I wish there was something other than the binary yes or no for this game. When it comes down to It though I would recommend this game however it isn't the experience that it could be. With the recent news that this game will be coming out of early access I felt it was a good time to explain what I think makes this game great, and why maybe it isn't.

Right out of the gates I would like to acknowledge that there is a great disparity between parts of the player base and the dev team, their playstyle, and what they'd like the game to be. It is a bit more nuanced than this but we can identify 2 camps, which I will name the renovators and the challengers. Lets talk about these 2 groups and how the game has appealed to each group.


The renovators are gamers looking for a relaxing experience where they can take their time and achieve a sense of catharsis by making few mistakes and reaching a certain level of completion. They play games like renovation games, lawn mowing games, power washing games, and etc.. Games that give you something to work with as you attempt to, within the various game mechanics, complete the goal.

Hardspace: Shipbreaker seems to be an obvious entry into these sorts of games, as with each session you are given a ship that you can deconstruct, containing items, collectables, and requiring sorting of various materials. As you progress you obtain a ranking which allows you to work on ships that have hazards, giving each ship a puzzle element. On top of this, there is a progress bar showing how much of the ship you salvaged up to 100%, so the renovator thinks hard and works carefully to fully complete each salvage job.


The challengers work to complete the same goals as the renovators but with reduced expectations, and additional restrictions. Challengers like the pressure of completing a salvage job within time limits. As the hazard level increases, and time limitations of a shift coincide there is a level of chaos introduced. The game is no longer about extracting as much value as possible, but racing the clock and avoiding danger as you extract as much value as you need in order to meet daily quotas and pay down your principle.

Additional challenges are made available after reaching rank 4/30, where challengers can choose to start a new game with limited respawns or even a permadeath game where a single mistake could be their last. Challengers receive a catharsis for jobs well done, but to them the thrill of doing a job quickly, and avoiding catastrophy outweighs that of a slow methodical approach that renovators take.


Everything above is in the game, there is a regular mode, 2 challenge modes, and an open shift mode which removes the timers, allowing people to take their time. There is a progression system that over time allows the purchase of upgrades to your equipment, and increases the difficulty of each salvage job. It is worth noting there is no real penalty for not meeting your quota, as it just increases your debt which is an arbitrary number separate from your progression, serving as a late game goal. If you run out of time, the ship remains in the dock and you can return to it the next shift. If you die, you get penalized with slightly more debt to work off.

It's a really fun game, and I think there is plenty there in the mechanics for each camp to have a good time. "Why are you mad, it is only game"


More ships... there are only 4 ship models in the game, each of them have a few layouts, but for a game approaching final release 4 ships is not enough, I'd expect a few more, as well as some larger designs (The atlas was fantastic, another large ship like that please, and 1 or 2 even larger would be incredible). Sadly it seems there is no mention of any new ships coming out after final release.

A more granular difficulty selection, or shift timers per contract. 15 minutes is absolutely fine for taking on the smaller ships on low hazard levels, but larger ships and more hazards need a bit more time. I know the devs are trying to increase potential chaos and provide a challenge, but being able to choose a difficulty for those that do like some time pressure but feel that there isn't enough time would be great. Let us choose longer shifts but increase our debt interest payments to balance.

A ship designer with steam workshop integration. This game is begging for user created content. Just this feature alone would in my opinion outweigh any negatives. Let us design and share ships with the modules already in the game, and maybe allow users to create more modules. That would cement this game into being infinitely replayable and a fan favorite for years to come.

The big one I've seen many ask for and iirc an initially promised feature: Co-op... Personally this isn't a game breaker for me, I vastly prefer single player experiences but I can't deny that I would love to be able to play this game with my friend.


Personally I watched Sips_ playing it (poorly) for like 15 minutes and knew I would love it. I sit somewhere in between the 2 camps of players interested in this game so I get each side's opinions and enjoy the game for what it is. If there were a few more ships and/or a ship designer with steam workshop I would say emphatically YES. But as it is now I'm not sure if there is enough worthwhile content to just say yes.

Watch a stream of the game, if it looks fun, it might be for you.