Exodus: The Colonization of Space

Full disclosure - this version of Exodus exists because I approached the erstwhile owner of the then-defunct Artex Software with a proposal to create a modern implementation of one of my favourite childhood games. So this is not exactly an unbiased review - but I'd like to tell you a bit about why I did this. Exodus is a game which has stuck with me for almost three decades. I have always found the game to have an unusually powerful draw - the music and graphics somehow become more than the sum of their parts, and the gameplay is utterly intriguing. There are many mechanics and subtle interactions going on under the hood. It pulls no punches, and while a single successful playthrough of the game might not take too long, you're likely to have a good few failed attempts under your belt by the time you have the mastery to pull it off - the kind of design which has been used to great effect in more recent times by the likes of FTL or Dead Cells. There are a plethora of things to consider; Are my planets sufficiently defended? When should I start investing in science? Can I afford to ignore my angered population at the moment? Is it time to pull the trigger and betray my loyal ally? With a distinctly finite number of MegaCredits at one's disposal, this serves to make you feel genuinely like the author of your own destiny. And by the time the ending sequence rolls, it really feels well deserved. There are more ways to play the game than are immediately obvious. At the game start, you are able to select one of three aims, which is a wonderfully effective source of replayability. This gently nudges you towards reassessing the priorities and strategies that might have served you well in an earlier playthrough, and focus a bit more on systems which you might have neglected last time. There are many neat little touches which I never even picked up on until I was reading the original's BBC BASIC implementation. And even after having written every line of the game logic for this project, I still find myself coming up with new ideas about how best to start out and/or advance through the game. I really wrote this implementation for myself - to keep this game alive, that has such a treasured place in my memories. It is a source of great joy to me if you come to see something a bit special in it too. (As a thank-you to anyone reading this far, here's one of the tips I only discovered from reading the original's source code - on Desert planets, build your Agriculture around oases. Those won't collapse!). Have fun! :)

This is a gem for those willing to get into it. There is an amazing amount of depth once you get into it and as space sims go, this compares favorably to more modern games. It even has its won mini game in the bar!

I haven't spend much time in the game yet, but I want to support the developer and already leave a review. Will adapt it once I know more about how fun the game is in 2025. However, the retro charm already catched me. The space ship cut scenes look super cool!

Came to take over the galaxy. Ended up playing a video game in the bar till my arm hurt, so I started using the mouse with 2 hands. Reached level 10.

Always a pleasure to see classics brought back to life.

Started the game as a peaceful little trader. Set up a small trading route with some cute fox people. After a few months I was conquered by insect people. They didn't even have the courtesy to view me as an enemy. 10/10 will continue playing. In all honesty, even though this game was originally made nearly 30 years ago, it plays great even today! The basic systems are easy to understand, but there is a depth that will take many more hours for me to wrap my head around.

Nachdem ich das Interview mit Jan Klose im Game Dev Podcast gehört habe, dachte ich mir die ganze Zeit, wie cool es wäre, sein "Jugendspiel" mal ausprobieren zu können. Und nun kommt es als erstes Game von Kloses neuem Publishing Label. Wie schön :) Ich habe noch nicht lang gespielt, aber die Retro Vibes stimmen. Es hat auch die nötige Tiefe, bei der man sich nicht einfach durchklickern kann. Ein tolles Zeitzeugnis und auch heute noch ein sehr kreatives Spiel.

You can immediately feel how much heart and passion an indie developer put into this game. Everywhere you look, there are small, lovingly crafted details from the charming old-school space soundtrack to the smooth and stylish animations. Everything comes together beautifully and creates an atmosphere that’s simply fun and memorable.

I am a retro game fan, so naturally one of the things I love most is discovering a classic title that I didn't know before, which at the same time fits one of my favorite genres. Exodus is one of those! I just played for three hours so far, but it is already feeling like I will play a lot more. It looks and sounds great, and I feel right at home - just like as if I was playing Masters of Orion for the first time again! I wish more "new" old games would come to Steam...

I'm glad this got ported to expose the game to more people, and I'm happy to support the developer for this. My recommendation is a side-ways thumb (I'd rather not downvote it), because the base game requires you to play a very specific way to get anywhere early game.