Gratuitous Space Battles (2009)

Developer: Positech Games
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 3.5 of 5, 886 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 11 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

You design and watch pre-planned fleet formations clash in automated space combat, focusing on setup rather than real-time control.

strategicabstractmethodicaltacticalrepetitivesandboxautomated

What players say

Players focus entirely on fleet design before battles, with no real-time commands. Long-time players report the game is unplayable because server-based CD key validation no longer works.

Screenshots

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More by Positech Games

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.