Astrox Imperium

Fun game, great dev.

Essentially a cheaper, single-player alternative to EVE Online with mods, Astrox Imperium puts the player in the position of the first person to be thawed from cryostasis in over 70 years. Adrift in deep space, after humanity's arkship suffered a catastrophic failure, you thrive in the so-called Astrox sector and make a name for yourself through various means. Mine resources from asteroids, manufacture goods, trade between stations, fight raiders, and more. Just be sure to look after yourself, as your ship's life support systems can become strained by even a grazing shot from a railgun.

Pros:

- Active development means that new content is always nearby.

- Easy to use tools allow you to craft and modify your game and experience the way you want, without leaving the game itself.

- EVE Online-inspired mechanics scratch the itch without dealing with griefers or toxic people in Jita

- Baked in mod support allows for a multitude of ways the community can improve upon the game.

Cons:

- The gameplay loop is extremely simple, and might be considered boring to some people.

- The UI is slightly unintuitive, but easily manageable.

- No Steam Workshop Support at current means searching the web for mods

- Cloud Save Backup is currently not possible. It is coming, but don't expect it to arrive within a certain deadline due to the developer facing setbacks and headaches. (This con will be removed in an update to the review, once the game update that introduces cloud save backups finally goes live.)

Good fun!

Interesting idea. Bad controls. Turn left, Right, but only 2 dimensional. You can't go up or down (controls not yet fully implemented).

Hopefully they fix this.

Love it! Got it 7 days ago and have already got over 24 hours in, love everything about it, have had to look up a few different topics online and through the discussions but that's ok I actually like that, If you love space Sims try this!

Easy to learn yet surprisingly in depth chill space sim

Just supporting the dev. Hope people support all his work especially with the sale going on. The price of a coffee these days.

If you like Eve and other space games, but hate being killed by random jerks just play Astrox instead, problem solved!

I believe in this developer! Can't wait to see what more will come!

Game is still being updated in small ways in 2025, so do pick it up for that single-player space game itch.
Solid game, altogether.

Absolutely love this game. Props to the devs for making this game as detailed as they did. I wanted a less complicated version of eve online! And this was perfect! I would love to see maybe like a market lookup for price details for like trading. Maybe some helpful tips for ammo that goes for certain rigs.

Easy to learn and engaging. Go on missions learn the game by trying things you've never done before. It is missing some kind of overall story or plot. I paid $7 for it and it's definitely worth that price.

was like what 6? years in the "please pay us for broken game" phase?
UI is a mess, half the things "forget" to update requiring you to undock or restart the game to see changes, sometimes you undock into the void dimension, sometime escape works, sometimes it decides not to, sometimes camera forgets to follow your ship, etc etc etc
most of those imo are easy fixes though
the real issue is just there is no game..
there is a lil trading sim, I didn't even choose the trading faction yet made 10M right away to buy the big ship that can solo any raider
and what now? game trading is just unbalanced af
combat too easy, no ememies to fight unless you friendly fire
"base building" completely broken joke don't bother

really just go play the original astrox, is actually is a full game and a solid experience
I only played it cuz I liked the first game, first I tried it 5 year ago.. and it was total bore, now nothing changed
don't buy

EDIT:
few more cons
-most mid+ enemy ships has emp tech, boils down getting all your weapons disabled every second, you can invest in a tech to make it 35% less likely, making you have to reenable all your weapons every 1.5s instead..
-lacking any weapon progressions (ties into lack of content I guess)
weakest weapon dps: 5, best game weapon dps: 10... xD
like after playing 5m you've seen it all pretty much, nothing to discover, nothing to see, enemies just disable your ship more often

Looking to scratch that EVE itch but tired of dealing with EVE? This is the game for you.

Jace Masula, boy-genius.

You will get it after playing in around 5 hours. I recommend it

Dev has decided that its not important people gave him money for a game. He's cutting the campaign, cutting planned features, and just releasing the game as is after a little polish, rebranding the campaign as a "tutorial", etc.

He says there's more important things in life to him than finishing the product he sold and giving people what they paid their hard-earned money for.

Completely inappropriate behavior. Frankly scammer-like behavior. After refusing to talk to the community for a year, having tons of moderators and community managers in the forums saying they haven't been able to reach him, and they wish they could help the community and keep the game going - then dude pops up after a year going "nah this isn't important to me, I'm going to polish what is already there, rename the campaign to the tutorial, and move on.

The dev's open honesty about making this the final push because IRL has made working on this project unfeasible in the future while also going full sicko mode (please take care Jace Masula(?) while you do this final push) to get the game 1.0 ready is incredibly respectful and for that, plus alongside my 9 hours of enjoying what everyones rightfully called Eve Offline, gets a thumbs up.

They're also making an effort to release the source code, which is incredibly good if it comes about;

https://steamcommunity.com/app/954870/discussions/0/592888933793160991/?snr=1_5_9_

[quote]I will Update the project to Unity 6, and release the source code on the second week of May.. I don't have all the details on that part yet. There are some legal things I will have to review before I can give exact and correct details.[/quote]

So all in all. I really do not regret getting what I got, and this ending to it is just really considerate in a landscape of cut and run scams.

A bit like EVE ...Offline!!! , so simply better.

Make this dev a statue and give him a cookie... factory, a whole big ,bad ass, delicious cookie factory!

I like this game even its "abandoned" state, I enjoy it and love how sandbox and yet challenging is.
Big respect to the dev who wants to finish the game and brings it to release state. I wish you the best for your life momoguru!

I know I do not have much time playing this. After reading Momoguru's responses and his plan to polish what he can and finish his product, I am truly appreciative for all the work done. As a refugee of this games counterpart, I am a space miner who only ever wanted to mine rocks in between cups of coffee. I have left behind very bored and sweaty PvP gankers. My last trip into a high sec asteroid belt ended with both spacecrafts and pods destroyed. But not any more. You have given me an outlet with this game. Thank you for this gift. Many wishes for you and your health going forward.

I have not so much hours in game, but I like it because honestly remain me of EVE Online, but much more different and doing gaming how I want and like… Am sorry for Dev what was going on in his life and sorry to have to come to end of this but I respect his wish and doing, and I will going to play this game when ever I can… I highly recommended this game to have. Astrox Imperium is a fun game, and that was make games good.. It's definitely worth the price. So much to do and so little time. It's so fun to play.
Thank you Momoguru for the good game <3

I bought this game a few years ago due to the premise of it being a single player Eve type game. I can say, for the most part that it does scratch a portion of that itch you can only get from Eve, but obviously to a different extent. It is fun enough to keep interest, the mechanics keep you entertained and I really like the skill system. Very few games are like this one as far as the skill training goes. All in all I think it's a well balanced and fun game, and the fact that the developer is finishing development does not mean they are abandoning the game, it means they are finishing the development of the game.

I'm just leaving a recommendation because people are leaving bad reviews because the dev is wrapping up development. What do they expect to happen? Idiots nowadays expect free content forever for $15. Get some help.

It's a good, relaxing, space sim. It's $15 (currently $7.50 on sale). You can't really go wrong at that price.

It's a great concept (offline Eve Online) with tons to do. Yes development is being wrapped up, but if you watch some lets plays you will see how much this game has to offer. If the game idea sounds good to you, absolutely pick it up - especially now on sale.

Bought this quite some time ago looking for an alternative to EVE. While it's not a direct replacement for all the newest gadgets and so-forth, it does offer the diversion without the constant threat of some abusive end-game player looking to advance a kill counter. Knowing that this has been the product of a solo developer makes this all the more amazing. Development is nearing it's end so ignore the "game abandoned" posts.

Major props to the developer for being up front about everything. I was waiting for 1.0, but I'll be happy to dive in once everything is finished.

just a nice at your own pace mining/combat/whatever sim. never played eve but heard this was a lot like it minus the online multiplayer scope of it. great game to unwind and relax after a long day. I'd recommend it even after the dev said they wont be supporting it. maybe not this super polished or posh game play experience but entertaining enough to give you hours of play at a low price point.

I hardly ever write reviews but this game deserves one. I've only been playing for a few hours but I have to say..WOW it really has everything in one space game. If you love trading and mining then this really is your game. It's definitely worth the full price. So much to do and so little time....It's so fun to play.

I've heard folks describe this as EVE offline, and they're not wrong. That's a good thing. Astrox Imperium is less complex, but still engaging and challenging. Add to that you can also make custom ships and introduce them to your game where NPCs will use them. Well worth the asking price.

I like this game. No, its not a timesink like Elite Dangerous or NMS, but iIt's a nice change. The comparison that other reviewers make with Eve Online is quite off. But the atmosphere and spirit have been captured very well in this game. I find it very successful and had a lot of fun. I waited for a good bit of development and will now slowly get back into it to see what has changed. Absolutely worth your money.

As a former Eve Online player, I am having a lot of fun with this game. The dev has invested a great deal of work into creating a fun and interesting space sandbox, one which he plans to open source after this final push over the next 3 months. I don't do Early Access, but I made an exception here on a hunch. I'm so glad I did. I'm looking forward to see what the community does with the source code in the coming years. Definitely pick this up if you like space games!

WOW! I just bought the Astrox bundle and how in the hell did I missed these games! I have been looking for something like these for the last 10 yrs. These game are a hidden jewel or better yet, MASTERPIECES! They are the perfect version of EVE but offline. I'm actually having a lot of fun with Hostile Space Excavation, what a game! I still can't believe that just one guy made them, KUDOS to him. Is really sad to see that the developer is stepping away from making video games, but I'm pretty sure he got some good reasons for it.

To the Developer- Thank you Kind Sir for making these awesome games, people like me will really appreciate them. My library will be in hold until further notice or until got tired of playing them, I guess, LOL.....

This game is great and scratches an itch that was needed for a space game. I hope the developer all the best in anything he does in the future. Sad to see him go but the most important things in life is your health, well being, and family.

Pretty cool game. It's a single player game similar in spirit to that long running, huge space MMORPG. So if you liked that other game, and wished it was single player, you will probably like this. Developer appears to be going through some tough stuff IRL so the game's finish might be delayed (or open sourced?) but there's enough content already that it's worth buying "as is".

Editing my review until the game is "finished". Dev is abandoning the game without all the features that he promised. Will wait for 1.0 to decide if this is a negative or positive review, personally waiting for the faction wars that was promised.

There is some shady stuff going in the forums too, got banned for a week for saying that someone was doing a st*pid comment, because the person was saying some racist and sexist stuff, and the bigot wasn't banned and the dev seem to agree with him.

A clever and understated way to scratch the EVE itch without the tedious and horrifying prospect of dealing with other human beings. The dev has made it clear that he's moving on, which is unfortunate, but there's still an experience here that shows what one person can do when there's a niche to be filled.

I gotta say for the price it is a great game and I don´t understand people who call it abandoned, he said he will finish the sandbox and let´s be honest: Where else do you get 30 hours of playtime for just 6-12 bucks... you don´t even get chewing gum for 30 hours for 12 bucks and I enjoy this more than blowing bubbles.

Absolute gem of a game and clearly a labour of love. Thanks for all your hard work momo.

Bon petit jeu de gestion de flotte et d'exploration. L'univers et l'ambiance sont bien défini, l'interface est plutôt claire et les didacticiels bien fourni.

Well worth the money as is. Lots to do, and amazing for a single developer. Ignore the whiners.

A grindy, low-demand sci-fi game with vast distances, and tons of items to purchase, upgrade and exploit. Its grindy as hell and requires too much patience. It's a slice of some of the best parts of EVE, but I think I'd rather just play EVE. Happy to support a smaller developer, just not my cup of tea.

Abandoned.
As much as I understand life circumstances changing, it still means that I, as a customer (the poor type at that), cannot justify to recommend this title to anyone, unless they are okay with a very barebones experience with questionable balancing. I don't expect much of this to change for the final "1.0" release, so I'm going to leave it as it is, just like the developer.

My hope for this title was a continued development & expansion, a nice singleplayer / solo EvE Online experience. And admittedly I trusted the words of others who bought it before me to be exactly that. But unfortunately it is just another entry on the long list of lessons to not buy into early access games...

The game's not bad, could've been great - unfortunately it's now been abandoned by the developer per there own words: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/954870/view/516327105544323834?l=english

Had a good bit of fun with it, even had (has?) a semi-active, if niche, little modding community.
If it's real cheap/on sale, i'd say sure go ahead and buy it.

But if you're coming into this with the expectation that the game will continue to grow and eventually release to a full 1.0 launch? Best skip past this one.

Abandonware/10

Gave this "EVE Offline" game 100+ hours in early EA and was only waiting for 1.0 to put in more.

Unfortunately 1.0 aint happening now, because the developer has prioritise life and health ahead of a game. I respect that. I respect them even more for telling us and attempting to round out the game modes a bit before leaving.

Its an EA game, you know what that means before you buy it. There are no guarantees. Did it reach its full promise, no. Is it a good game as it is, yes.

Personally i think this game was well worth it for the price when i bought it years ago so it will be worth it now.

For a game that set out to give an EVE like experience in a single player offline setting, I can say this managed it. As a single person project I've seen far worse for much more.

If you want to scratch that EVE Online itch without the hassles then this does it.

People are trying to review bomb as "Abandoned" which is incorrect. Yes the sole developer is stepping away from the game but that is AFTER he his current plans, as outlined in the last game update 145. It may not be everything they wanted to have but the game will be playable and for less cost of a pizza, it is tonnes to play around with.

Wish you all the best in life and future endeavours Momo.

It's a fun single-player sandbox space game with eve-like gameplay. Fight, trade, mine, explore, lots to do.

All the people who write something about “Game is abandoned” here obviously have very specific expectations of what games have to bring to the table.


You can spend 100+ hours, if not hundreds of hours more, in this game, and all for what is actually a very low price. The game is characterized by being an extremely good sandbox, which does not exist in this quality again.


From me there is an absolute buy recommendation. I will almost certainly invest a few hundred more hours in this game.

Yes , Development is coming to an end.
No the game is not being "Abandoned" it's being Finished as Development has come to an end.
Does this deserve a "Not recommended"? - No , its a great game well worth the price (and it's currently 50% off which is even better)

It's about time we as gamers remembered that a game does NOT have to be in constant development to be a good game , and active development ending is not some evil plot.

All that aside , you're reading this to try and figure out whether to buy the game or not , well the answer is the same one i always give..... Buy it , you have 2 hours of playtime to figure out if its for you. if not , then refund it.

Abandoned by dev. It's an interesting sandbox as is, but this is it.