Cosmoteer: Starship Architect and Commanderis a space combat simulator that allows players to design and build their own ships from a wide range of modular parts. This feature has significantly impacted the game’s online PvP modes, creating a unique and strategic player experience emphasizing creative freedom. Like other spaceshipindie games, players are given a set of predetermined spacecrafts or weapons to choose from, limiting their options and strategy. However, inCosmoteer, players can design their own ships, allowing them to tailor their vessels to their preferred playstyle and tactics.
This level of mechanical customization also adds an extra layer of depth toCosmoteer’s various PvP modes that focus on combat, unlike some of thebest space exploration gamesout there. In the Elimination mode, players must carefully consider the design of their ship, as it could be what determines whether they emerge victorious or are destroyed by their opponents. Alternatively, the Arena mode, where players can freely respawn, may require different types of spacecrafts to ensure the win. Players must balance offense and defense to maximize their chances of earning points, and ultimately winning the match.

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Cosmoteer’s Ship Building Greatly Affects The Ship’s Mechanics and Looks
The Domination mode features capture points and an income system that add another strategic element to the experience. Players must design their ships to be effective in combat and consider how they will use their income to spawn additional ships and ultimately capture points. This mode requires a balance of both ship design and resource management, adding to the already impressive suite of PvP modes inCosmoteerthat feature the staple ship-building mechanic. Other games likeFTL: Faster Than Lightcould have benefited from this feature, with optional building mechanics using precious resources in between its randomly generated story events and ship combat.
“It’s a space fantasy simulator, not a realism simulator. I’m trying to simulate the fantasy of being in a Star Wars or a Star Trek, not what real life space battle would be like.”

In addition to the unique gameplay opportunities created by the modular ship design,Cosmoteer’s signature feature also allows for a wide range of visual customization. Players can design their ships with various looks and styles using a plethora of shapes and pieces, making for a visually diverse and interesting online experience. The game’s community further enhances this level of creativity, which has created a vast library of user-generated ship designs that players can download and use in their own games. Some players are firm believers that what setsCosmoteerapart from other online PvP space titles is how it channelsStar Wars' space combat on a real-time 2D plane.
Cosmoteer’s PvP Benefits From Many of It’s Player’s Creative Ship Designs
Cosmoteer’s modular design system isn’t just a fun feature; it plays a crucial role in the game’s online PvP modes with how it affects moment-to-moment combat. Players can design their ships to specialize in certain areas, whether firepower, defense, speed, or maneuverability. This allows for a diverse range of strategies and tactics in online battles, as players can tailor their ships to counter their opponents' builds. Additionally, players can quickly swap out damaged or ineffective components for something more suited to the situation. This tactical adaptability can be the key to victory in a close match, makingCosmoteerone of thebest spaceship gamescurrently available.
“I thought it would just be a fun thing that friends could do, design ships and fight each other. But it turned into a more competitive and fairly competitively deep experience.”
While the game’s ship customization requires skill and knowledge to effectively build and optimize a ship, the rewards are well worth it for players willing to put in the time and effort.Cosmoteer’s spaceship-building systemalso allows for flexibility in the heat of battle, granting players the ability to adapt to and find counters against their opponents' strategies. It is a crucial aspect ofCosmoteer’s online PvP experience and adds an extra layer of depth and strategic approach to the game in ways that players seem to love, which the Steam reviews often praise.
Cosmoteer: Starship Architect and Commanderis available now on Steam Early Access.