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. Azure_Daisies
    Mar 14, 2015
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, but I just can't. I don't hate it either. The general impression my husband and I both had when we compared notes was "meh." There's just nothing attention grabbing, or amusing, or really very entertaining. The actual space combat is trivially simple and quickly tediously repetitive. The "improvements" for planets are ridiculously over complicated,I really wanted to like this game, but I just can't. I don't hate it either. The general impression my husband and I both had when we compared notes was "meh." There's just nothing attention grabbing, or amusing, or really very entertaining. The actual space combat is trivially simple and quickly tediously repetitive. The "improvements" for planets are ridiculously over complicated, not in a difficult way but in an annoying way, to the point where you say "heck I don't *need* it to win the game and you just ignore it. After about a day of messing about we both put Starships on our "blah" game shelf and went back to other more stimulating and gratifying games.… Expand
  2. Stormcloud72
    Mar 15, 2015
    5
    This game is not 100% horrible but it being pitched as a PC game is laughable. The only options you have in the menu, volume control, no video settings, no sound settings, no actual fullscreen unless you hide the taskbar and then hit f11, f11 like you would with a internet browser. Strategy? What Strategy, you fly around with a single fleet of ships that you fly about and shoot at otherThis game is not 100% horrible but it being pitched as a PC game is laughable. The only options you have in the menu, volume control, no video settings, no sound settings, no actual fullscreen unless you hide the taskbar and then hit f11, f11 like you would with a internet browser. Strategy? What Strategy, you fly around with a single fleet of ships that you fly about and shoot at other ships. This is 100% a Tablet Game and should have been pitched as such on the PC instead of tacking Sid Meier's name to this game and pretending it was a full fledged game. This game is not worth $14.99 and should have been sold at mobile game prices.… Expand
  3. Xubaca
    Mar 18, 2015
    7
    - If you like turn-based combat, you must try this game.
    - A lot of missions (one or more missions per turn)
    - Very easy to play turn-based combat - Combat with good options (torpedoes, laser, plasma cannon). - Good graphics and sound - Quick to learn, easy to play - But, become to easy to play when you learn all - Good managament options. Easy turn-base management (build cities and    - If you like turn-based combat, you must try this game.
    - A lot of missions (one or more missions per turn)
    - Very easy to play turn-based combat
    - Combat with good options (torpedoes, laser, plasma cannon).
    - Good graphics and sound
    - Quick to learn, easy to play
    - But, become to easy to play when you learn all
    - Good managament options. Easy turn-base management (build cities and wonders, just like Sid Meiers Civilization series)
    - Is not a huge game, to spend hundreds of hours playing. Is a casual game, for fun and relaxing.    … Expand
  4. Bl4ckSh33p
    Mar 14, 2015
    6
    It could use some more tweaking to AI and difficulty. I won 4 games in a row in different difficulties with wonders but I tried to conquer all planets. Diplomacy is very simple but I like the battles in general.
    It's a nice entry to 4X games but don't expect too much. If you play and like games like Civilizations or Endless Legend/Space it will be fun for a while but can get boring after    It could use some more tweaking to AI and difficulty. I won 4 games in a row in different difficulties with wonders but I tried to conquer all planets. Diplomacy is very simple but I like the battles in general.
    It's a nice entry to 4X games but don't expect too much. If you play and like games like Civilizations or Endless Legend/Space it will be fun for a while but can get boring after a few games because of its limitations.    … Expand
  5. runeb80
    Mar 13, 2015
    7
    People need to stop rating and reviewing this as if it were a $60 PC game. I paid 12 bucks and am enjoying it quite a bit on both PC and tab. It is what it is. No more, no less. As far as mobile games go, it's one of the best out there. As far as PC games go, it's actually not too bad either. This has more gameplay and replayability than a lot of full-price games. I only wish they HAD madePeople need to stop rating and reviewing this as if it were a $60 PC game. I paid 12 bucks and am enjoying it quite a bit on both PC and tab. It is what it is. No more, no less. As far as mobile games go, it's one of the best out there. As far as PC games go, it's actually not too bad either. This has more gameplay and replayability than a lot of full-price games. I only wish they HAD made a full AAA PC version of it!… Expand
  6. weregamer
    Mar 20, 2015
    5
    (Argh, metacritic ignores paragraphs. For a more readable version I've posted pretty much the same text to my blog.)

    Apparently a surprisingly large number of fans were expecting to get a deep game like a Civ or a spacegoing Pirates! for $16 on a short development cycle; they also apparently did not even look at the gameplay footage that's been available for weeks. Going in with my    (Argh, metacritic ignores paragraphs. For a more readable version I've posted pretty much the same text to my blog.)

    Apparently a surprisingly large number of fans were expecting to get a deep game like a Civ or a spacegoing Pirates! for $16 on a short development cycle; they also apparently did not even look at the gameplay footage that's been available for weeks.

    Going in with my eyes open, though, I have little to complain about in the gameplay itself. It's pretty much what the video promised. The tie-in with Beyond Earth, modulo the bugs I'm about to mention, is no clumsier than I expected. The requirement to set up a 2K account to get the tie-in is not yet onerous - we'll see where that goes, and hope that it's not like EA's player abuse system.

    Where the game totally fails, though is that despite being developed in parallel, and despite Firaxis' experience with PC games, it comes across as a crappy iPad port. Most of these things are inexcusable, showing either or both of a lack of testing on the PC or a lack of caring about PC quality:

    * It only plays in "full-screen windowed" mode. No true fullscreen, no choice of resolution. 2K's claimed "fix" for this is an ugly workaround telling you to change your desktop settings to hide the taskbar. Ugh for Firaxis and FY2 to 2K.

    * It crashes on exit, every time. Most of the time it crashes when you hit "exit" from the main menu, but last night I had it crash when I clicked "return to main menu" from the victory screen. Did they even test the PC version?

    * It has about a minute of unskppable video at game end. This doesn't feel like a victory celebration, it feels like punishment for winning. Ugh.

    * Right-click is treated exactly the same as left-click, even though a hover brings up a radial menu. Totally lazy.

    * Probably related to the crashes, the unlocks for Beyond Earth for playing Starships don't work. The unlocks in the other direction do, at least.

    Despite all of these issues, it is a fun little game, especially if you have Beyond Earth and either you're not tired of it yet or you use the in-game-editor mod to fast-path you to the unlocks.    … Expand

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.
    Read full review
  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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