Starbound

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 508 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 306 out of 508
  2. Mixed: 130 out of 508
  3. Negative: 72 out of 508

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  1. firehazard42
    Aug 16, 2016
    7
    Starbound is one of the finest examples of a game with loads of ambition that, through lots of hard work and dedication from both the player and the developers, manages to be both addictive and engaging. It’s a game that gives back what you put into it: Gives you the chance to let you experience the massive universe how you so choose.

    Unlike other games in the similar vein, Starbound    Starbound is one of the finest examples of a game with loads of ambition that, through lots of hard work and dedication from both the player and the developers, manages to be both addictive and engaging. It’s a game that gives back what you put into it: Gives you the chance to let you experience the massive universe how you so choose.

    Unlike other games in the similar vein, Starbound actually manages to have a Story behind it. Unfortunately (yet not exactly surprisingly) the story itself isn’t interesting or meaningful. Between predictable and tired apocalyptic stakes, boring villains running an unironically and equally as boring cult, and ancient all-powerful evil and six macguffins to drive the “plot” forward; The story only serves to be an ultimate end goal to slowly work your way towards.

    Thankfully what truly drives the experience, and what the developers wisely chose to focus their efforts on is the universe itself. Vast and expansive, varied in both scope and content, filled to the brim with characters of many kinds. There’s no two places exactly alike, and there’s so much to explore and find.

    But more importantly, the game encourages you to experiment with how you interact with the world and play whichever way you choose: Whether to be a heroic space Bounty Hunter working together with your crew to trifle evil wherever you go, a lonely Asteroid Miner treading carefully among the depths of space to make a profit, or a humble farmer doing nothing but working their homestead; There is a multitude of ways to tackle the universe. It’s just a shame that the story missions themselves seem to only be about killing and destruction. The game would have benefited greatly if they had introduced more variety with the main missions. As an aside; Between the easy multiplayer and the very robust, simple to use modding system the game supports both serve a great benefit, providing the game with potentially infinite content and hours and hours of fun with your friends.

    Packed with charm and wit, a vast universe, and so much to create and explore, Starbound has eventually become one of the most compelling experiences in a long time, and while it isn't perfect, I don’t plan on quitting any time soon.    … Expand
  2. Estevacio
    Aug 13, 2016
    9
    Please do not take into account most reviews here, the game has finally reached version 1.0, the story is in and you can do whatever you want with the game as well, i have been on this ride since the beggining and i guarantee it is worth the shot( for the newcomers even more since all that you try will be new)
    the art is superb, the amount of content is awesome, if you like sidescrollers    Please do not take into account most reviews here, the game has finally reached version 1.0, the story is in and you can do whatever you want with the game as well, i have been on this ride since the beggining and i guarantee it is worth the shot( for the newcomers even more since all that you try will be new)
    the art is superb, the amount of content is awesome, if you like sidescrollers with build mechanics and resource gathering you will love this one!!    … Expand
  3. xDaudex
    May 25, 2015
    6
    Pros:
    Like Terraria but with many different worlds
    Many different weapons
    Diverse world biomes

    Cons:
    Worlds not as complex as Terraria
    Confusing objectives
    Way too many items in the game
  4. Orizon
    Aug 4, 2016
    8
    I bought Starbound while still in alpha (late 2013) and spent a fair amount of time on it, on many builds: I really don't understand all the hate that came up with 1.0 release.

    While it clearly misses some of the declared features (e.g. space combat or mechs - though you can easily get mech using mods) it delivers a satisfying and funny experience to the player. Simply put: 2d art    I bought Starbound while still in alpha (late 2013) and spent a fair amount of time on it, on many builds: I really don't understand all the hate that came up with 1.0 release.

    While it clearly misses some of the declared features
    (e.g. space combat or mechs - though you can easily get mech using mods)
    it delivers a satisfying and funny experience to the player.

    Simply put: 2d art is gorgeous, combat is compelling and fun (wide array of weapon types), crafting is good (many recipes, blocks, upgradeable crafting stations, wiring for advanced building).
    Overall, the game is quite polished and fully enjoyable.

    The feeling? It's Great too: having a spaceship to "freely roam" the space while exploring new planets - where you'll often find caves, outposts, chests, and interesting stuff in general - really gets you involved and willing to spend lot of hours on the game.

    8/10, highly recommended!    … Expand
  5. gabenhater
    Jan 15, 2017
    1
    tries to recreate Terraria but just feels empty and repetitive

    I had high hopes for this since I bought it in beta, but the deveopers overextended and cut their losses into one boring, homogenous, "you have to stop an ancient evil!" storyline, instead of the "you break down in the middle of nowhere and have to make the best of it, explore the galaxy" thing it had previously. All races    tries to recreate Terraria but just feels empty and repetitive

    I had high hopes for this since I bought it in beta, but the deveopers overextended and cut their losses into one boring, homogenous, "you have to stop an ancient evil!" storyline, instead of the "you break down in the middle of nowhere and have to make the best of it, explore the galaxy" thing it had previously. All races are the same except for looks, and things like the race unique ship AI have all been removed.

    You probably be better off spending less money on Terraria.    … Expand
  6. Techbane
    Aug 2, 2016
    7
    I don't regret having bought it at this point, I guess. After ad nauseum iterations of the combat engine, they finally came up with something workable for 1.0 at least. There are a LOT of things that got the axe or ended up underdeveloped, a lot of broken promises, etc. (remember the mechs? or the proposed space combat system?) but it's at least reasonably fun. The various races are stillI don't regret having bought it at this point, I guess. After ad nauseum iterations of the combat engine, they finally came up with something workable for 1.0 at least. There are a LOT of things that got the axe or ended up underdeveloped, a lot of broken promises, etc. (remember the mechs? or the proposed space combat system?) but it's at least reasonably fun. The various races are still really neat, the game looks and sounds beautiful at times, but the overall progression boils down to mining some ore -> upgrading stuff -> running a dungeon and fighting a boss -> repeat. It's much less of a competitor to Terraria than it was trying to be, but it's fun to get immersed in for a few hours, moreso with friends.… Expand
  7. ADMouse
    Dec 6, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a good game even in Beta, with so much things to do, and explore, but it doesn't have a propose to continue the storyline, and doesn't have too much of story. The bosses are way to difficult with the maximum requirement, but having a strategy maybe will help you. It's nice to play it and see it evolve… Expand
  8. FacundoCritics
    Aug 25, 2016
    8
    Al fin después de tanto tiempo, sacaron la versión final de este juego que prometía tanto. Gráficos bonitos, historia irrelevante, pero entretenida. Muchas cosas para hacer, super divertido con amigos. Terraria del espacio vaya.
  9. Machiniman20
    Aug 5, 2016
    7
    Having waited so long, I finally played through Starbound. I will say that the game was fun, and relatively challenging, even though I speed-ran my way to the best gear before any of the story really happened. I did appreciate that I was free to do that.

    I wasn't incredibly gripped by the story progression, but the characters were decent, and the gameplay was alright. Not the best game    Having waited so long, I finally played through Starbound. I will say that the game was fun, and relatively challenging, even though I speed-ran my way to the best gear before any of the story really happened. I did appreciate that I was free to do that.

    I wasn't incredibly gripped by the story progression, but the characters were decent, and the gameplay was alright. Not the best game I've ever played, but it's definitely a fun experience if you're willing to spend a couple bucks.

    7/10, would recommend if you have some spare cash and a certain sense of patience for repetition. Not a ton of variance in the game, which is a grand irony considering how it was initially made to be a vast, infinite universe of different things.

    The soundtrack added so much to this game's score in my head. Absolutely phenomenal music that evokes emotions beyond the game itself. Very, VERY well done musically. I think my love for the music might actually cause my rating of this game to be higher than it should.

    4 of the points I gave this game go to the music. Potentially the savior of a game that could've been a flop.

    In terms of graphic design, I certainly couldn't complain, there was a ton of graphic variance and a lot of beautiful environments. Solid

    3 of my points there. Along with the music, this really saved this game.

    The combat mechanics were fluid but very repetitive, and a lot of the weapons didn't really feel worth it.

    2 of my points. Not much more to say here.

    The story was the big letdown. Not really anything that sucks you in, except for the very beginning and the very end. It doesn't really feel like a cohesive story, just a bunch of linear events that just happen to tie together to make the story conveniently work. Each "story" mission simply consisted of scanning a bunch of things, returning to the hub, and then running off to a conveniently designed environment to complete a quest that feels like it could easily be rewritten to fit any of the other in-game races, which are supposed to feel important.

    The story actually takes 2 points away of my score of Starbound. Honestly a very disappointing element. It really doesn't carry the weight that it should. I honestly was more intrigued by the vague story-esque elements of Terraria, where there wasn't much of a story at all, just hints that drove you to explore the game more.    … Expand
  10. Forbbiden
    Sep 2, 2016
    9
    I bought this game and i wasn't expecting much, on the first day i played like 10 hours straight, the game has a story and hundreds of items that you can collect, some weapons have a extra skill and adds a little more strategy to battles, the bosses are fun to fight against but that don't applies to the common foes, that are really dumb and just run to attack.
  11. mimida21
    Jan 18, 2019
    6
    i thought this was *terraria 2.0*, but with story nonsense and no official novakid npc character in the story, i don't think it's tried to ripoff terraria, but should've been a good sandbox game, not storytelling nonsense and then move on (i'm not a space jesus, lemme become a space pirate, DAMNIT)

    *the game is good tho*
  12. powerslide111
    Oct 30, 2018
    0
    Полная хуйня не работает мультиплеер. Говно. Полная хуйня. Одна звезда
  13. SergeiLoodi
    Feb 1, 2019
    0
    The game was in development for years now and out of beta yet in reality this is not out of beta nor can be called a beta. The game is broken and thanks to it's terrible performance for a long time unplayable. It's a waste of time to even write a review about it. Just avoid this garbage.
  14. Frost_Cube
    Feb 1, 2021
    6
    Don't follow what the haters say. Play the game yourself and you will see that its amazing. The music, the art, the adventure is all greatly done, and plenty of mods from the community and the fact that you need little to no knowledge to mod t
  15. jackrabbitt64
    Jun 4, 2021
    10
    This game gets flack for stuff that has been resolved years ago. This is one of those games that you play for 2 weeks straight then don't touch for a year and then you do it again. Beyond that, there are massive array of mods to enhance the experience to the point that its almost a new game. However the base game is nothing to scoff at, it is full of NPCs and a amazing bunch of in-depthThis game gets flack for stuff that has been resolved years ago. This is one of those games that you play for 2 weeks straight then don't touch for a year and then you do it again. Beyond that, there are massive array of mods to enhance the experience to the point that its almost a new game. However the base game is nothing to scoff at, it is full of NPCs and a amazing bunch of in-depth and interesting races. The exploration is amazing and the progression is perfect. Upon each playthrough you WILL find something new, whether it is big or small it will be something interesting and worthwhile. BUY THIS GAME, it is worth it, especially with friends.… Expand
  16. Tjerum
    Feb 14, 2022
    10
    For me one of the best games of all time.
    It is a combo from Terraria and No man sky but better.
  17. doctuar
    Aug 4, 2016
    7
    When I initially started playing this title, I thought it was just going to be a sandbox survival affair, like Terraria or Minecraft. To an extent, it is, but - once you progress through the initial few missions - the game expands into a spacefaring exploration adventure. I knew practically nothing about this game before being gifted it, so that came as a nice surprise.

    Starbound has    When I initially started playing this title, I thought it was just going to be a sandbox survival affair, like Terraria or Minecraft. To an extent, it is, but - once you progress through the initial few missions - the game expands into a spacefaring exploration adventure. I knew practically nothing about this game before being gifted it, so that came as a nice surprise.

    Starbound has some very neat ideas, such as the way you have to upgrade your equipment to explore different types of planet, and the level of crafting is very detailed. I had an awful lot of fun exploring the depths of the various worlds, finding secret temples and unusual locations. The multiplayer can be fun as well, as players with more advanced equipment can help out those newer to the game and help them progress. There are also boss battles and a gladiatorial arena which offer exciting challenges, especially with a group.

    However, the game lacks a certain polish and it can often be a chore to play. A lot of the "main" missions involve you having to scan artefacts from various alien civilizations, and this is infrequently fun. I suppose you could argue that this is something you can passively undertake during the course of your explorations, but it still feels like a drag. Also, the game has some performance issues that can often make it unplayable. I initially put these down to PC specs or Internet connection but, more often than not, restarting the client seems to clear things up, so I'm not entirely sure what causes the game to slow down so badly. There also seems to be lots of bugs regarding mission completion, especially if you play alongside somebody else. I completed the early missions just fine, but the game doesn't seem to acknowledge this and won't grant me access to certain shops because it thinks I haven't unlocked them yet. It's not the end of the world, but it is frustrating to put the effort in, only for the game to blithely ignore this.

    Another niggle is that, in the early stages, the weapons and armour you create feel strangely out-of-touch with the sci-fi aesthetic. You will kit your character out with plate armour, swords and bows, despite having access to an FTL spaceship and transporter technology. Personally, this didn't bother me (I found it rather cute), but Mass Effect this ain't.

    To be clear, I think your expectations going will dictate how much you enjoy this game. If you're perfectly happy to explore, build a neat little house and occasionally complete a story mission to further your progress, there is a lot to like. The construction system is really satisfying and, as a self-confessed amateur at this kind of thing, I had no problem creating cool little buildings filled with interesting furniture, gadgets and decorations.

    If, however, you are looking for a bombastic, RPG-style adventure with interesting characters, locations and story, you will probably be disappointed. It seems to me that this aspect of the game is a little tacked on, frankly, and needs a lot more clarity in where you should be going or why you should even care.

    Overall, I have been fiendishly addicted to this since installing it, but it still feels rough around the edges and, often, can be very frustrating. I'm also not sure I would enjoy playing this on my own, but perhaps that's the point. Still, if you're willing to put the work in, I'm sure there's a lot of fun times to be had.    … Expand
  18. cylentstorm
    Dec 5, 2021
    8
    Starbound (in its final form) is a fun 2D sci-fi take on the whole "survivalcraft" sandbox craze from years ago, with an emphasis on exploration and adventure. Building and crafting options are extensive, but are mostly optional in comparison to something like Terraria (which is still incredibly fun to this day.)

    In spite of Starbound's checkered development history led by Chucklefish    Starbound (in its final form) is a fun 2D sci-fi take on the whole "survivalcraft" sandbox craze from years ago, with an emphasis on exploration and adventure. Building and crafting options are extensive, but are mostly optional in comparison to something like Terraria (which is still incredibly fun to this day.)

    In spite of Starbound's checkered development history led by Chucklefish founder and exploitative punk Finn Brice, the game is still well worth playing and exploring--even in 2021.    … Expand
  19. Hecatone
    Aug 22, 2017
    9
    This is one of the best games I've ever played. It's easy to get absorbed into this procedurally created world and all its oddity. Most of the poor reviews on here are about the game not having been completed and should be updated.
  20. MaxPay
    Nov 29, 2016
    2
    Disconnected and barebone mechanics render a shallow experience that's already grindy by nature.
    If the goal was to conquer the galaxy, for example, then things like building colonies, upgrading ships, terraforming and so on would be useful features.
    But your mission is to scan all the furniture in the universe! And not as you go along, but in racial order! Performance issues still    Disconnected and barebone mechanics render a shallow experience that's already grindy by nature.
    If the goal was to conquer the galaxy, for example, then things like building colonies, upgrading ships, terraforming and so on would be useful features.
    But your mission is to scan all the furniture in the universe! And not as you go along, but in racial order!
    Performance issues still exist after 5 years. Large amount of content was cut from the game like racial differences, lore, weapons, tech, armor... And they added same monsters to every planet!
    Visiting other planets gets old fast, cause of frequent deja vu.
    2 points are for pixel art and soundtrack.    … Expand
  21. PrincessRose
    Jul 14, 2023
    6
    It's fun for a while to dig and explore but also lacking. It ends up feeling kind of pointless, repetitive and tedious.
    I liked the dungeons and fighting the bosses the most.
    The game is interesting but doesn't feel like it's been fully finished, the devs just abandoned and gave up on it and aren't updating it anymore. The NPC's you hire for your ship crew are extremely annoying, they    It's fun for a while to dig and explore but also lacking. It ends up feeling kind of pointless, repetitive and tedious.
    I liked the dungeons and fighting the bosses the most.
    The game is interesting but doesn't feel like it's been fully finished, the devs just abandoned and gave up on it and aren't updating it anymore.

    The NPC's you hire for your ship crew are extremely annoying, they just stand there and look stupid and lifeless the AI isn't made to look alive and functioning and get in the way even if you put plenty of tables, chairs and beds around or the absolute worse stand right next to a door and whenever you try to open it to go through they continually close it so you have to remove the door to be able to go through.

    I hate how the crew just stand there in the way.
    They do sometimes sleep in the beds, sit down or warm themselves at the forge which is annoying as they get in the way when trying to smelt ore.

    I just spent a lot of the game time exploring and creating. Besides that there isn't really much else. NPC quests aren't interesting and feature the same few of give this note and then give the reply or get some iron make some iron bars and give to or plant these seeds, fight some enemy or the worst go find this NPC at the temple and escort them back. The game feels quite lacking unless all you want to do is build and use mods.

    After completing all the main missions I had no interest anymore in playing.
    There are other things to do but it feels pointless.
    Sure you can capture and collect creatures to fight for you but they are all useless and extremely weak in battle, they die after a couple of hits.
    Everything else is also tedious and boring and trying to find and collect various things which can take forever and is not at all fun.
    Exploring gets boring as once you've seen all the biomes, it all starts to look the same.
    Sure I could build colonies but colonies also seem pointless.
    I had some fun with the game for a while so still recommend it and rate an unmodded game 6/10.    … Expand
  22. gravehaven
    Sep 25, 2022
    9
    So much fun. 2d minecraft with spaceships, how could you possibly go wrong? Really fun with friends too.
  23. nik_balani
    Jun 20, 2020
    5
    Starbound started with a lot of promise - interesting story and free reign crafting. However as mentioned by other reviews - the crafting doesnt add a lot to the story or progress in the game and the infinite number of worlds becomes annoying when you are trying to remember where things are stored/found. I played about 20 hrs worth and realised I hadn't gotten very far so abandoned the game.
  24. VendonJura
    May 10, 2023
    10
    Really nice Terraria like game. Lots of fun to play. However, as in any survival game, you have real problems when it comes to hunger and the UI is extremely small. However, the game is still great.

    I've now spent a few hours in the game and I really have to say that this is one of the best games I've played in 2022. The game is just awesome. ✅ A lot to do ✅ NPCs on most planets ✅    Really nice Terraria like game. Lots of fun to play. However, as in any survival game, you have real problems when it comes to hunger and the UI is extremely small. However, the game is still great.

    I've now spent a few hours in the game and I really have to say that this is one of the best games I've played in 2022. The game is just awesome.

    ✅ A lot to do
    ✅ NPCs on most planets
    ✅ These NPCs often even have quests
    ✅ Many NPCs in space or on planets sell or buy things
    ✅ A lot of items that you can use well
    ✅ A lot of recipes you can find. Example 1. You collect a mushroom and learn a recipe such as Boiled Mushrooms.
    ✅ You have several classes that you can play
    ✅ Ingame commands for players who would like to test something or play as admin
    ✅ Achievements
    ✅ Sounds are good
    ✅ Great atmosphere
    ✅ Many skills such as those from Metroid. I won't say what it is because it would be a spoiler ;)
    ✅Many different animals 7 creatures
    ✅You can also capture animals, just like in Pokemon

    ❌ Unfortunately no minimap, at least I haven't seen it.    … Expand
  25. JustABot
    Sep 9, 2018
    7
    This was actually a good game before the protectorate update, the update was good yeah but since the update playing it slowly made it boring.
  26. memoriter
    Nov 28, 2018
    8
    Starbound is a game dear to my heart. It has all the warmth and magic of my SNES favorites in an expansive, seemingly-endless sci-fi universe ready to be explored, conquered, and colonized. The controls are smooth and easy to master. The graphics are simply charming, and the soundtrack is pure magic. For such an inexpensive product, Starbound really is a wonderful experience. If you likeStarbound is a game dear to my heart. It has all the warmth and magic of my SNES favorites in an expansive, seemingly-endless sci-fi universe ready to be explored, conquered, and colonized. The controls are smooth and easy to master. The graphics are simply charming, and the soundtrack is pure magic. For such an inexpensive product, Starbound really is a wonderful experience. If you like pixel games, then this might be the one for you. Have fun.… Expand
  27. JiggyOfficial
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    Definetely in my top 10 favorite games of all time. The exploration and adventure aspect of the game is on point, the story is very entertaining, the survival side of the game is not easy but not too challenging and the new content that gets added every month or so makes it even better of a experience. The crafting is perfect, not too demanding neither too easy again. Basically this gameDefinetely in my top 10 favorite games of all time. The exploration and adventure aspect of the game is on point, the story is very entertaining, the survival side of the game is not easy but not too challenging and the new content that gets added every month or so makes it even better of a experience. The crafting is perfect, not too demanding neither too easy again. Basically this game is perfect for a person that likes adventure because of the massive universe you are dropped into and left free to do whatever you want. I absolutely love the game and it's experience!… Expand
  28. Alchemango
    Jan 16, 2019
    6
    Starbound wasted it's potential by shoving an un-fun storyline down the player's throats. The music and art are great, but the exploration is a bit underwhelming, since most planets are small, repetitive and a portion of them is taken by villages or other structures.
  29. Logonic
    Feb 9, 2020
    10
    Игра замечательная как для созидателей, кто может построить собственную колонию, так и для разрушителей и любителей экшена. С обновлением 1.14 в игре появился новый сюжет и возможности. Все это подталкивает игрока на новые приключения.
    В рецензиях с низкой оценкой от пользователей большинство плохих оценок стоят за неоправданные ожидания, а все баги и неприятности, найденные в 2014-2016    Игра замечательная как для созидателей, кто может построить собственную колонию, так и для разрушителей и любителей экшена. С обновлением 1.14 в игре появился новый сюжет и возможности. Все это подталкивает игрока на новые приключения.
    В рецензиях с низкой оценкой от пользователей большинство плохих оценок стоят за неоправданные ожидания, а все баги и неприятности, найденные в 2014-2016 годах давно исправлены.
    В игру советую заходить с друзьями, так намного веселее и интереснее, но если такой возможности нет, то в starbound вас всегда развеселят забавные диалоги и фразы персонажей.    … Expand
  30. DragonHeart000
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    If you're a fan of Terraria then you'll love this game and despite what people say, they have some heavy differences. Starbound has a large focus on exploration and items whilst Terraria is more focused on boss fights. Both are excellent games in their own ways.
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Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best PC Game of 2016
32
#32 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
74
#74 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Everyeye.it
    Oct 24, 2016
    82
    Starbound is one of the very few games that gets both "open world" and "sandbox" done right. The amount of activities available is astounding and the best part is you can avoid them all, if you wish to do just that.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 14, 2016
    85
    The price to fun ratio is amazing, but Starbound’s biggest advantage is the freedom it offers. I took a long break from Elite Dangerous to play this indie gem – it’s that good! [10/2016, p.58]
  3. Games.cz
    Sep 19, 2016
    70
    Starbound is not as polished and debugged as other games, and sometimes it may seem repetitive. But compared to more "modern" sci-fi games its explorative, almost melancholic spirit and emphasis on building catches your heart. Spare a few hundred hours of your time, the ultimate boundary once again calls for the survey.
    Read full review
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