Space… the final frontier for mankind… a vast and empty abyss that stretches further than we can imagine. But what if there is a border to the universe? A darkness where the Elder Gods lurk, ready to consume us all. Are you prepared to travel through time and space to fight them off? Even if it takes several lives?
Welcome back Proxima
Starless Abyss is published by No More Robots. It’s the debut game from Dutch developer Konafa Studio. You play as a Proxima. A human being kept in stasis by Counter Horror. An agency that blends science and the occult with one goal in mind: to eradicate the Outer Gods that have torn through space and caused the Earth to fall. As you can see, it’s a mixture of eldritch horror and sci-fi.
The game itself is a roguelike deck builder. At the start of each run, you choose one of five Proxima, each with their own abilities and weaknesses. The run itself is divided into acts, which are a series of space battles on a hex map, culminating in a boss battle. You navigate your ships around the battlefield to defeat all the horrors on it. This is where the cards come into play. They are the moves your ship can perform. Firing missiles and beams, releasing heat and so on. You can then choose a new card to add to your deck, making your fleet stronger for the next challenge. You also have to choose what kind of reward you want to be guaranteed after the next battle. A ship-related buff, a powerful ritual to disrupt enemy movement once, or D.I.C.E. The D.I.C.E. is a resource you can spend when special events occur on your travels. You will be faced with decisions that can help or hinder your crew. Each beneficial option requires you to roll a dice with a higher or equal number than the one you are asked to roll in order to succeed. If you decide to push your luck and roll a lower number, there is a fifty percent chance that you will fail and get nothing.
Dying and learning is a key part of the process, but there are some roguelite elements added to help you in future runs. After each death, the card pool grows. The cards you get are determined by the type of cards you used in your last run. So if you have a favourite strategy that you think will help you win in future runs, the game will help you to be more flexible with that strategy.
Space and time
Starless Abyss does a wonderful job of setting the tone for the adventure in the tutorial run. You get all the information you need from a story perspective and all the gameplay features you need to take into account to complete your mission. The subsequent runs always feel well balanced, neither too long nor too short. When describing the game to friends, I described it as a cross between Into the Breach and Slay the Spire, and I think the comparison is fair. You always feel well-equipped for the challenge at hand, and it’s always a thrill to see what you’ve unlocked to help you with the challenges ahead. My only criticism in terms of gameplay would be the boss fights. Perhaps it’s because I’m not yet familiar enough with the mechanics, but they can sometimes feel like a brick wall in a fluid session. I can steamroll through hordes of enemies to the end of an act, only to be pushed back by time and have to start all over again.
This brings me to the heart of how I like to review roguelikes. This is the “one more run” factor. Is the game fun enough for me to jump back in, or do I walk away feeling disappointed? In the case of Starless Abyss, I can say that the game hooked me. Once you pick it up, it is hard to put it down. The last time I played it I was going to do a quick run on my Steam Deck before going to bed, but I ended up playing for two hours and completely lost track of time. I can say with confidence that Konafa Studios have succeeded in making a fun and challenging game. The fact that the game looks and sounds great is also a nice bonus.
At the time of writing. Starless Abyss is only available on Steam, and Steam Deck support has not yet been verified, but plays beautifully on the device. I hope this studio gets the funding to make other versions of their game, because I bet it would feel great on a phone or tablet, for example.
Conclusion
Starless Abyss is a great addition to the deck-building roguelike genre. The challenging yet fluid gameplay will keep you coming back for more, while adding to your card collection. Boss battles can sometimes feel a little too difficult, but this doesn’t detract from the finished product. It’s a great debut from a promising indie studio. If you’re looking for a game that’s easy to pick up but challenging to master, Starless Abyss could be well worth your time.
