Star Explorers (2018)

Developer: Schmidt Workshops
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG, Simulation
Rating: 4.2 of 5, 252 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 3.9 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A lonely, open-ended space survival sim where janky controls and unforgiving consequences meet retro-inspired exploration and procedural discovery.

atmosphericretroopen worldprocedural generationjankynonlinearpunishingexploration

What players say

Players describe this as a cozy, low-budget alternative to No Man's Sky, built by a single developer. They appreciate the handmade feel but warn it gets repetitive after a few hours, with clunky controls and planets that all look alike.

Screenshots

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More by Schmidt Workshops

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.