80
What’s most remarkable about Stars in Shadow is that it holds it own among arguably better games like Endless Space 2, Galactic Civilizations III, Star Ruler 2, and Stellaris. Those games all embrace the epic sweep of science fiction with detail and breadth. They must do everything and they must do it epicly. After all, if it’s out in space, it has to be as vast and formidable as space itself. But Stars in Shadow, by contrast, knows how to do something too few games do. It knows how to focus.
70
Stars in Shadow is a fun 4X title that makes for a great game for newcomers of the genre to dip their toes into. Likewise, rabid 4X lovers will find a familiar experience here that offers some new, interesting design choices along with a set of systems that are well-polished and well made. The fact that Stars in Shadow was made by a small team is all the more impressive when you look at how smooth it runs and the great deal of polish that went into this title. While it won’t set the standard for new and interesting 4X gameplay, Stars in Shadow offers a great 4X experience that is well balanced and a great deal of fun.
70
Stars in Shadow is relatively simple and inviting for newcomers to the 4X strategy genre, but also features original mechanics to intrigue 4X veterans, and everything is brought together with a fun, cartoonish art style that complements the fantastical races and nature of this space exploration strategy game.
8
Good for an indie game, a bit too simple to have much if any replay value though. Was very bugged by the incredibly slow AI turns. Still a solid TBS, if you liked Master of Orion/Galactic Civilizations, then you should definitely give this game a spin.
9
This is very simply a fun game to play. It's strengths are in it's simplicity and in the tactical combat and the overall look and "feel". It's weaknesses seem to be mostly some rough edges that the two man Indie developers haven't fully gotten cleaned up yet. If you try it out,I bet you will like it...
8
Very fun game. It is quite a simplistic 4X game - which is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a very good game if your are looking to get into 4X, turn-based strategy style games, or looking for one that that does not have as many micro-mechanics; what is here is good. You start with a little solar system and by the end you are conquering entire star systems with massive armadas of starships. The battle is an easy to understand 2-D plane and is fun to play. A very functional auto-combat feature is available so you do not have to fight every time manually (you will be using this a lot in the late game). The ships, weapons, and tech are very fun. You can study physics, sociology, engineering, and a slew of military and weapons related fields. The only downside is that there is no visual tech tree, something that would be very useful and is quite surprising not to see as nearly every other 4X game has them now. I find the graphics and characters design fine. It is not an AAA game company and would not have the budget to compete with them. I think the cartoon style was a smart move, even if you do feel as though you are playing a mobile game at times. One mechanic I really love is the undo button. When you first start out and learning the ropes, you will likely make a mistake or two. Instead of having to reload an earlier game, you can just push the undo button. The only place it really lacks is immersion. There is not much in the way of story (nothing new in this genre, though). Be nice to know more about the universe I am playing in. There is some lore within the text of the game, but not much else. It would have also been nice to see an intro video and a short clip after winning the game. Honestly, most turn-based strategy games lack in this area, even Civ VI has a quick ending. They could also do a better job at presenting, detailing and monitoring victory conditions. At the time of this writing, the game is $25 and is well worth the price. It is not Civilization but I still found myself going late into the night spending one more click to grow my galactic civilization. If you like strategy games or looking to get into them, this is a good game to choose.
Stars in Shadow
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Generally Favorable
8.3
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
33% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
67% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jan 20, 2017
90
Stars in Shadow has some limitations that are defined by its indie development, but exceeds preconceptions with the amount of content and its near flawless execution. It’s an indie game truly for the 4Xer to revel in.
Jan 18, 2017
85
The simple graphics and animations leave something to be desired but the graphical style is spot on. Besides, shiny baubles don’t make a game - gameplay does and that is rock solid here.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.3
84% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
16% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Aug 20, 2017
9
This is very simply a fun game to play. It's strengths are in it's simplicity and in the tactical combat and the overall look and "feel". It's weaknesses seem to be mostly some rough edges that the two man Indie developers haven't fully gotten cleaned up yet. If you try it out,I bet you will like it...
Dec 30, 2018
8
Good for an indie game, a bit too simple to have much if any replay value though. Was very bugged by the incredibly slow AI turns. Still a solid TBS, if you liked Master of Orion/Galactic Civilizations, then you should definitely give this game a spin.
Mar 8, 2017
70
Stars in Shadow is a fun 4X title that makes for a great game for newcomers of the genre to dip their toes into. Likewise, rabid 4X lovers will find a familiar experience here that offers some new, interesting design choices along with a set of systems that are well-polished and well made. The fact that Stars in Shadow was made by a small team is all the more impressive when you look at how smooth it runs and the great deal of polish that went into this title. While it won’t set the standard for new and interesting 4X gameplay, Stars in Shadow offers a great 4X experience that is well balanced and a great deal of fun.
Mar 3, 2017
70
Stars in Shadow is relatively simple and inviting for newcomers to the 4X strategy genre, but also features original mechanics to intrigue 4X veterans, and everything is brought together with a fun, cartoonish art style that complements the fantastical races and nature of this space exploration strategy game.
Feb 27, 2017
70
Stars in Shadow, developed by a two man team, offers a compelling but simple approach to the 4X Strategy game genre. While lacking some depth in the grand scale, it more than makes up for it with compelling ship battles, using custom designed ships that offer a great amount of customization.
Feb 7, 2017
70
A great introduction to the 4x genre, Stars in Shadow succeeds at everything it aims for. The art style is amazing, the gameplay is fun and factions are interesting, held back by only a few lacking systems.
Jan 23, 2017
70
Stars in Shadow is a really solid strategy title, and that it comes from a new indie team makes the title's accomplishments all the more impressive. However, this is a game built by a small team and there are some technical hurdles, a lack of multiplayer and a simple presentation that hold the game back slightly. The different parts of the game are well balanced against one another, with different types of victory and multiple ways to get there.
Apr 1, 2017
8
Very fun game. It is quite a simplistic 4X game - which is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a very good game if your are looking to get into 4X, turn-based strategy style games, or looking for one that that does not have as many micro-mechanics; what is here is good. You start with a little solar system and by the end you are conquering entire star systems with massive armadas of starships. The battle is an easy to understand 2-D plane and is fun to play. A very functional auto-combat feature is available so you do not have to fight every time manually (you will be using this a lot in the late game). The ships, weapons, and tech are very fun. You can study physics, sociology, engineering, and a slew of military and weapons related fields. The only downside is that there is no visual tech tree, something that would be very useful and is quite surprising not to see as nearly every other 4X game has them now. I find the graphics and characters design fine. It is not an AAA game company and would not have the budget to compete with them. I think the cartoon style was a smart move, even if you do feel as though you are playing a mobile game at times. One mechanic I really love is the undo button. When you first start out and learning the ropes, you will likely make a mistake or two. Instead of having to reload an earlier game, you can just push the undo button. The only place it really lacks is immersion. There is not much in the way of story (nothing new in this genre, though). Be nice to know more about the universe I am playing in. There is some lore within the text of the game, but not much else. It would have also been nice to see an intro video and a short clip after winning the game. Honestly, most turn-based strategy games lack in this area, even Civ VI has a quick ending. They could also do a better job at presenting, detailing and monitoring victory conditions. At the time of this writing, the game is $25 and is well worth the price. It is not Civilization but I still found myself going late into the night spending one more click to grow my galactic civilization. If you like strategy games or looking to get into them, this is a good game to choose.
SummaryTurn-based 4X space strategy with a distinctive artistic style. Compete with alien factions to explore and settle nearby star systems, develop colonies, build fleets to defend against rivals, negotiate with them and conquer them, when necessary. Win by unifying the galaxy, through diplomacy or force.
