Objects in Space

Space games tend to have some sort of model for how you navigate because the way real space navigation works has a whole host of challenges. You'll often see games use fighter jets or surface ships as the model, but Objects in Space is a space trading simulation modelled more after submarines. Players control freighters which have modules that embody ship functions, which you can sell, repair, replace enhancing the chassis, or buy a new bigger ship to replace the whole suite (loans are available).

The game's most submarine element revolves around the emissions your ship makes, and pretty much every system lets off some sort of radiation that potential spaceborne pirates can pick up on. You can turn systems off in flight to reduce your signature profile, and there's a quick button that minimizes module output to reduce your profile without crippling ship performance too much, and it helps to monitor unidentified ship signals which may be the trick of an imperfect sensor or could be a pirate with systems off waiting to capture some prey.

The ship can be steered manually but it's quite a handful even on the 2D plane the game takes place in, despite there being a maximum speed and no real limitations on fuel. Usually, you will be able to use the autopilot to select waypoints, and it will manage thrust and turns for you, assuming the power available is enough for the manoeuvers. Frequently, especially when your batteries are damaged, you will have to do some power management - including ordering a full stop to recalibrate your direction - or do it manually, but all these manoeuvres will increase your emissions profile.

You may rarely run into pirates, but when you do the risk is pretty great. In keeping with the submarine theme, the main weapon in the game is the torpedo, which tracks the emissions of its current target. It can be thwarted with countermeasures or outrun (if you dock with a station you're home free), and if your emissions profile is dropped low enough, especially with the aid of nebulae you can hide in, the torpedo will lose track. You can also equip weapon systems that can fire torpedoes at pirates (or others), though loadouts are small and there are no guarantees you'll hit your target. Taking out bounties on pirates is a way to make money, as is salvaging the exceedingly rare abandoned cargo or derelict, but the main way to earn credit is to run cargo and passengers.

Contracts for cargo runs are available in most ports, but to have access to them you'll have to get licenses, each of which represents a company that tends to run certain types of goods to certain stations. Fail a single mission with them and you're blacklisted, although getting contracts in after the fact can mitigate this somewhat, and there are plenty of other contractors out there who can pick up the slack. Contract durations are measured in game-hours, and once in a while the time is so short that it's best not to even take it, no matter how convenient it may seem, and it's always easy to lose track of in-flight time and fail. You also have to be mindful of how many cargo pods your ship has or can have, and how many of them are fitted with temperature controls and radiation shielding for certain types of cargo, though these upgrades tend to be fairly cheap.

In addition to contracts you can also freelance, buying low and selling high, though selling too much of a type of item at a station will lead to a drop-off in returns as demand is met. One can also take on a passenger, who may reward you with a bonus if you arrive quickly at their destination. You can meet characters on board stations, many of whom give the player tips on how to use ship systems. There are others who might have missions for you, and these tend to be more varied and interesting, with last-minute changes of plan and increased risk and reward. Conversing with these odd characters can have branching paths which may lead to greater pay, opportunities, or even shutting down the whole enterprise. Missions can also be picked up via email, so it pays, literally, to keep an eye on your in-game inbox.

A lot of the fiddly bits, like having to close the doors manually before you undock, request permission to leave, paying docking fees, switching on your ship ID to avoid fines, spinning up your torpedoes before firing, typing in commands to get your email, navigating around space hazards like asteroid fields, irradiated nebulae, or the system's own sun, cycling up the jump drive and then navigating to a sector to be able to make the calculations, or removing a panel on a module so you can replace damaged parts in the engine room while in mid-flight hoping someone won't attack; all these little bits that barely seem like gameplay elements actually contribute to the lived-in, nuts and bolts texture that is a big source of charm.

The game still has a ways to go in beta, with many bugs as of the time of this writing still being attentively found by the community and squashed by the devs. The core game is largely there, but sometimes mission logic fails, or components don't work right. One thing that may not be changed is talking to people, which while it can be quirky fun it also can feel like a mistake when you click to talk to somebody and are then stuck navigating several dialog options, unable to back out while they sputter through their script. Especially with tutorial-level discussions that you've already seen this can feel like a bit of a chore. The game saves on stations with the last major thing you've done there, so manual saving and backtracking really isn't possible, but this keeps you focused on survival while out in space, and makes you more mindful of purchasing decisions and conversation choices while moored.

The state of the game is still a bit rocky at this point but the feel and central mechanisms are diverting, with plenty of things to do and plenty of ways things can fall apart. With the ability to mod your ship and earn money the way you want, Objects in Space has a lot of the kind of flexibility you'd want in a space trading game.