Fun Games You Aren't Playing - FTL

Ever wanted to be in control of a spaceship, but don’t have enough geeky friends willing to play Artemis: Spaceship Bridge Simulator with you?

FTL: Faster Than Light is a surprisingly deep indie favorite that’ll definitely scratch that itch. Don’t be fooled by its simple graphics-- this game is addictive and engrossing.

FTL is a strategy game where your little ship and space crew are constantly pursued by the rebel forces. You must find enough fuel, repair your ship from inevitable damage, fight enemy ships, engage in diplomatic missions, and all manner of space-related tomfoolery until the final showdown with the rebels. FTL is a rogue-lite, meaning that the levels are randomly generated, so it’s a new adventure every time you play.

It also means that your decisions (and horrible ship explosion killing everyone on board) are final.

This game is HARD-- even strategy veterans will sweat on the higher difficulties. Also, the random nature of the game sometimes gives you the lovely gift of borderline-unwinnable scenarios. Thankfully, a round of FTL is fairly short, so if your ship bursts into flames, no sweat: just try again.

The appeal of the game for me is the fast-paced, unpredictable combat that can be solved in a variety of ways.

Hostiles boarding your ship?   Just open your doors and let the void of space choke them!

Also, it’s sometimes necessary to divert power, for example, from the shields to the engine, so feel free to imagine a dramatic Trek-esque scenario when this happens. “It’s too dangerous, Captain!” “Damn it, Scotty, it’s our only hope!”

FTL has tons of replay value, with plenty of ships and new layouts to unlock. Also, it’s super hard, so just winning the game is challenge enough. If I’ve only got a little time to game, I like to start up a game and see how far I get in the vastness of space.

If I’ve got a lot of time to game… just one more turn...

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Will bomb anything for scrap!

-The Dungeon Dame