's and don't belong to the "ADD i like my games all graphics and no content and one button wins" generation, buy it.... its cheap and genius, these guys need to be supported.… Expand
  14. kuehnau
    Jul 13, 2013
    3
    Take a bit of roguelike, mix in some sci-fi and a dash of completely unfair game mechanics and you have Faster then Light.

    The game's set up is completely randomized, so much so to the point that it's completely unfair. It's quite possible to start a brand new game and die in a matter of moves, not because you are being stupid, not because you are a bad gamer, but simply because that's    Take a bit of roguelike, mix in some sci-fi and a dash of completely unfair game mechanics and you have Faster then Light.

    The game's set up is completely randomized, so much so to the point that it's completely unfair. It's quite possible to start a brand new game and die in a matter of moves, not because you are being stupid, not because you are a bad gamer, but simply because that's how the game generated.

    I have already encountered completely decked out prison ships or bounty hunters and all over manner of enemies that I would never have a chance against.

    The game uses the term "roguelike" as an excuse for it's excessive amount of difficulty, but the reality is most roguelike games, allow you to build up in order to face new challenges. You won't encounter a God on the first floor, you won't encounter a level 20 Beholder on the first floor, because most roguelikes understand that you need to be given a little bit of time to breath and grow, unlike Faster then Light..

    If you want a completely unfair, unbalanced game, because the developers didn't have enough foresight to actually have some sort of checks and balances in place, then be my guest, for the rest of us, avoid at all costs.    … Expand
  15. InspectorJ
    Dec 6, 2012
    9
    An impressive Indie game which is very surprising: With random sectors generated with each playing, combined with an array of weapons, equipment, encounters and crew which leads along a short storyline which can be completed in several different ways; this truly is a game travelling at Faster Than Light.
  16. heychrisfox
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    An amazingly addictive game. There is so much depth, so much variety, and so much risk. You really want to succeed as you continue playing, but the game ramps up difficulty to higher and higher levels. One act of hubris, or one moment of bad luck, and you'll find your ship exploding into pieces. The variety of mechanics all balance themselves out fantastically, and the game never feelsAn amazingly addictive game. There is so much depth, so much variety, and so much risk. You really want to succeed as you continue playing, but the game ramps up difficulty to higher and higher levels. One act of hubris, or one moment of bad luck, and you'll find your ship exploding into pieces. The variety of mechanics all balance themselves out fantastically, and the game never feels like it's getting dull, especially with the constant onslaught of the Rebel Army, which prods you into keeping pace and jumping into the next solar system.

    I would probably write even more compliments, but my ship is in Mantis territory, and I don't want to let my crew of five down.    … Expand
  17. aggrazel
    Oct 5, 2012
    8
    I -hate- this game.

    But I -love- this game. Just feels like any time I think I'm getting somewhere and I got an awesome ship with a great crew with powerful weapons and a great strategy, something I did not expect comes out of left field to put me in my place.

    10 play throughs so far, 10 deaths. HORRID GAME STAY AWAY (you will get addicted). Buy it so you can hate it too.
  18. Chomp
    Nov 30, 2012
    9
    FTL is a great, original roguelike. Addictive gameplay, great design, and all around top notch experience. At a $10 price tag this game is a FANTASTIC value. The replayability is immense and according to Steam I've put 38 hours into this game in just two weeks (I believe it). This game rocks. The combat is fun and surprising deep. This is actually the first roguelike game I've played andFTL is a great, original roguelike. Addictive gameplay, great design, and all around top notch experience. At a $10 price tag this game is a FANTASTIC value. The replayability is immense and according to Steam I've put 38 hours into this game in just two weeks (I believe it). This game rocks. The combat is fun and surprising deep. This is actually the first roguelike game I've played and it's introduced the genre to me in the best way possible. If you like space ships, challenging gameplay, and hardcore but fun gameplay experience this is game you owe it to yourself to play.… Expand
  19. Girsc
    Dec 3, 2012
    9
    I hopped on to disagree with the reviews who say this game takes a lot of luck to win. You can almost certainly win most (85+% of the time I'd say) as long as you play smart: specifically (1) you need to play to your ship's strengths (2) timing and the order of your actions is ** everything **. If you set your weapons on auto all the time, you're going to have a bad time. Simple toyI hopped on to disagree with the reviews who say this game takes a lot of luck to win. You can almost certainly win most (85+% of the time I'd say) as long as you play smart: specifically (1) you need to play to your ship's strengths (2) timing and the order of your actions is ** everything **. If you set your weapons on auto all the time, you're going to have a bad time. Simple toy example: your enemy ship has two shields, you have a single laser burst that takes 10 seconds to charge, and dual burst that takes 17 seconds. Rather than just letting both immediately discharge, you need to wait for both to be charged and discharge both weapons at the same time - so you can exploit the small amount of time both shields might be down (but not nec. destroyed). There's actually a lot of nuance to playing well, and the whole system is actually very well balanced.

    I would argue that getting the right drops is more of bonus, rather than a necessity. You should be able to maneuver most of the ships at least past sector 3 without a single upgrade. On that note, you should be collecting as much scrap as you can in these earlier levels.

    That's not to say this game doesn't involve any luck at all. Every now and then, a mildly risky maneuver can totally be the end of you and your crew.

    I give the game a 9 for its well-balanced play and many nuances. I'd give it a 10, but the game gets pretty repetitive after a while.    … Expand
  20. Mykwon
    Dec 23, 2012
    10
    A very simple game with very simple graphics, yet very addictive! The strategy is extremely well balanced and the progress in succeeding in the game is constant. So, the pleasure is always renewed, the replay value is big and the potentials are vast. This is a magic game that is at the opposite of any gaming hypes but is tremendously well done. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! One of the best gamesA very simple game with very simple graphics, yet very addictive! The strategy is extremely well balanced and the progress in succeeding in the game is constant. So, the pleasure is always renewed, the replay value is big and the potentials are vast. This is a magic game that is at the opposite of any gaming hypes but is tremendously well done. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! One of the best games I've ever played in my 30 year gaming experience.… Expand
  21. MediaGuru
    Dec 9, 2012
    9
    I can't believe I'm giving this game a 9/10, but is way more fun and addictive than it has any right to be.

    Occasionally I browse the indie games on Steam, and this one was on sale so I took a glance. Metacritic score of 84 (at the time I purchased)? Really?? I found that intriguing. I would have never purchased this game just from looking at the screenshots. It looked like a    I can't believe I'm giving this game a 9/10, but is way more fun and addictive than it has any right to be.

    Occasionally I browse the indie games on Steam, and this one was on sale so I took a glance. Metacritic score of 84 (at the time I purchased)? Really?? I found that intriguing. I would have never purchased this game just from looking at the screenshots. It looked like a point-and-click-as-fast-as-you-can RTS. This is only half-true.

    First of all, let me say I don't know if this game is brilliant or just sadistic. Maybe both. It dangles just enough of a carrot every time you play that you think "If I just woulda..." Just woulda found some fuel in time. Just woulda escaped from that last battle with a couple crew. Just woulda decided to repair my hull instead of buying that drone. Etc.

    Reviewers keep calling this game "Roguelike", but I think that is pretty incorrect. It is Roguelike in the sense that it is randomly-generated so every game is different and has a lot of replayability, and you can't save your progress. It's a short-but-brutal all-or-nothing journey.

    But the look, feel, theme, and more all remind me of one of the first addictive computer games I ever owned: Starflight 2 - Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula. These guys were inspired by the Starflight series, for sure. So maybe the nostalgia is making me happy, too, but this game is good in its own right. Some people have complained it is merely a statgrinder, and while yes, this is technically true, you could say that about all sorts of games (anything with points or scores or money or upgrades, really. So, by that measure, most FPS, RPGs, and even friggin Mario Brothers would count as a "statgrinder")

    What it is, really, is an exercise in damage-control. It's all about emergency preparedness and weighing calculated risks for rewards, and deciding how to best invest those rewards because -- just like in real life -- there are never enough resources at your disposal. So you have to pick and choose carefully, and if you choose a one-sided approach (heavy firepower, or defense, or only one type of weapon, or skimping on fuel or ammo to buy those things), you WILL get blindsided. The game demands you consider possible emergencies and how you are going to deal with them -- the space combat part is an obvious one, but what if the enemy boards your ship? What if your wonderful weapons get damaged? What if a fire breaks out? Will you have a backup plan, or will you be doomed?

    Often, you are doomed. Some people complain about that. It's true that you can be wonderfully rewarded or brutally punished based on the whim of chaos. But then again, that's just like real life. The question i not "Will I face some impossibly-destructive scenario?" -- because, oh yes, you will. It's not a matter of if, but when (it's rarely in the first sector, but they start showing up by Sector 3. In the 24 hours I've been playing the game, I've only made it to Sector 5, a little more than halfway through)

    The genius lies in the fact that, even though these punishing scenarios exist, none of them really feel IMPOSSIBLE. The game dangles enough of a carrot every time that you are motivated to jump back in and try again. It is ridiculous effective at making you want to play again. It's like Pringles -- you can't just take one bite.

    Sure, sometimes you simply can't breach an enemy's defenses. Or they may have a brutal weaponry. But the beauty is you can prepare for that by: (a) bolstering your defense; (b) getting stronger weapons; (c) having a plan for how to hunker down, take some damage, and fire up the engines to escape quickly. The game keeps it interesting by also unlocking other ships you can use, each with very different strategies involved to use their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. I love it.

    More than one way for success, and WAY more than one way to fail. In fact, I think this game is a great training in real-life decision making, where disaster can strike at any moment, there's never enough resources, and you have to figure out how to make it work anyway.    … Expand
  22. MagnesiumDew
    Dec 18, 2012
    9
    When I heard that the Kickstarter for this game had finished and that I had to wait 5 months for it to be on Steam, I was annoyed to say the least. But when it hit Steam, it was well worth the wait. FTL is a great addition to the strategy category as a whole as it's fast game play, fights and trading allow for full games to be played within an hour (it being a rouge-like). After the firstWhen I heard that the Kickstarter for this game had finished and that I had to wait 5 months for it to be on Steam, I was annoyed to say the least. But when it hit Steam, it was well worth the wait. FTL is a great addition to the strategy category as a whole as it's fast game play, fights and trading allow for full games to be played within an hour (it being a rouge-like). After the first play through, it may feel slightly boring the next time round. But pushing through and trying different weapons, ships etc, makes the game fun and good to play for brief periods of time. This game is not for long strategic play (although I would advise pausing a lot) but for quick tactical decisions. It is also very easy for anyone to pick up. While it is very combat heavy, it handles other non-combat options such as trading very well. The excellent soundtrack also adds depth and excitement tho the overall experience.

    For its £6.99 price tag on Steam it is well worth your money for the general combat, soundtrack and variation. Although the game is very random, the amount of player control allows for an exciting and addictive experience.    … Expand
  23. bwettfett
    Jan 15, 2013
    9
    If you don't cheat by save-scumming, this game is brutal.
    And I mean brutal.
    Make a jump into an ambush at a low level? Prepare to restart. But stick together and get your ship up to par? That's the true goal, and the game rewards you for it with new ships, layouts and other cool rewards everytime you make it through the game. High replayability and an original idea make FTL one of my    If you don't cheat by save-scumming, this game is brutal.
    And I mean brutal.
    Make a jump into an ambush at a low level? Prepare to restart.
    But stick together and get your ship up to par? That's the true goal, and the game rewards you for it with new ships, layouts and other cool rewards everytime you make it through the game. High replayability and an original idea make FTL one of my favorite games this year. The only real downside in my opinion is that ship combat can be a bit unbalanced, and that you can't manually upgrade crewmembers.    … Expand
  24. Cyberjepp
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    I'd glanced at 'Faster Than Light' on the Steam store occasionally, but had never been a fan of strategy games. I had heard good things about this game, so I picked it up at a sale. Since then I've been thoroughly enjoying playing it on plenty of occasions, and there is still plenty to do in the game. Easily a solid 10.
  25. Noruka
    Feb 19, 2013
    9
    What a great little game. FTL takes you back to the 32 bit days when skill, luck and some persistence engrosses you into a well built adventure. FTL has been my guilty pleasure over the past couple months and i couldn't be happier with it. Anytime an indy game comes along to counter the "unfinished masterpieces", (Warz and Aliens:Colonial Marines) I am a happy camper.
  26. Gnawer
    Mar 7, 2013
    10
    Very simple, yet original and addictive game. If you played games in early 90's, this one will remind you a lot of these times. Earlier, people did not necessarily have to spend tons of money to write a good game, so there was more room for experiment. This game is in that spirit. And still, it doesn't feel outdated, and it's not casual-browser-game simple. It actually has a lot of varietyVery simple, yet original and addictive game. If you played games in early 90's, this one will remind you a lot of these times. Earlier, people did not necessarily have to spend tons of money to write a good game, so there was more room for experiment. This game is in that spirit. And still, it doesn't feel outdated, and it's not casual-browser-game simple. It actually has a lot of variety to offer. You basically just shoot ships, but you can do it in many ways. Not just with lasers and missiles, you can board and attack the crew, set them on fire, use attack drones, etc. Fair warning: there's no save/load, and you will die a lot. It's OK. This game is like Tetris: it's intended to be played for the process, not for the end result.… Expand
  27. angrywombat
    Mar 14, 2013
    6
    Fantastic for the first couple hours. Once you play through it once, pretty repetitive and incredibly luck based. One unlucky encounter early in the game and you've just wasted a bunch of time. Cool Concept, minimal content and difficulty design.
  28. sludgecake
    May 8, 2013
    10
    If you've watched space operas (i.e. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, etc.) and wanted to try your hand as captain of a vessel, this game has something to offer you.

    If you like to have some difficulty in your game, and the uncertainty which causes one to think carefully about taking a calculated risk, this game has something to offer you. If you like to play through a game again to    If you've watched space operas (i.e. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, etc.) and wanted to try your hand as captain of a vessel, this game has something to offer you.

    If you like to have some difficulty in your game, and the uncertainty which causes one to think carefully about taking a calculated risk, this game has something to offer you.

    If you like to play through a game again to try out different styles of play, this game has something to offer you. You can unlock a multitude of ships to use through later playthroughs, and each one lends itself to a different style of play. This element has got me coming back for a number of playthroughs months after I would have stopped even thinking about other games.

    There's depth to this game, a well-done sci-fi setting, a clean, neat UI, unique, interesting, and strategic gameplay... the music is awesome... it has a LOT going for it. Check it out.    … Expand
  29. speedycerv
    Jul 21, 2013
    3
    This game is good for about 4 hours of entertainment and that is about it. The game is fun until you realize how random it is and how a stroke of fate can make your playthrough impossible and you have to start over. The worst is randomly you'll move to a new location and there will be a star close by starting fires all over and at the same time a ship is attacking you along withThis game is good for about 4 hours of entertainment and that is about it. The game is fun until you realize how random it is and how a stroke of fate can make your playthrough impossible and you have to start over. The worst is randomly you'll move to a new location and there will be a star close by starting fires all over and at the same time a ship is attacking you along with teleporting crew onto your ship to kill you. In this situation it's basically a coinflip if you die or not, and if you do survive most of your crew will be dead and make future encounters hard to catch up. One playthrough can take about 2 hours and if you get to the final boss, even on easy, there is no doubt you will lose and have to start over.

    Though no doubt as you play more you learn to curb the randomness to a degree as the same situations come up every playthrough as there isn't that many of them. After about 2 hours you will find yourself not even reading the dialog as it's just meaningless and timewasting to read since no matter what you do, more times than not you will find yourself near a star while another ship teleports everyone over and kills your crew so it burns to a crisp.

    If you do end up liking the game, first piece of advice is get blast doors so enemy crew has to break down doors and fires can't spread as easily. 2nd, get as much crew as possible since they will mostly be dying due to random encounter choices or having 5 seconds worth of life bars. 3rd, get lucky enough to find a weapon that shoots 3 or 4 shots consecutively, otherwise you will never be able to kill the ships that have 3 or 4 shields.

    All in all, it's good until your get bogged down with the random constant deaths and realize that if you decide to exit the game without saving, you will start from the beginning again..    … Expand
  30. Pomegranate23
    Sep 22, 2013
    10
    EPICLY AWESOME GAME! For 10€ I have had 100+ hours of fun. T
    The game is hard, very hard. Its unforgiving and brutal but that makes it awesome. You will have such an epic feeling when you beat the game. Replay value is high since the game has alot of randomness in it.

    The setting and music is also great. Will make you feel like you're truely flying trough space.
  31. Rootbeerpants
    Sep 2, 2013
    8
    I love this game I really do but it seems to hate me. There's a lot of dick moves the game pulls off along with giving some amazing amounts of frustration. But you really do care about your crew and your ship.
    Super addictive as well and I always come back for more. The game has a few faults such as a poor soundtrack and truly frustrating moments that it throws your way, such as the final    I love this game I really do but it seems to hate me. There's a lot of dick moves the game pulls off along with giving some amazing amounts of frustration. But you really do care about your crew and your ship.
    Super addictive as well and I always come back for more. The game has a few faults such as a poor soundtrack and truly frustrating moments that it throws your way, such as the final boss who is just insane levels of powerful. Overall I would say watch a video of someone playing it and see if its for you before putting money into it.    … Expand
  32. SgtRexPowwer
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    This game could be very frustrating. I ve raged when i died because Little mistakes everytime. But one time i won it and the feeling was great FTL is a very nice indie game. 10 Points for it.
  33. DemiGoth
    Oct 7, 2013
    8
    I've always skipped FTL because of the 8-bit graphics look and sounds, but when I got it in a bundle I thought to give it a try. Damn, was I sad that I judged this game on it's looks & sounds the movie gave me. Yeah, as expected, it's not much to look at and sounds are really mediocre, but you forget all about it when you start to play FTL! It's the addictive gameplay that compensates it'sI've always skipped FTL because of the 8-bit graphics look and sounds, but when I got it in a bundle I thought to give it a try. Damn, was I sad that I judged this game on it's looks & sounds the movie gave me. Yeah, as expected, it's not much to look at and sounds are really mediocre, but you forget all about it when you start to play FTL! It's the addictive gameplay that compensates it's look and I can't stop playing it whenever I have a few minutes to kill behind my PC I'm playing FTL.… Expand
  34. Talbis
    Oct 20, 2013
    10
    A perfect game doesn't exist, but FTL: Faster Than Light is the closest thing to it I saw in recent years. Graphics may not look amazing, but they don't have to. They're clean, they allow you to both get an accurate view on what's going on on the screen and leave enough for your imagination to roam. Sounds and most importantly, music is amazing. Nothing short of art. It creates the properA perfect game doesn't exist, but FTL: Faster Than Light is the closest thing to it I saw in recent years. Graphics may not look amazing, but they don't have to. They're clean, they allow you to both get an accurate view on what's going on on the screen and leave enough for your imagination to roam. Sounds and most importantly, music is amazing. Nothing short of art. It creates the proper atmosphere and fits thematically to the game. It's great. Gameplay is quite possibly the best feature of FTL. It's simple to understand and hard to master. Never will this game allow you to be the best at everything, and the real time tactical battles with an active pause wirks in advantage for this title. It's a hard game, it will kick your ass, but it's also very addictive. And the story... Some people might say that this game has no story and that the text in the game is not a good script, if any... I treat FTL as a story generator. Just name your ship and crew, turn on your imagination and make a story for yourself! It's great deal of fun!

    This is easly one of the best games in recent years. It's a must play. It will kick your ass and you're going to love every second of it. It's been years since the last time I couldn't leave the game until I completely unlocked everything and got every achievement in the game... Give it a chance, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  35. thebuttsatisfie
    Nov 16, 2013
    10
    These game developers. They play coy, pretending like they aren't going to make DLC at some point. And as soon as I've finally weaned myself off this wonderful game, as soon as I'm no longer tempted to double-click it in Steam when I'm downloading a big file to pass time, they announce a damn DLC.

    This game is rewarding and enriching when you beat it; the rest of the time it's an    These game developers. They play coy, pretending like they aren't going to make DLC at some point. And as soon as I've finally weaned myself off this wonderful game, as soon as I'm no longer tempted to double-click it in Steam when I'm downloading a big file to pass time, they announce a damn DLC.

    This game is rewarding and enriching when you beat it; the rest of the time it's an alcoholic stepfather who just got back from the bar. You gon git it. Real good. Your ship all tricked out and you feel like the kid with the biggest nuts on the block? I bet you do! Here, remember that time that they disabled your oxygen systems and threw four mantis boarders at you in a random event? Bet you stocked up on Zoltans because you like that power boost. How cute. Good luck having them survive while they repair the oxygen systems.

    Look, it's hard. "Easy" in this game is "normal" everywhere else. Now don't take my word for it, test your pride and start out on "Normal" in this game and see how far you get. You'll go back to "easy". It's okay, we've all done it. Just don't get attached to your ship, crew, equipment, or anything really.

    Except the game. Get attached to the game.    … Expand
  36. Dcoy
    Dec 21, 2013
    8
    Lovely game and for $10 I strongly recommend buying it. Its fun but unforgiving and will not hesitate to kill you at any time only gets harder. While there isn't much customization each crew member feel special and a part of your actual team making the game more fun and makes you care about the crew members and bases it around game play not stunning visuals. It'll take awhile to get aLovely game and for $10 I strongly recommend buying it. Its fun but unforgiving and will not hesitate to kill you at any time only gets harder. While there isn't much customization each crew member feel special and a part of your actual team making the game more fun and makes you care about the crew members and bases it around game play not stunning visuals. It'll take awhile to get a hold of and you'll die quite a bit I give this game an 8/10… Expand
  37. neemz
    Apr 12, 2014
    0
    A very boring game that is difficult to enjoy. It is filled with many circumstances that ruin your game, simply to force you to keep playing their game as it is near impossible to beat. I would recommend not wasting your time with this "indie" piece of garbage.
  38. Lysh
    Oct 20, 2012
    8
    I really liked this game, for a few days. Some people oversell the difficulty, in my opinion, it was too easy. On my very first game, I played on easy setting to learn the mechanics, and made it to the final sector, only to lose instantly when the base was destroyed due to a misunderstanding of the mechanics of the final boss. Every subsequent play-through was on normal difficulty (theI really liked this game, for a few days. Some people oversell the difficulty, in my opinion, it was too easy. On my very first game, I played on easy setting to learn the mechanics, and made it to the final sector, only to lose instantly when the base was destroyed due to a misunderstanding of the mechanics of the final boss. Every subsequent play-through was on normal difficulty (the hardest) and either I beat the final boss, or I completed the achievement I was going for and quit out rather than continuing on. In the 43 games I played of this, my ship has never been destroyed. It is a fun game, I wouldn't have played it 43 times otherwise, but it is short and, once you understand the mechanics, very simple to the point of posing almost no challenge at all to anyone. Fun for what it is, but once I'd seen everything it had to offer, I put it down and haven't had any desire to pick it up since.… Expand
  39. SweetrollJim
    May 10, 2013
    0
    two words. BULL Ive tried to play this game. I really have. It just is not fun in the least for me. I guess I'm missing something because everyone seems to love it but I, for the life of me can not play it. First time i played it i had my oxygen supplie taken out and a boarding party come on my ship. my entire crew was killed either by the boarding party or the lack of oxygen. secondtwo words. BULL Ive tried to play this game. I really have. It just is not fun in the least for me. I guess I'm missing something because everyone seems to love it but I, for the life of me can not play it. First time i played it i had my oxygen supplie taken out and a boarding party come on my ship. my entire crew was killed either by the boarding party or the lack of oxygen. second time my oxygen was taken out again and it couldnt be fixed because everyone who tried to suffocated. thrid time everyone was killed again by a boarding party. I have tried probably 30 times to squeeze any incling of enjoyment out of this game but I simply cannot do it. 0/10… Expand
  40. fitscotgaymer
    Jun 7, 2013
    8
    FTL: Faster Than Light (because you know you are too stupid to figure out that that is what FTL stands for) is a game that WILL kill you. It will unexpectedly murder knife you repeatedly. 9 games out of 10 it will slaughter you dead. On "normal".

    It is the hardest game I played since Baldur's Gate 1. And guess what? Thats what makes this game so frigging fun! While I would    FTL: Faster Than Light (because you know you are too stupid to figure out that that is what FTL stands for) is a game that WILL kill you. It will unexpectedly murder knife you repeatedly. 9 games out of 10 it will slaughter you dead. On "normal".

    It is the hardest game I played since Baldur's Gate 1.

    And guess what?

    Thats what makes this game so frigging fun!

    While I would liked to have had an "easy" mode in this game, and also the ability to save during a campaign. And I think that the "rebel" fleet should advance a little bit slower than it does.
    I genuinely think this game was probably my best purchase of last year.

    The game has its flaws certainly, but it is addictive, challenging, and fun.

    I wish the game did a better job of "explaining" itself. What you need to do, why you need to do it, and where you are going; better than it does. But if you have half a brain you will get the hang of it sooner or later.

    Worth buying.    … Expand
  41. Specimen128
    Oct 8, 2012
    10
    its hard but yeah... It's a roguelike and it's supposed to. There's a bit of luck involved but its really about skills. The targeting system is AMAZING, they should make a multiplayer game with it. The universe is so cool, even with the low graphics you really feel like you're a spaceship captain!!!
  42. SwitSwat
    Oct 19, 2012
    9
    I admit that at first glance, I didn't really have much interest for the game. But, I noticed alot of people were praising its unique gameplay. I started to sort of want it after that. I got it as a gift and so I started playing. First of all, the graphics are beautiful and represent this kind of game quite nicely. After I learned how to use strategy to progress through the game, it was aI admit that at first glance, I didn't really have much interest for the game. But, I noticed alot of people were praising its unique gameplay. I started to sort of want it after that. I got it as a gift and so I started playing. First of all, the graphics are beautiful and represent this kind of game quite nicely. After I learned how to use strategy to progress through the game, it was a real swell time after that. The game includes various intriguing situations such as enemy hostiles, helping civilians, trade, exploring, and all sorts of things you would expect if we lived in a Sci-Fi world where we travel the galaxy. If you are a big fan of simulators, and space exploration, then FTL is sure to delight. In the end, I give it a 9/10.… Expand
  43. timmaeus
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    I hate to admit this... FTL is one of the best games I have ever played. It reminds me of the glory days of old when video games oozed with authenticity, creative vision, and the love their developers put into them. And like the olden days, FTL isn't afraid to give you a challenge. This game will challenge you so much that soon after picking it up all your self-esteem will be sucked outI hate to admit this... FTL is one of the best games I have ever played. It reminds me of the glory days of old when video games oozed with authenticity, creative vision, and the love their developers put into them. And like the olden days, FTL isn't afraid to give you a challenge. This game will challenge you so much that soon after picking it up all your self-esteem will be sucked out into space just like the oxygen in your burning wreck of a spaceship. You'll be wailing and gnashing your teeth as your ship breaks into pieces, all your beloved crew named after TNG characters perish, and you raise your mouse to the sky and scream "noooo!!!".

    But just as soon as you quit, you'll suddenly smile and shake your head and say "Ohhh FTL...". A few seconds later you'll be hopping around the galaxy again, bopping to the amazing ethereal chiptune-esque soundtrack, basking in the retro pixel-arty graphics, fretting over every decision, knowing every new jump could result in a shiny new weapon, man-sized spiders, a slave trader on the run, or just .... plain old certain death.

    This game makes me feel like I'm 13 years old again. It gives me that buzz in my gut that I haven't had for such a long time, and that I never thought I'd get back again. It's everything that I thought games would be when I "grew up" - except that it looks like a Super Nintendo title. Don't get me wrong about the graphics though. I wouldn't change them for the world, or the galaxy for that matter. They're just perfectly suited to this beautiful, strange little game.

    For $10 you'll get to experience the entire spectrum of human emotion, from confusion, love, anger, rage... and back again. I can't recommend it enough.    … Expand
  44. xopets
    Apr 13, 2013
    5
    Well, this game has obviously got mixed feelings about it, and well the game is wonderful at first +1, but unlike the haters that think that the game loses its greatness after 24 hours it is still a nice (other things are better) game. But there is a point where the fun ends, and that is when you have beat the game with every ship (guides help, but you shouldn't need to have a guide, -1Well, this game has obviously got mixed feelings about it, and well the game is wonderful at first +1, but unlike the haters that think that the game loses its greatness after 24 hours it is still a nice (other things are better) game. But there is a point where the fun ends, and that is when you have beat the game with every ship (guides help, but you shouldn't need to have a guide, -1 point) -1 point. The achievements are fun to get +1, it could use some steam badges -1, but its still fun to play. And at a decent price, well... whether you buy it is dependent on whether you like the games randomness which isn't THAT bad but bugs some people… Expand
  45. Coeco
    Feb 22, 2013
    3
    After getting swarmed by all the hype of this game and playing it for myself, I can only call this title a mediocre experience and that's saying a lot considering how much I usually like these kind of games but at the end of the day, it had the same disappointing qualities as the latest XCOM minus the save-abuse which is replaced by mandatory "hardcore" mode frustrations instead where ifAfter getting swarmed by all the hype of this game and playing it for myself, I can only call this title a mediocre experience and that's saying a lot considering how much I usually like these kind of games but at the end of the day, it had the same disappointing qualities as the latest XCOM minus the save-abuse which is replaced by mandatory "hardcore" mode frustrations instead where if you die, you die permanently and same goes if any of your crew also die. You begin by being thrown into a stringed-together series of space locations consisting of small "dots" as "locations" where random sh!t will happen, be it getting raped by some random enemy ship or just driving into some scrap (currency). And that's it. This is all that the game expands upon. A randomized stringed-together pile of event that gradually just gets harder and harder until you fail while having you abide by a timer (Invading rebel fleet "chasing" you). Looking at it now in retrospect, I guess a more fitting description for this game would be Tetris. But in space. So is it a good game? It's mediocre. Why? Because it's good enough to kill time, even if the fashion of killing this time is not very desirable which strives quite a stretch from what a GAME is supposed to be. FUN.… Expand
  46. KillerAlfa
    Jan 9, 2013
    5
    Game is a real fail. Developer asked 10 000$, he got GOD DAMN 200 000$, and the game which he released doesn't cost even 500$. First of all it is just old alpha version for backers with a new name, developer stopped working long ago. It has a great lack of content and events, even some flash games are more diverse.
  47. BSim500
    Dec 12, 2013
    4
    Very mixed feelings about this game. On the one hand it's a great example of what indie games can achieve with just 2 developers. The general idea is good. GFX are "old school", but that's certainly not a problem in itself (I like retro gaming in general) and has zero bearing on my score.

    On the other, as others have said, the mechanics are more about luck or "dice throwing" than skill    Very mixed feelings about this game. On the one hand it's a great example of what indie games can achieve with just 2 developers. The general idea is good. GFX are "old school", but that's certainly not a problem in itself (I like retro gaming in general) and has zero bearing on my score.

    On the other, as others have said, the mechanics are more about luck or "dice throwing" than skill or strategy. It's not "hard" in the positive sense of "if you make a mistake you can learn from it and improve", it's hard in the tedious sense of "what a random number generator decides no matter how well you play". When you get "dealt a bad hand" something like 14 times in a row (happened to me) right from the start and there's no manual save, the game gets very tedious very quickly. And playing games should be about enjoying them, not killing off all enthusiasm during the first couple of hours.

    The game also crashed twice, which further underlies the need for a manual save/load, as after the second crash, I just couldn't be bothered to replay it all after losing all progress through no fault of my own. If the game had a better balance between skill & luck (say 75% skill, 25% luck) it would be really good, but right now it's almost 10% skill, 90% luck, which greatly detracts from the gameplay.    … Expand
  48. Unospazmatic
    Jan 21, 2016
    0
    Game is based purely on luck. I have spent too long just reading guides to make a ship viable for system 5 let alone come close to even beating the game. Save yourself some time and trouble and avoid this one.

    Basically you have to treat this like any other crap tier roguelike and if you don't get a perfect run in the first system(take too much damage, don't find the right weapons, make    Game is based purely on luck. I have spent too long just reading guides to make a ship viable for system 5 let alone come close to even beating the game. Save yourself some time and trouble and avoid this one.

    Basically you have to treat this like any other crap tier roguelike and if you don't get a perfect run in the first system(take too much damage, don't find the right weapons, make 1 wrong decision) you need to restart. Basically you have to streamline every possible combination and then have super good luck or restart until that happens.

    If there were some way to actually customize your load out before starting the game or not making certain pieces of equipment a requirement to proceed then the game might be enjoyable, as it stands now its the "space cookie cutter ship with the identical build to everyone else is the only way to proceed" game and is not fun at all.    … Expand
  49. FurthestFlung
    Apr 7, 2013
    4
    To give a short description, this game feels like Candyland IN SPAAAACE! Fundamentally, this game feels like it was only half-built, and all the parts that should have been actual gameplay that made the game fun were replaced with completely arbitrary dice rolls. Games are short to the point of feeling abrupt and unfulfilling when you complete them, but the reason why is obvious: OnceTo give a short description, this game feels like Candyland IN SPAAAACE! Fundamentally, this game feels like it was only half-built, and all the parts that should have been actual gameplay that made the game fun were replaced with completely arbitrary dice rolls. Games are short to the point of feeling abrupt and unfulfilling when you complete them, but the reason why is obvious: Once you have any halfway-decent equipment, all challenge to the game is over. Basically, the game is won or lost in the first sector, and you'll be restarting the game 10 times for every 1 time you get past the second sector. It's a game you don't so much play as have happen to you. You can screw up the game, definitely, but you can't win it through any of your own power you just have to keep restarting until the game lets you get lucky and suddenly be handed powerful weapons that let you beat the game easily, and from then on, it's just a matter of not screwing up what you have. I just wish there were more actual GAME in this game to play.… Expand
  50. Darius_84
    Feb 24, 2016
    0
    This game sucks. Basically it's all about luck, no strategy nor skill is involved. Even on sale spare you this pain and use your money for something else... Anything else would be better, thrust me.
    Avoid this crap at all cost
  51. Oscar_Crane
    Jun 28, 2014
    0
    This 'game' is not even worth playing unless you have a thing for either A) Modding files and making things easier, B) having the luck of a dozen leprechauns or C) enjoy failure. The game is mind-blowing difficult, requiring a restart from square one. No second chances or back-up saves. The difficulty starts out well for the first few sectors, but then it jumps to near-impossibility, evenThis 'game' is not even worth playing unless you have a thing for either A) Modding files and making things easier, B) having the luck of a dozen leprechauns or C) enjoy failure. The game is mind-blowing difficult, requiring a restart from square one. No second chances or back-up saves. The difficulty starts out well for the first few sectors, but then it jumps to near-impossibility, even on easy mode. I would have liked an option to turn the perma-death off, but until the producers add in an option to respawn at, say, the start of you current sector, I'm not wasting any more of my life on this game.… Expand
  52. kingzardoz
    Jul 28, 2013
    8
    I had to submit a new review because my first impression of the game was very wrong and I shouldn't have written a review so quickly. This game is actually very deep to the point of every item in the game having a strategic purpose. I originally thought it was very random and while it is very random there are routine strategies you can follow that can help turn the randomness in your favor.
  53. nop
    Mar 3, 2013
    8
    Great game. Hard, unforgiving, maybe too dependent on luck, but extremely addictive and fun. Yes, it could be deeper, less repetitive but it is still a small unexpected masterpiece. P.S. Don't try Normal difficulty until you complete it on easy. On Normal some random encounters will kill you rather frequently unless you you have a lot of experience and skill already. On Easy you canGreat game. Hard, unforgiving, maybe too dependent on luck, but extremely addictive and fun. Yes, it could be deeper, less repetitive but it is still a small unexpected masterpiece. P.S. Don't try Normal difficulty until you complete it on easy. On Normal some random encounters will kill you rather frequently unless you you have a lot of experience and skill already. On Easy you can usually survive most situations even if unprepared.… Expand
  54. Megatanis
    Oct 9, 2013
    10
    YES!! Finally, this is pure genius. A light in the dark.. take this modern uber hyped crap games!
    The proof that a good game is based on a good concept, passion, love for your work.
    No need for super graphics and 2gb cutscenes, no need for a 2000$ rig to run this gem. All those multimillion developers/corporations should be ASHAMED, faster than light is simply perfect. And it is    YES!! Finally, this is pure genius. A light in the dark.. take this modern uber hyped crap games!
    The proof that a good game is based on a good concept, passion, love for your work.
    No need for super graphics and 2gb cutscenes, no need for a 2000$ rig to run this gem.
    All those multimillion developers/corporations should be ASHAMED, faster than light is simply perfect. And it is unbelievable how much fun you'll have playing it.    … Expand
  55. not_good
    Sep 11, 2013
    10
    One of the best hour/dollar ratios in gaming. This game is hard as balls though, not that there's anything wrong with that. As far as roguelikes go this is one of my favorites.

    I love this game.
  56. UglyBaby
    Mar 24, 2013
    9
    There plenty of reasons to complain about FTL. Luckily for this little game? None of those reasons are that it isn't fun. It is a one of a kind game there really is nothing like it out there. Let's call it an epic space flight sim? If you're after graphics this is not the game for you. Yet I consistently find my room mates and friends watching me play this game. It has real decisions,There plenty of reasons to complain about FTL. Luckily for this little game? None of those reasons are that it isn't fun. It is a one of a kind game there really is nothing like it out there. Let's call it an epic space flight sim? If you're after graphics this is not the game for you. Yet I consistently find my room mates and friends watching me play this game. It has real decisions, 'real' stakes and 'real' consequences. Huge replay-ability and a truly fresh feel. Definitely pick this one up.… Expand
  57. gasperk
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    I never imagined this game would give me this much fun. Really. The graphics will not impress you.
    But they get the job done. Soundtrack is amazing. Creates a nice atmosphere. The gameplay is really great. I love it. And yeah, this game is not easy You will probably die a lot. But that is part of this game.
    But the controls and everything are really easy to pick up and play.
  58. vanzi
    Jul 14, 2013
    10
    One of the most addictive games I've played, just spent an entire weekend with this game and I loved it. Sure the luck factor plays a huge role and combined with general difficulty of the game can make it frustrating at times, but after all that's what makes me play over and over again. It's absolutely worth picking it up, it's 2.5€ on sale and it managed to keep me playing for way longerOne of the most addictive games I've played, just spent an entire weekend with this game and I loved it. Sure the luck factor plays a huge role and combined with general difficulty of the game can make it frustrating at times, but after all that's what makes me play over and over again. It's absolutely worth picking it up, it's 2.5€ on sale and it managed to keep me playing for way longer than most of the full priced 60€ titles (not that I'm done with it anytime soon though, still have ships to unlock!).… Expand
  59. Skulb
    Mar 23, 2014
    9
    For those among us who enjoy pain and suffering, sci fi themed tactical games with a bit of RP elements thrown in, FTL is an ideal game. A constant barrage of bad luck and impossible situations means you`re likely to spend a lot of time restarting the game, cursing loudly to the annoyance of family members or even crying.
    This skillfully constructed tool for selling more nerve medication    For those among us who enjoy pain and suffering, sci fi themed tactical games with a bit of RP elements thrown in, FTL is an ideal game. A constant barrage of bad luck and impossible situations means you`re likely to spend a lot of time restarting the game, cursing loudly to the annoyance of family members or even crying.
    This skillfully constructed tool for selling more nerve medication will include things like hitting your weapons 1 second after you enter stealth mode to reload your weapon in safety, forcing you to spend stealth putting out fires instead of reloading, which means you`ll be reloading later when the enemy is firing on you. Or killing off your crew with random events and not generating any way to shanghai more crew, leading to death by abandoned ship. Or it may refuse to provide you with a suitable weapon upgrade for level after level, until you can`t break the shields of any enemy and die. Once in a while it will even make dead ends for you, forcing you right back into the pursuing fleet which is what provides the time pressure in the game, preventing free exploration.
    And I could list about 20 similar conspiracies hatched by the makers of FTL without effort; all with the express purpose of driving me insane. Having said this you might think the game is no fun. But it is! Unlocking ships, finding rare events and quests and the interminable difficulty of getting your ship to the last zone in an appropriate condition to fight the last battle is irresistible to all roguelike fans and should not be missed. Although much of the game is random, practice does make things easier to a certain extent. Things like venting the ship into space to deal with boarders while putting all your crew in the medbay for example has apparently not occurred to many of the negative reviewers here. But this simple response makes it easy to deal with boarding parties, and fires from solar activity I might add, since the enemy cannot beam back to the other ship because there is a CD and are forced to fight in your medbay where they will die every time.
    Obviously the easily frustrated should perhaps look elsewhere. Unless you understand the genre concepts of randomness and perma death, and like them, you will not have much fun. For the rest of us though we can only hope that a sequel will appear at some point in the future. Until then, FTL will have to do:)    … Expand
  60. LD9000
    Sep 18, 2013
    8
    A decent fun game with an average game duration of about an hour, very addictive for a couple days. Also very hard, out of a over a dozen attempts I managed to win once using a stealth cruiser.
  61. Chivay
    Dec 27, 2012
    8
    Simple at first with but with depth. Challenging combat - a rarity in today's games. Works under Linux! Sometimes frustrating but overall worth every penny.
  62. rant
    Oct 15, 2012
    10
    Perfect game for what it is--a very short, simple, highly replayable,sci-fi roguelike. For the price, it's an amazing game, and I'll probably keep it installed for years. It's harder than most modern games, and a given run can be ruined by the occasional bad roll at the wrong time. But the whole game takes about 2 hours, and the really bad luck doesn't happen often.
  63. Newts
    Feb 19, 2014
    7
    I enjoyed the game well enough the danger is very real in some play throughs as all you have is luck and your wits. The challenge of using what cards your dealt with and planning ahead kept me hooked

    my favorite tactic was to board enemy ships, tear apart the crew and loot the place. the game gave me a very satisfying sense of accomplishment when I managed to take down a superior ship    I enjoyed the game well enough the danger is very real in some play throughs as all you have is luck and your wits. The challenge of using what cards your dealt with and planning ahead kept me hooked

    my favorite tactic was to board enemy ships, tear apart the crew and loot the place. the game gave me a very satisfying sense of accomplishment when I managed to take down a superior ship with some planning

    but, my boarding strategy which works great throughout the game then totally flops on the boss (the only boss)
    where if you kill the crew the boss instantly gets 10x harder thanks to its "A.I." repairing everything

    if the ship is that good on its own, why have a crew? why does a strategy that works everywhere not work here? seemed pretty lazy to me
    regardless I managed to beat the boss 2-3 play throughs later by leaving 1 crew member alive
    because that makes sense

    like I said I liked the game just wish there was more to it, but with the free expansion coming out soon
    I'll probably be playing it religiously once again    … Expand
  64. Sk3z
    May 20, 2013
    9
    Once bought this game i letterally spent nights on it.
    Have you ever experienced a roguelike? Me myself had in the past, but i couldn't get fun out of 'em, ever.
    This game made me experience the fun behind losing. Because believe me: you are going to lose so many times, and still you'll need to try again. And not in the way "i have to beat this crap!", but instead more something "this    Once bought this game i letterally spent nights on it.
    Have you ever experienced a roguelike? Me myself had in the past, but i couldn't get fun out of 'em, ever.

    This game made me experience the fun behind losing. Because believe me: you are going to lose so many times, and still you'll need to try again. And not in the way "i have to beat this crap!", but instead more something "this one is going to be THE ONE!". And Evrytime in the end you think that you could have done better, so you try again. And you enjoy it, and stick to your tactics which will be proven good or bad only after many trials and errors.

    Oh, and the developer is ok with modding, and encourages it. So in the future, the basic game-play of the game (which is brilliant: the fights are really enjoyable and fresh) will experience a more opening to modalities many people felt the game was lacking (i'm quite sure in the future there will be tons of mods on the "privateer" style).

    Seriously, you want to buy this game. It's just tons of neverending fun. it's just like old arcades in which you kept on playing for the very sake of becoming better at them! Never felt this sensation since years!    … Expand
  65. keefbaker
    Nov 13, 2013
    10
    THE..... BEST.... ROGUELIKE.... EVER.... BAR.... NONE.... Amazingly well thought out game where you command a spaceship and given the way roguelikes work it doesn't appear to suffer from feeling horribly repetitive unlike the lions share of this genre.
  66. Billick
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    FTL is often referred to as a roguelike, but it's more of a strategy/roguelike hybrid. You control a spaceship and its crew, attempting to outrun a rebel fleet and deliver vital information. On the way you'll face a series of random encounters you'll have to survive, while upgrading your ship and crew as best you can with your limited resources. At first, it all seems overwhelming, evenFTL is often referred to as a roguelike, but it's more of a strategy/roguelike hybrid. You control a spaceship and its crew, attempting to outrun a rebel fleet and deliver vital information. On the way you'll face a series of random encounters you'll have to survive, while upgrading your ship and crew as best you can with your limited resources. At first, it all seems overwhelming, even on easy difficultly. It took me 12 tries before finally getting my first win, but I felt like I learned something I could use going forward with each loss. Each game only takes an hour or two, so even with permadeath, the losses aren't that punishing. There are also a number of unlockable ships and achievements to go for. Although it's not quite as deep as some other similar games, it's still a lot of fun.… Expand
  67. Loldude12
    Oct 20, 2012
    10
    If you thought Minecraft was the only successful indie-game, then you haven't seen FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a great concept, and I was interested about it when I first saw gameplay of it. Many people would say the graphics in this game are not the best, but I think that the graphics in this game are brilliant. The music in this game is also catchy in my opinion, and it doesn't stressIf you thought Minecraft was the only successful indie-game, then you haven't seen FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a great concept, and I was interested about it when I first saw gameplay of it. Many people would say the graphics in this game are not the best, but I think that the graphics in this game are brilliant. The music in this game is also catchy in my opinion, and it doesn't stress you out. Some scenarios in this game are well thought-out about, and that the unexpected is usually around the corner. You may be boarded by pirates, approaching at a sun, or suffer ion storms on nebula systems. Also, if you die, you may rethink about what you have done to accidentally lead yourself to danger, and you may need to think on picking a different ship in case things go wrong on another one, if you have unlocked one. This is a game which says perfection to me.… Expand
  68. Barua124
    Oct 17, 2012
    8
    17OCT2012 - It's an alright game. I wasn't expecting much from this simple looking game but I really enjoyed it. Haven't beaten it yet but I'm still working on it. First impressions for me was that the game looks crappy and a cheap throwback to games from the 1990's. Still though, gameplay is fun and addictive. If the price remains low I would recommend this game.
  69. UjuidarEhcram
    Dec 16, 2012
    9
    FTL is a very strategic spaceship simulator, where you must survive a harrowing trek across the galaxy with an army chasing you down. You have to decide how to configure your ship with what's available, and make tough mid-battle decisions that could mean life or death. And in this game, death is permanent.

    This is one of those indie games that gets everything right. The gameplay is lots    FTL is a very strategic spaceship simulator, where you must survive a harrowing trek across the galaxy with an army chasing you down. You have to decide how to configure your ship with what's available, and make tough mid-battle decisions that could mean life or death. And in this game, death is permanent.

    This is one of those indie games that gets everything right. The gameplay is lots of fun. It's not hard to learn the basics, but winning is incredibly hard, even on Easy. Luck plays a big part, but skill can offset bad luck. There are lots of ship configurations, and with each, a new way to play. The music is very good, and fitting. The pixel art is beautiful. Controls are fairly easy to use.

    I found myself playing this game over and over until finally getting my first win on easy on the 20th try. This game is definitely worth getting, and for strategy fans, it's a must-buy. The soundtrack is also worth the money.    … Expand
  70. Azrell
    Oct 8, 2012
    9
    FTL is one of those games that shows up big budget games with simple engaging game play. It just goes to show you that a game does not need the latest gfx engine or super real rendered characters to be fun.
  71. chujfugh
    Dec 22, 2012
    8
    In a year full of original, old-school games, this is the most original, old-school game I
  72. BeatHour
    Oct 28, 2013
    10
    Amazing game. Best space simulator I've played, and a ton of fun. Hours and hours of playtime to be had. It could use some more content and further expansion, because its a marvelous base. A warning, though, its a killer to people who don't like to think or who can't learn (as witnessed by the few negative comments saying "this is impossible").

    It might help to watch a YouTube Let's    Amazing game. Best space simulator I've played, and a ton of fun. Hours and hours of playtime to be had. It could use some more content and further expansion, because its a marvelous base. A warning, though, its a killer to people who don't like to think or who can't learn (as witnessed by the few negative comments saying "this is impossible").

    It might help to watch a YouTube Let's Play of it before you jump in.    … Expand
  73. stefrank
    Sep 26, 2012
    9
    FTL, while not being quite as complex as one would hope, manages to steal hours of your time, and is overall a lot of fun. The different ships and layouts make for great variation in play style, although they can be difficult to obtain. The randomly generated systems are similar, but vary enough to maintain interest. Of course there are the adverse random encounters that, on certainFTL, while not being quite as complex as one would hope, manages to steal hours of your time, and is overall a lot of fun. The different ships and layouts make for great variation in play style, although they can be difficult to obtain. The randomly generated systems are similar, but vary enough to maintain interest. Of course there are the adverse random encounters that, on certain play-throughs it seems, there is no chance of recovering from. But then, that's part of the charm; you never know if you're going to coast through, or you're really going to have to work for it. No one should be surprised if it seems stale after about 20 some hours of game-play though. Random encounters do become predictable, courses of action all too similar, and the boss is more or less a crap-shoot (which really sucks). This game averages out to about 50 cents per hour of game play, so all in all, I would recommend it… Expand
  74. ArMoRofGOD
    Dec 20, 2012
    9
    One of my favorite indies so far. This game is such a blast and was well programmed and thought out. No bugs, a fluid experience and a fun challenge every time. You either love or hate rogue likes so know that before purchasing. Only way to improve would be to add more content but for the sale price on steam it is an incredible value. Ive put in 38 hours so far and still have yet toOne of my favorite indies so far. This game is such a blast and was well programmed and thought out. No bugs, a fluid experience and a fun challenge every time. You either love or hate rogue likes so know that before purchasing. Only way to improve would be to add more content but for the sale price on steam it is an incredible value. Ive put in 38 hours so far and still have yet to fully beat the game on normal. Trying to collect all the cruisers is a blast as well. Well done.… Expand
  75. Caffeineforge
    Sep 26, 2012
    8
    FTL is, at it
  76. mikey_w
    Sep 30, 2012
    8
    In this game you control a spaceship on the run from the rebel fleet. Your goal is to get to the 8th sector with the information you're carrying but to do that you'll need to outfit your ship for combat along the way. The game is luck driven but once you have a feeling for the game and its mechanics than you can make do with what you have.
    The mechanics are the real highlight of this    In this game you control a spaceship on the run from the rebel fleet. Your goal is to get to the 8th sector with the information you're carrying but to do that you'll need to outfit your ship for combat along the way. The game is luck driven but once you have a feeling for the game and its mechanics than you can make do with what you have.
    The mechanics are the real highlight of this game. Much of the game will be spent in combat with other spaceships of different alien races and they are all outfitted differently. There are a wide variety of weapons you can buy or find and each have their own tradeoffs. You can blow up the other ship or you can board it and wreck havoc or you can kill the crew with anti-personnel weapons; and you have to remember they will be trying to do all these things to you. Another large part of this game is upgrading your ships systems and subsystems. You can opt for heavy shields, powerful engines for manoeuvring, or a bit of both. This greatly affects how you play the game since scrap(the money of the game) is in limited supply and scrap used on upgrading your medical bay can't be used for the **** In this way ships become very specifically skilled or jacks of all trades. For the above mentioned reasons, this is why the game is tough and gets your adrenaline pumping. You'' often notice a critical shortcoming far to late or have incredibly bad luck. You can easily dispatch another ship only for your own to be engulfed in flame leaving you with one crew member and a wrecked ship that needs to be repaired.
    With all that being said, it does have its shortcomings. In between fighting the game has random events that occur when you jump to a location and these cycle too frequently;although with different ship layout and crew members you may have different options. The sprites for the crew are quite small and it's easy to open a door instead of selecting them and they end up killed by their enemy's hand or some other danger. Opening doors and hatches is also similarly difficult in the heat of battle. There is however a pause function that should be used often to avoid just these sorts of difficulties. You can also be infuriatingly unlucky no matter how much skill you have. Overall, this a very fun game with excellent mechanics. Anyone who as ever wanted to command their own starship is in goods hands with this game.    … Expand
  77. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    8
    While I agree with all the negative comments, I think the red score guys are giving up too fast rather than getting serious and trying harder. YES you will fail most play-through attempts, but it isn't futile. The whole point of the game is to find and unlock the various ship builds and to learn which weapons are useful in the endgame. You can't do this with 2-3 failed runs. You need toWhile I agree with all the negative comments, I think the red score guys are giving up too fast rather than getting serious and trying harder. YES you will fail most play-through attempts, but it isn't futile. The whole point of the game is to find and unlock the various ship builds and to learn which weapons are useful in the endgame. You can't do this with 2-3 failed runs. You need to do MORE failed runs and keep learning. Then, when you understand what you need, you go for the win. And obviously it isn't so hard after all, once you have unlocks, once you understand. A single play-though takes about four hours. But of course you can quit before then or restart if you mess up. The game is fine. It is what it says it would be.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  78. BlackCorsair
    Oct 3, 2012
    9
    It's a masterpiece of indi games. It really has no much graphics, but the gameplay is cool.

    After few minutes you really accept the atmosphere of this game. That you have a small junky space ship, and you must go through space and kill dozens of enemies on your way and participate in random encounters. The other cool side is that you can play very different - game offers you dozens    It's a masterpiece of indi games. It really has no much graphics, but the gameplay is cool.

    After few minutes you really accept the atmosphere of this game. That you have a small junky space ship, and you must go through space and kill dozens of enemies on your way and participate in random encounters.

    The other cool side is that you can play very different - game offers you dozens of ways to improve your space ship.

    And finally - there is NO saves, and it's really nice for this game!
    Btw, while playing you can open other types of space ships, so the replayability is fantastic, i already played 60 hours in it, and will not stop.    … Expand
  79. BrawnyFanta
    Oct 6, 2012
    9
    Great game. Rougelike space ship game. Simple objective to the game, just reach the last zone and destroy the boss. You'll need to balance your power during combat so that not only can you attack but so that you can also have some defence. You'll unlock ships during your many play through of the game, each with their own distinct quirks. You can crew your ship with several differentGreat game. Rougelike space ship game. Simple objective to the game, just reach the last zone and destroy the boss. You'll need to balance your power during combat so that not only can you attack but so that you can also have some defence. You'll unlock ships during your many play through of the game, each with their own distinct quirks. You can crew your ship with several different alien species although which ones you have available from shops and missions can be a bit random. Fairly tough game, deffo worth a punt.… Expand
  80. Zuki1970
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    After 11 hours of playing, and first victory over "Rebels", I feel that positive properties far outnumber negatives of this game.

    Negative: 1/3 of all play-troughs are too much of bad luck and are doomed to fail in final battle, 1/3 are cake easy (too much of good luck). That is for easy difficulty, not for normal. I suppose normal is yet harder gambling, with less good luck options. I    After 11 hours of playing, and first victory over "Rebels", I feel that positive properties far outnumber negatives of this game.

    Negative: 1/3 of all play-troughs are too much of bad luck and are doomed to fail in final battle, 1/3 are cake easy (too much of good luck). That is for easy difficulty, not for normal. I suppose normal is yet harder gambling, with less good luck options.
    I would prefer more player strategic decisions on "play trough map" and not only luck when generating paths and events in nodes. I would like to have freedom and try to get that ie. "cloaking device" every time, or to have "3 dual burst lasers" if I decide that it fits my tactic. Game forces you to obtain random weapons, and many times I was not ready for final battle, my weapons (and other equipment) was not good mix for that battle.

    Positives: Awesome battle tactics could be made, even with inferior ship/equipment compared to opponent. Just good plan (pause game) and some luck is needed.

    Thank you Subset, P.s.: This game should be made 25 years earlier, for Commodore 64 & Spectrum and you would be kings of strategy games by now.    … Expand
  81. CaptainN64
    Oct 16, 2012
    9
    I created an account here just to review this game. A great mix of real-time tactical action against a background of turn based strategy. While I feel the game does rely a bit too much on chance, it does make the game a bit more interesting in that no matter how dire the situation, if you can make it just one more jump, you might just find what you need to survive. On the other side ofI created an account here just to review this game. A great mix of real-time tactical action against a background of turn based strategy. While I feel the game does rely a bit too much on chance, it does make the game a bit more interesting in that no matter how dire the situation, if you can make it just one more jump, you might just find what you need to survive. On the other side of that coin, you can't become complacent if you're doing well because danger could be lurking anywhere.… Expand
  82. GISP
    Nov 4, 2012
    7
    FTL is a great space rougelike timesink.
    Amazing soundtrack, and nifty 2d grafics.
    Being a rougelike game, whit alot of random elements, it is a bit short. And after several playtroughs, i wish they would have added, a few more ships, weapons, augmentations, shiplayouts and equipment. A infinate gamemode would allso bring some longevity to the title. But all on all, this is a great    FTL is a great space rougelike timesink.
    Amazing soundtrack, and nifty 2d grafics.
    Being a rougelike game, whit alot of random elements, it is a bit short. And after several playtroughs, i wish they would have added, a few more ships, weapons, augmentations, shiplayouts and equipment.
    A infinate gamemode would allso bring some longevity to the title.
    But all on all, this is a great casual game and is well worth the money.    … Expand
  83. tacklinfuel
    Dec 30, 2012
    8
    A simple and entertaining game. I real delight for the price. A game doesn't have to be excessively deep or complicated to be entertaining. I really enjoyed the simplicity and mechanics of the game. The graphics aren't all that, but it's not designed to have them. I refuse to rate a game on graphics and this one didn't disappoint.
  84. Jam_pol
    Nov 12, 2012
    8
    Lots of fun, and very original. A game I've always wanted without knowing it. Hopefully other's will be inspired by this creation. The game is very basic and has a lack of depth, but for a two man project, exceptional. Love the style.
  85. No1livesforever
    Nov 30, 2012
    10
    I read a lot of after-action story so I pre-ordered it. If you are a roguelike fan, this is the 10 out of 10 game for you. For others, you will find this game is about randomness and luck, yet shallow and repetitiveness. This is my first roguelike game and this game helped me firmly believe roguelike is not my cup of tea. If you are deciding whether you will enjoy roguelike, give this aI read a lot of after-action story so I pre-ordered it. If you are a roguelike fan, this is the 10 out of 10 game for you. For others, you will find this game is about randomness and luck, yet shallow and repetitiveness. This is my first roguelike game and this game helped me firmly believe roguelike is not my cup of tea. If you are deciding whether you will enjoy roguelike, give this a try; it is cheaply price anyway. I gave it 10 out of 10 because this is a good experience that I will avoid roguelike games from now on.… Expand
  86. jefflaydenrocks
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    I usually need to have beautiful graphics to have an interest in a game. I passed by FTL many times as I heard about it. After hearing Giantbomb's podcast and them saying that without a doubt, FTL would be in their top 5 for game of the year, I decided to give it 15 minutes of my time. 5 hours later I am loving this game. This is one of those games that I do not understand why they don'tI usually need to have beautiful graphics to have an interest in a game. I passed by FTL many times as I heard about it. After hearing Giantbomb's podcast and them saying that without a doubt, FTL would be in their top 5 for game of the year, I decided to give it 15 minutes of my time. 5 hours later I am loving this game. This is one of those games that I do not understand why they don't have a demo. Making that leap of faith to spend money surely has kept more than a few sales from happening. I highly recommend trying this one out.… Expand
  87. McSqueeb
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    FTL is one of the most challenging and satisfying games I've had the pleasure of playing. In the game you are given a choice of starting ship (only one to start, and more unlockable). You command this ship and the crew within on a mission to the Federation's home base to deliver a message of the impending Rebel assault. Along the way you encounter enemy ships and distressed colonies alikeFTL is one of the most challenging and satisfying games I've had the pleasure of playing. In the game you are given a choice of starting ship (only one to start, and more unlockable). You command this ship and the crew within on a mission to the Federation's home base to deliver a message of the impending Rebel assault. Along the way you encounter enemy ships and distressed colonies alike having to choose how to resolve each conflict. You are given one life, when you die it's game over. But the game is all the better for it.

    There is no doubt a percentage of luck in the game that determines the random encounters and their rewards. These will decide what weapons you are able to acquire after battles and from shops along the way. However, it is not solely dependent on luck as others may lead you to believe. There are certain weapon configurations that will make the game easier and more difficult alike, but beyond that the game simply has a large learning curve that many will not master quickly. There is a tactical solution to just about every possible situation, and though luck does prove a factor it is not the sole reason why you would be defeated. Beyond simply weapons and items to buy, you are given full control over the power and upgrade configuration of your shields, weapon system, drone system, engines, O2, Med Bay, Doors (more important than you think), sensors, etc. These play a huge part in whether you will survive or not with your current loadout. FTL isn't merely a dice roll, the game is simply unforgiving. Making a wrong choice early on about what to buy or choosing to finish a fight rather than run will impact the late game. Matching your upgrades to your weapons will determine whether you survive or perish.

    The game is not perfect, and could stand to have a few more encounters however each time you die it's a learning experience about what you may have done wrong. Each new game is a different experience, and in the 25 hours played I have never had two journeys end the same way. Nor have I ever died for a reason that was not my fault.

    Currently this game is the closest you will come to piloting your own starship through the galaxy on a mission to save the Federation from destruction. It is a brilliant game, challenging game, and one that will affect your gaming life forever.    … Expand
  88. Illex
    Jan 9, 2013
    10
    I don't play FTL for the epic spaceship battles. I play FTL for those quiet moments AFTER battle: drifting alone through space, bracing myself for the next jump as I limp toward the nearest space station, her hull barely intact, my ship silent save the sound of technicians mending laser holes in the oxygen generator and the soft hum of the Medbay repairing my injured shipmates. And the music.
  89. Estus
    Jun 10, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game! The graphics are simple and the fictional universe it's incredible rich, a little barely tapped, but still fun and interesting. The difficulty of the game it's very disappointing and exciting at the same time, if you are a impatient person may you be angry sometimes. Anyway, it's amazing!… Expand
  90. toix
    May 31, 2013
    10
    I became addicted. that doesn't happen often to me.
    If you dislike difficulty, try easy mode.
    The randomness can make you unhappy but it makes you having a real space adventure.
    Only bigger drawback is the lack of events for long term players.
  91. Dokkodo
    Nov 8, 2013
    8
    If you get easily frustrated, do not play this game. You very well may punch your monitor.

    As other reviews have said, it's a RTS ship management rogue-like game. Chances are, you're going to die. You may even do everything perfectly and still die. The random elements get frustrating, but it's kinda like poker. You make the best of your hands whether it's good or bad. You play a good    If you get easily frustrated, do not play this game. You very well may punch your monitor.

    As other reviews have said, it's a RTS ship management rogue-like game. Chances are, you're going to die. You may even do everything perfectly and still die.

    The random elements get frustrating, but it's kinda like poker. You make the best of your hands whether it's good or bad. You play a good hand badly, you're gonna die. You play a bad hand good, well you still might die, but you'll give it a helluva fight before you do.

    It's challenging and unique, haven't played a game quite like this one which is always a plus when the market is so full of stale copies of one another.

    If you like challenges, like management, and can tolerate some WTF moments, you'll enjoy this game.    … Expand
  92. Vas
    Jun 29, 2014
    6
    Well, it was a good game a few play throughs. I don't like how extremely difficult the end game boss is. Nearly impossible to defeat. It has so much randomness to it, yet it's almost always the same. You fly a ship multiple locations, buy things, get to the end game boss to have your arse kicked, cooked, handed to you, and forced down your throat, then you're blown up. A recent updateWell, it was a good game a few play throughs. I don't like how extremely difficult the end game boss is. Nearly impossible to defeat. It has so much randomness to it, yet it's almost always the same. You fly a ship multiple locations, buy things, get to the end game boss to have your arse kicked, cooked, handed to you, and forced down your throat, then you're blown up. A recent update added some new things which made the game more interesting for a while, but really, it's still pretty much the same old same old. It might be worth it though, if you like rogue like games with randomness to them. At least it wasn't terrible. I say I think it was worth getting, just isn't as fun as I had hoped it would be.… Expand
  93. pacoda
    Aug 30, 2013
    7
    This is a really cool idea. You control a ship with crew and need to make it to the rebel fleet far, far away. Its a point and click so you dont actually navigate your ship and there are several ships to choose from but only one to start with. The rest you have to unlock. The ship has rooms controlling oxygen, surveillance, weapons, shields and engine. These can be upgraded along with someThis is a really cool idea. You control a ship with crew and need to make it to the rebel fleet far, far away. Its a point and click so you dont actually navigate your ship and there are several ships to choose from but only one to start with. The rest you have to unlock. The ship has rooms controlling oxygen, surveillance, weapons, shields and engine. These can be upgraded along with some other things. To upgrade you use "scrap" which is this sci-fi's currency. There also shops on the randomized starmap in which you can buy unique upgrades for your ship along with crew-members, weapons and more. These shops will be crucial for repairing your ship. Thats how you die btw. Your ship braking. The events that happen on the starmap is randomized and quite cool. There are a few short quests, traps, battles and if your lucky you come upon scrap freely given away!

    What this game lacks imo is more content. There are only so many events that can happen when you move around in space and after a few hours you have seen them all. I dont have much more to say about the game that is negative but its big enough for me. It makes it repetetive and i find myself not reading what happens in the text screen cause it dont really matter. Just click ahead and fight or accept whatever happens. I beat the game once on normal and unlocked 2-3 ships and thats about how much i played it. The music is kind of cool too. Anyway its a good game but it could have been so much more.    … Expand
  94. g0ing2f4st
    Nov 4, 2013
    10
    Space based rouge like with a bit of combat tactics. Music is incredible. Game can be very challenging at first. Start on easy and take your time to learn when to make what choices and what setups are the best. It sucks you in with your desire to get further each run and once beating the boss the pursuit of unlocking more ships provides many hours of entertainment.
  95. fffred
    Oct 26, 2013
    9
    Fantastic little game. Best value ever. The strategy-oriented gameplay is very straightforward but also deep and new to my experience. It is a very challenging game, and you could get frustrated. The only bad point is that the story gets repetitive after some point. Well, I played already 150h, so it's not bad at all.
  96. Hurpix
    Nov 17, 2013
    10
    A very good game. If you like space, aliens, epic fights, events, and more, buy FTL: Faster Than Light and you will support the developers and maybe they can make multiplayer! This game is 10/10 BUY IT! :D
  97. The_Phoenix2324
    Dec 10, 2013
    9
    The first time I played the video game, FTL (Faster Than Light,) I was a bit of a skeptic. It didn’t really draw me in. Probably because the game isn’t displayed in 3D and doesn’t have all the visual stimulation that comes with many of the high priced games now-a-days. After my first two hours I was hooked. Now somehow I’ve logged 43 hours of game play and in those 43 hours I’ve beatenThe first time I played the video game, FTL (Faster Than Light,) I was a bit of a skeptic. It didn’t really draw me in. Probably because the game isn’t displayed in 3D and doesn’t have all the visual stimulation that comes with many of the high priced games now-a-days. After my first two hours I was hooked. Now somehow I’ve logged 43 hours of game play and in those 43 hours I’ve beaten the game once on the easiest setting. The game is incredibly challenging, but rewarding as well. I enjoy the fact that you have to think fast on your feet to keep your crew alive, and it is not just mindless shooting. It requires thought and logic. The artwork and style reminds me of a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game, but with a great deal more complexity. In any given battle you may find you’ll have to send crew to repair different systems (note: oxygen is very important), you’ll have to fire weapons, power up the med bay to heal your injured crew, cloak your ship, teleport your crew to the enemy ship to engage in combat, or manage your different ships systems like drone control. Drone control can be used to attack, heal, defend, and repair your ship. The price of the game is extremely reasonable at $9.99 USD on STEAM, the FTL site, or GOG site. This game has won quite a few awards and was developed by a two person Indie team who are still active with the product. A new downloadable content (DLC) is schedule to come out in early 2014. I’m sure I’ll be logging even more hours after the DLC drops.… Expand
  98. SpardaKnight
    Dec 21, 2013
    10
    Epic game!, challenging game play, addictive, retro type graphics do suite it well, customizable ships, this game just does so many things right exploring the galaxy is fun and the game has great re playability. All around great game.
  99. Vauce
    Dec 24, 2013
    10
    FTL is a well polished roguelike-inspired masterpiece. Each time through you pray for a good run, and each failure teaches you a valuable lesson. The combat is very interesting and challenging, the dialogue is fun and interesting, and the graphics are simple yet pleasing. There is a modding community if you get bored, and the developers have stated they will soon release a version withFTL is a well polished roguelike-inspired masterpiece. Each time through you pray for a good run, and each failure teaches you a valuable lesson. The combat is very interesting and challenging, the dialogue is fun and interesting, and the graphics are simple yet pleasing. There is a modding community if you get bored, and the developers have stated they will soon release a version with additional features. My only issue with the game is that there aren't more like it.… Expand
  100. sfporter
    Jan 20, 2014
    5
    I love these kinds of games, but there is always a certain amount of respect for the user when it comes to the production of a product like this. First the cons
    The difficulty being stuck at what arguably could be called hard, and wtf am I doing with my life shows a massive lack of respect for the user. The point of a game is to be enjoyable, and allow a certain amount of freedom for    I love these kinds of games, but there is always a certain amount of respect for the user when it comes to the production of a product like this. First the cons
    The difficulty being stuck at what arguably could be called hard, and wtf am I doing with my life shows a massive lack of respect for the user. The point of a game is to be enjoyable, and allow a certain amount of freedom for the user to branch out in the game.
    2.) User restrictions on power usage, event generation, or allowing the user any kind of sector preplanning being used as leverage for a higher difficulty are my biggest concerns. because they constrict your ability to play to the point that as both a software engineer, and gamer. Some of these details aren't really big details , and they will make the game easier. if included However, they're also the small details that,from the outside, make a game look polished, and the lack there of makes me wish i had a hard copy to return.

    Alright now that i had a chance to point that out I'll point out the pros.

    Overall, I have spent some time to master this game, and get past the first boss stage. This game is beat-able, and I have found that the premise, construction, and function of the game enjoyable. The constrictive play is obnoxious, but easily avoidable like all early games from my childhood that have a random number generator as the focus of the players outcome "spam restart."

    CONCLUSION: Other than the pile of small details I'd love to backhand someone for... This is a good game, and could be an awesome game for me if I didn't feel like the kings virgin daughter with a chastity belt on all the time... I would love to say this game is worth the cost, but at 20$ not on sale from steam and I'm still the virgin princess throughout? Then I'd have to say to me this games is a low five. Fix some things, and polish a few more this is an easy 9.2.    … 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.
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  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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