Dust Fleet

Firstly, considering this game was made by (essentially) a single person, I'm BLOWN away. Absolutely incredible stuff coming from the work of a lone human being. Chef's kiss, Glenn. I'm looking forward to what you make next. Now, with the praise of this being a one-man project out of the way, the actual review isn't quite as stellar, but the few minor gripes I have with the title are more than understandable with that in mind. Decent enough story for the campaign, even if it is very cliche. Some notable voice acting to go along with that, too. The UI gets the job done, but there's some shortcomings there. And the two components of gameplay are simple but deep, which is a surprise, and impressive considering that's not an easy feat to achieve, in my experience. The glowing positives first, then. Ship design is great, and being able to make loadouts is awesome, love the idea, and it's executed well in this title. Combat flows pretty good, even if the AI that controls ship movement doesn't handle moving your ships into a similar space very poorly (this is really only an issue with really big fleets, though). The tactical map is good, if a little barebones, but it's not the focus and it does the job well, but some tooltips and minor changes to how things get built would polish it up nicely. The music is solid, but it's not something I'd listen to on its own. Capturing enemy ships to deconstruct to be able to make your own versions of is a GREAT idea, kudos on that one! And the Tech Trees are good, if a little small, but that's fine, considering the limitations. Now, the bad parts. The UI, while it gets the job done, could do with a lot more polish. Tooltips are pretty much non-existent and while there IS a tutorial for every part of the game, it doesn't cover everything enough. There's a lot of little parts of the mechanics that get overlooked. The power that comes from the science stations isn't explained at all (and if it is, it wasn't clear in the tutorials), and that's a pretty important part of the tactical map. The tactical map has a lot of little problems that are easily solvable, but add up to detract from that aspect overall. Modules should have to be confirmed before being built, or warnings that building them will require more power than is available should pop up, and this is really the big issue, that if resolved would make the others ignorable. Aside from a lot more tooltips, there's not much I think would make the title better except more depth to the systems that exist. So, for Dust Fleet 2, I have the following feedback: I HIGHLY recommend that ships be designed with roles in mind. Options or specific ships in the same class to fill roles for taking damage, dealing damage, supporting units, and scouting or mobility would make the combat more strategic. The current design is basically throwing more numbers at the enemy, and the bigger ships, which isn't very, well, strategic. I feel bad for saying this, but more weapon options would definitely go a long way, as again, designing ships to fill roles would make a big difference to how combat plays out. It's not bad, it could just be SO much better with just a few options to build into. The tactical layer is VERY shallow. More station options, maybe instead of station types, you select different modules for the station in a more freeform system. And stations need WAY more health and weapons. As they are, even the combat stations are a joke. They should be massive fortifications, not minor inconveniences. I'd recommend looking at a game called Starsector for how they should fit into the combat.

Dust Fleet, developed by Orbiting Disco and published by indie.io, is a thoughtful attempt to fuse two demanding strategy subgenres into a single, cohesive experience. It positions itself between the slow-burn planning of 4X strategy and the immediacy of real-time tactical combat, asking players not only to think like a commander overseeing an expanding interstellar presence, but also to act decisively in the chaos of battle. What emerges is a game that feels ambitious in scope and design philosophy, even if it occasionally struggles to fully reconcile its dual identity. The strategic layer provides the foundation for the experience, tasking players with navigating a network of sectors linked by wormholes, establishing infrastructure, and securing vital resources needed to sustain a growing fleet. It is intentionally streamlined compared to traditional 4X titles, avoiding deep political systems or overwhelming micromanagement in favor of clarity and pacing. This design choice makes the game more approachable while still preserving meaningful decision-making. Choices about expansion routes, resource allocation, and defensive positioning carry weight, particularly as the map begins to fill with threats and opportunities. There is a quiet satisfaction in gradually building a presence across the stars, especially when your long-term planning begins to pay off in later encounters. Where the game seeks to elevate itself is in its transition from macro-level planning to real-time engagements. Battles unfold in three-dimensional space, with fleets maneuvering, firing, and reacting in ways that evoke classic space RTS titles. The concept is compelling: every ship you deploy has been designed, equipped, and committed by you, making each engagement feel like the culmination of your strategic decisions. However, while the intention is strong, the execution is more uneven. Ship behavior can sometimes feel inconsistent, with formations breaking apart or commands not translating cleanly into action. This creates a disconnect between player intent and in-game outcome, occasionally turning what should be a test of strategy into an exercise in managing unpredictability. Fleet customization stands out as one of the game’s most engaging systems. Players are given a wide array of modules, weapons, and configurations to experiment with, allowing for a high degree of personalization in how fleets are constructed. This encourages adaptation, especially when facing different enemy types or unexpected threats. The ability to capture and study opposing ships further enriches this system, introducing a layer of progression that rewards curiosity and tactical risk-taking. Over time, the process of refining ship builds and discovering effective combinations becomes one of the game’s strongest hooks, offering a sense of ownership over your evolving arsenal. The campaign provides a structured way to experience these systems, though it leans more toward functional than narrative-driven. The story exists primarily to contextualize the gameplay rather than to deeply engage the player on an emotional level. As a result, it may feel somewhat brief or underdeveloped for those seeking a rich narrative arc. However, the game compensates with replayability through its sandbox elements, where different strategies and fleet compositions can lead to varied outcomes. It’s the kind of experience that becomes more interesting the more you experiment, rather than one that relies on a single, definitive playthrough. From a presentation standpoint, Dust Fleet delivers a serviceable but modest visual and technical package. The art direction is clear enough to support gameplay, with ships and effects that are easy to read during combat, but it doesn’t strive for visual spectacle. The interface, while functional, can require some adjustment, particularly when managing multiple layers of information during intense moments. Combined with occasional technical roughness, these elements reinforce the sense that the game’s ambition slightly exceeds its polish. Still, none of these issues are severe enough to overshadow the core experience. Ultimately, Dust Fleet is a game defined by its ideas as much as its execution. It doesn’t always achieve the seamless blend of strategy layers it aims for, but it consistently offers moments where its systems align and deliver something genuinely satisfying. For players who enjoy experimenting with builds, managing long-term strategy, and engaging in tactical combat, it provides a compelling—if occasionally imperfect—experience. It’s not a genre-defining title, but it is a sincere and worthwhile effort that stands out for its willingness to try something different. Rating: 7/10

This feels a lot like the original homeworld where ship placement actually matters. Unlike homeworld 2 , cataclysmic and homeworld 3 that is like all other boring RTS games. Where a high reseach tier is always going to win against lower units. The other facter is some ships are better against others and in games like homeworld 2 and on better tactics do not matter. This game focuses more ship positions. Now in game play all that means is if you smart and think what the heck your ships can do on a 3d environment you can take out more advanced ship types just like homeworld 1 let you do. (I.E. weaker ships run right placed in the right areas can win) I'm shocked someone was able to make another game like homeworld in that concept every modder every developer always seamed to completely never understand that one blood thing. Yet here it is. A Perfect game nope BUT the closest to actual homeworld game since one. All hail the New Homeworld so far!

Love it! Just the type of game I was looking for. Can't believe its made by one person! Great job!

Overall fun, the tactical gameplay is great, homeworld-inspired and good variety. The campaign missions are interesting, but it is short and not very challenging. The strategic map gameplay is serviceable but nothing to write home about.

Turn based strategy on the grand map, RTS on the tactical map. The tactical map is satisfying. Ship turret loadouts can be modified in a minimal fashion. There are only a few station modules for each type of slot, too. There are only four resources to manage: "Resources" (raw material), Research, Promethium (to unlock certain research or insta-build ships), and Power (in networks of contiguous systems, and only used by advanced station modules). The tactical map is fully 3d, and I like it better than the, more common, "thick disk" 2d plus space tactical maps. The tutorial is not too tedious, and it does help with camera control and issuing ship commands. The campaign has some optional missions, but is still too short, being only about 30 hours. The procedurally generated non-campaign play is adequate, with some replay value. The price is definitely not too high for what you get. I do wish the tech tree was larger and included branches for propulsion, armor, shields, fighter systems, and exploitation systems. The veterancy system starts slow, but, after the first 10 levels, becomes more powerful. I didn't have any stuttering at all until I amassed a fleet of 200+ ships plus another 400 fighters. Ship models are very good. The music is superb! The voice acting is surprisingly good. This will probably be one game I go back to again and again in coming years. Solid recommend.

bit of homeworld game play, nice little story, if u like the homeworld game type, this is a fun little extra gmae to do. took my time, did the turtourial campagne. Did the main campagne. had fun and did it in 14 hours. havent done the skirmish, challange stuff yet.

A very nice one. Nice space combats (somewhat alike sin of solar empire) but with a way to design ships like in stellaris. Defence stations definetaly require some buff (it can barely stand agains single cruiser). Added: Loved station design somewhat alike Babylon 5. Disliked that captured ships of D-SeC are much more powerfull in most cases. Disliked that hardly i managed to understand efficiend fleet composition the campain was already ower. :)

Combat is nearly identical to Homeworld 1/2, but much less refined. The (turn based) station building/galaxy view feels clunky and disrupts gameplay flow. Tbh this game just made me want to play Homeworld again.

"Object reference is not set to an instance of an object" - the dev needs to fix this game...