Stars in Shadow

GameWatcherMichael Brown

9/10

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.

Attack of the FanboyJoshua Evans

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.

WCCFtechChris Wray

7/10

4X strategy titles, particularly ones set in space, have made quite the comeback. From large names like Endless Space, Stellaris and the rebirth of Master of Orion, to smaller titles like StarDrive and Star Ruler, there's an abundance of games (and sequels) to quench your thirst for galactic dominance. Carrying on in true fashion comes Stars in Shadow from the two-man team, Ashdar Games.

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.

MonsterVineMonsterVine Staff

Speaking of the Dredd Star, I feel that is kind of the perfect example of the other problem I had, especially starting out, this game feels derivative as hell. Mechanics and design wise it seems very much like a game that has taken parts of various other 4x games and sprinkled pop culture references on top. This even applies to its much touted ‘unique’ art style. The ship design is a poorly disguised knock off of FTL and even some of the races look very similar to things from other games (e.g The Yoral look like the snow things from Borderlands, while the Orthin look rather similar to a Stella...