Spacebase Startopia does exactly what it needs to

Spacebase Startopia

Spacebase Startopia captivates with its original mixture of economic simulation and empire building strategy paired with classic RTS skirmishes and a good dose of humor.

Nostalgia is a dangerous beast, as I'm sure you all know already. Like a lot of people, I have almost pathologically fond memories of the original Startopia, a management sim about running a donut-shaped space station (so in this case, the nostalgia beast is some kind of tentacled monster that lives in a space bin and eats robots). Any reboot, sequel or remake of Startopia has a lot of built-in good will, but also a lot of rose-tinted expectations to meet.

Spacebase Startopia is not technically a sequel to - or indeed a remaster or remake of - the Startopia of 2001, and I'm not entirely sure what the deal is with the IP or how anyone is getting away with this. Spacebase Startopia might be thought of as three small aliens stacked in a Startopia coat, I suppose? Or, to put it another way: it's a fun strategy-management game set in space, with jokes and fun scenarios and all that good stuff. It's sort of what you remember Startopia being like to play if you think of it now. But not exactly.

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