Chronostation (2020)

Developer: Manfromstars
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, Strategy
Rating: 4.4 of 5, 25 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 1.8 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.

More games like this

How it feels

You manage a space station's defenses and resources while piecing together a mysterious alien technology that has stranded you in an unknown time and place, all under the constant threat of unseen hostile ships.

strategicmethodicaltensesurvivalresource managementunsettlingatmosphericlonely

What players say

Players describe a short tower defense with a research system that snowballs into overpowered upgrades, making later runs trivial. There is no tutorial and the single level, while replayable due to random asteroid placement, feels repetitive after a few hours. Performance is praised, especially on older hardware.

Screenshots

More games like this

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.