Sid Meier's Starships

 PC
User Score
4.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 126 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 126
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 126
  3. Negative: 69 out of 126

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  1. hurleybird
    Mar 12, 2015
    3
    It's simple, repetitive, and boring. A bit fun at first, but after one play session you've seen it all and won't feel a need to return to Starships.

    The tactical combat would be fun, but there is not enough on the strategy layer so you end up spending 90% of your time with tactical battles and it quickly gets tiring. You (and your enemies) can't ever actually lose ships, so you just end    It's simple, repetitive, and boring. A bit fun at first, but after one play session you've seen it all and won't feel a need to return to Starships.

    The tactical combat would be fun, but there is not enough on the strategy layer so you end up spending 90% of your time with tactical battles and it quickly gets tiring. You (and your enemies) can't ever actually lose ships, so you just end up fighting the same battles with and against the same fleets over and over and over and over again.    … Expand
  2. DarthPadme
    Mar 12, 2015
    3
    Pretty space graphics can't save this game from its boring, repetitive, uninspired gameplay. This Civ: BE offshoot might share its roots with other Sid Meier games, but it's clear that very little work and inspiration was put into this title. The fact that it's out on both PC and mobile should be indicative of that. Don't get this game expecting a full game experience. I've paid lessPretty space graphics can't save this game from its boring, repetitive, uninspired gameplay. This Civ: BE offshoot might share its roots with other Sid Meier games, but it's clear that very little work and inspiration was put into this title. The fact that it's out on both PC and mobile should be indicative of that. Don't get this game expecting a full game experience. I've paid less than $15 and gotten far more for my money with other games than this one. $5 might be a fair price.… Expand
  3. JonnysBeard
    Apr 4, 2015
    4
    If you don't know anything about Sid Meier, look him up and what games he did. He and Civilization are probably the biggest names in the genre ... and then comes Starships.

    At first I thought I was missing something but it's really that simple. I'm not saying simplicity is a bad thing but for a Sid Meier title this is more than just bland. The core gameplay feels as interesting as the    If you don't know anything about Sid Meier, look him up and what games he did. He and Civilization are probably the biggest names in the genre ... and then comes Starships.

    At first I thought I was missing something but it's really that simple. I'm not saying simplicity is a bad thing but for a Sid Meier title this is more than just bland. The core gameplay feels as interesting as the space age in Spore. Instead of moving spices and terraforming you get missions on each planets. About 5 different. Considering that this is pretty much all you do the entire game it's fair to say that it gets old very quickly.
    Research, outfitting ships and managing planets is linear and just as uninteresting.

    The fact that this is also a mobile game really shines through. Graphics are really basic but at least the window can be rescaled freely.

    It doesn't pretend to be a full Civilisation game but still, for having Sid Meier in the name it just doesn't deliver enough.

    4 points for being a game (with almost no content) and working very well on PC (and not being a bad port)    … Expand
  4. Duloth
    Jan 26, 2016
    3
    Simple, basic, turn-based strategy game. Ships have levels in a variety of traits you can upgrade; by the end, all ships are identical, and the only time a difference exists is in the early game when you can't afford to upgrade everything yet. Ships cannot be destroyed, only temporarily disabled; you -will- fight the entire enemy fleet every time you take one of his worlds, and losingSimple, basic, turn-based strategy game. Ships have levels in a variety of traits you can upgrade; by the end, all ships are identical, and the only time a difference exists is in the early game when you can't afford to upgrade everything yet. Ships cannot be destroyed, only temporarily disabled; you -will- fight the entire enemy fleet every time you take one of his worlds, and losing every ship in your fleet is only a one-turn inconvenience.

    The level of complexity and depth is about what you'd expect out of your typical free flash game; it only looks so pathetic when you measure it against its genuine competition; actual PC strategy games that you pay for.    … Expand
  5. Silverzapper
    Nov 2, 2016
    3
    I see a lot of missed potential here. This could have actually been a really deep and interesting game but they just didn't spend the proper time on it. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they just took some code from Beyond Earth and slapped this together in a month. Remember the space stage in Spore? Picture that but you can only visit about 30 planets. Yes I am not joking here. I wasI see a lot of missed potential here. This could have actually been a really deep and interesting game but they just didn't spend the proper time on it. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they just took some code from Beyond Earth and slapped this together in a month. Remember the space stage in Spore? Picture that but you can only visit about 30 planets. Yes I am not joking here. I was playing on the largest map available and there were about 30 planets. You may be wondering why I'm giving it such a high score when the game is so clearly terrible. Well even though this game is a terrible excuse for an anything Sid Meier at least has the decency not to charge 60 dollars for this. I got it for 15 which makes it at least somewhat worth it. That still doesn't change the fact that I'm using Spore which was a huge disappointment as a comparison to this game. Spore is better in nearly every way. And I think it's only 5 dollars now. Go buy that if you are thinking about purchasing this.… Expand
  6. Jumpy
    Mar 13, 2015
    2
    This game should not have been released for PC. It's a game that looks, feels and runs like a mobile game.

    The UI is extremely simplistic, clearly made for touchscreens (mobile devices), lacking in anything more in-depth. Graphics wise it's okay, for mobile devices, for PC graphics it's a complete joke. There are no real options to speak of, you can switch from windowed mode to windowed    This game should not have been released for PC. It's a game that looks, feels and runs like a mobile game.

    The UI is extremely simplistic, clearly made for touchscreens (mobile devices), lacking in anything more in-depth. Graphics wise it's okay, for mobile devices, for PC graphics it's a complete joke. There are no real options to speak of, you can switch from windowed mode to windowed fullscreen and adjust audio options, that's it.

    You'll most likely find yourself bored and uninspired after 30-45 minutes of gameplay. It's repetitive, too easy and not interesting in any way, shape or form.

    I wouldn't recommend this game on PC to anyone, ever. Save your money for something else, anything, as long as it isn't this game.

    TL;DR - The only thing this game is good for, is to play a cruel joke on a friend, nothing else.    … Expand
  7. Fritzworth
    Mar 16, 2015
    4
    I'm pretty underwhelmed, especially for $15. This is clearly an uninspired direct port of a mobile game (which I didn't discover until after I bought the PC version), and even the mobile version is underwhelming & shallow as a game. All the 4X concepts are there -- exploration, resources, research, diplomacy, combat -- but most of them are shamefully underdeveloped. You have only limitedI'm pretty underwhelmed, especially for $15. This is clearly an uninspired direct port of a mobile game (which I didn't discover until after I bought the PC version), and even the mobile version is underwhelming & shallow as a game. All the 4X concepts are there -- exploration, resources, research, diplomacy, combat -- but most of them are shamefully underdeveloped. You have only limited control over the victory conditions -- either all them, or any one, but not subsets -- and the opening splash screen is actually miselading: it says you can win by controlloing 51% of the galaxy, but you actually need either 51% of the total population _or_ every single star system. Domination victory turns into a grind, yet a simple one (hint: focus on torpedoes). As a $3 mobile game, it might have been worth it, but it is vastly overpriced at $15. Avoid this. [Reposted: somehow my original score of 4 got changed to 2]… Expand
  8. nagi
    Mar 17, 2015
    0
    This game is nothing more than a $2-5 tablet game that was halfway finished, ported to PC, then sold for three times that much. It is missing basic logivety features like multiplayer, or even a varied single player mode. seriously, you are better off if you just forget this exists.
  9. bamboe
    Mar 17, 2015
    2
    Bad game, why you think, wel the first 3 times you play it the game is fun, then it gets boring, all the battles are the same and you have seen it all.

    Winning and loosing is to unpredictable, one second you are with 35% of winning condition and the next round you have lost, without even having a change to do something against it. What happens is that if you win a fight at a home world    Bad game, why you think, wel the first 3 times you play it the game is fun, then it gets boring, all the battles are the same and you have seen it all.

    Winning and loosing is to unpredictable, one second you are with 35% of winning condition and the next round you have lost, without even having a change to do something against it.
    What happens is that if you win a fight at a home world you get all the planets of that player, so in 2 battels you can get from 15% to 50+ and you have won the game, or if the AI does it you have lost and yes they do that a lot.

    Building up an empire is useless since you will loose the game suddenly or just win it by taken 2 home worlds.

    You might as well get your risk dice and if you roll a six you have won.

    Its to bad because if they just put some more time in it the game would have been fun.

    I realy would like to see somebody who gave it a score of 8 to do the review again after playing it 5 times at a harder difficulty, i bet you think differend about the game then.    … Expand
  10. blade01
    Apr 1, 2015
    3
    Oh boy i was soooo excited about that game when i first heard about it.The more i saw, the less excited i was.And now that i played that game i think i was right.I will not write a in-depth review cause that game isnt wort the effort.Why?Its out on IOS and when you see and play the game you know why it should only be available to mobile devices.This game is really simple.Fighting isOh boy i was soooo excited about that game when i first heard about it.The more i saw, the less excited i was.And now that i played that game i think i was right.I will not write a in-depth review cause that game isnt wort the effort.Why?Its out on IOS and when you see and play the game you know why it should only be available to mobile devices.This game is really simple.Fighting is simple, science is simpel.You cant research like you did in Masters of Orion for example.I never got excited because i invented something cause there is nothing to invent in the first place.Every faction plays the same, even the research is the same.No effort put into it, lazy as hell.The missions get boring really quickly.There are some different type of missions but they will pop up too often.After the 8th spacestation that is damaged or the 12th defenseplattform that goes rogue it gets dumb.

    In the end that game is clearly made für mobile devices.Right now they charge you with around 15€.Many people will tell you 15€ is not much and its ok.NO ITS NOT!There are so many games out there for less money that are better.Hell, pick up Masters of Orion, better battles, much more tactic needed and a real economy behind it.If you want just the fighting, buy FTL.Or buy other games, but not this ripoff that is just portet so that they can grab your cash because there is the name Sid Meier on it.Without the name Sid Meier no one would ever give a **** about this boring game.Its below average for me, deinstalled it after some hours.    … Expand
  11. Cailore
    Mar 13, 2015
    1
    If I paid a dollar for this on my phone, I would be amused by it—but is Sid Meier really in the business of competing with $1 game apps? At $15, I hope not, because really, you might have gotten us this time, but even app stores post reviews, I think it's time to hang the Sid Meier name out to pasture.

    The graphics would be OK at the resolution of my phone, but on my large PC monitor,    If I paid a dollar for this on my phone, I would be amused by it—but is Sid Meier really in the business of competing with $1 game apps? At $15, I hope not, because really, you might have gotten us this time, but even app stores post reviews, I think it's time to hang the Sid Meier name out to pasture.

    The graphics would be OK at the resolution of my phone, but on my large PC monitor, this game is as ugly and its game play is trite and uninteresting. The 2K link to "play your Beyond Earth world in Starships also doesn't work, so failures all around.

    I am sure some turd-hat at 2K is kicking himself for not charging $39.99 for this because even he knows after buying this one, you are going to have to give me a free game before I ever by another Firaxis title.    … Expand
  12. WingNutt
    Mar 15, 2015
    0
    This game is empty and void of any longevity... on PC...its what i call Disposable! Like a babies nappy its a one use item!

    Its an iPad game and in that environment it will fair OK... But it has no place in the PC market except to leverage some extra cash from the unsuspecting buys .... as it has Sids name on it!

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 58
  3. Negative: 7 out of 58
  1. PCWorld
    Jan 21, 2016
    80
    Starships condenses Sid Meier's knack for turn-based strategy into a short, two-to-five hour burst of board game-esque tactics that's as satisfying as it is approachable.
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Jul 16, 2015
    25
    This awful strategy game is not worthy of even a single playthrough neither on PC, nor on tablets.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 24, 2015
    73
    More short-term play-friendly beast. [June 2015, p.78]
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