When does Between the Stars get good?

Give it 5 hours. In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (48%); after 7h it's 1 in 6 (18%). Fully opens up by hour 7.

How many players finish Between the Stars?

3% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

ActionAdventureIndieRPGSimulationStrategy

Between the Stars

Mar 7, 2024 Steam: Mostly Positive

Give it 5 hours

Gets good by 5h then rated almost like by veterans

Fully opens up by 7h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 3% of players who started

Started playing 92% of owners

Steam reviews 74% positive of 2,509

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (48%); after 7h it's 1 in 6 (18%).
Fully opens up by hour 7.
The opening is criticised more than in 76% of games we track.
3% of players who start reach the ending.
Most players drop off before “End of the Beginning” (Finish the prologue of the game): only 51% of starters get there.
92% of owners got the first achievement.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 2,529 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 297 reviews: 20.7h for positive, 4.2h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (92.3% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
End of the Beginning Finish the prologue of the game. Most players quit here 51% −49
The Beginning of the End Reach the Children of the Sun Headquarters in Sol Invictus. 8% −42
Crushing Defeat Finish Chapter V. 4% −4
End of the Game Finish the game’s campaign. 3%

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (106)

story milestone ending side

To Arms Start a new adventure. 100%
Recruit of the Republic Destroy 5 enemy ships. 91%
End of the Beginning Finish the prologue of the game. 51%
Profit Scrap 10 weapons or systems. 49%
Cost-efficient Save 10000 credits. 42%
Captain of the Republic Destroy 50 enemy ships. 40%
Novice Collector Unlock 2 ships. 40%
Novice Doctor Cure 5 crew members. 36%
Old memories Recover the remains of Genesis. 35%
Upper class Save 25000 credits. 31%
Recycling Scrap 40 weapons or systems. 31%
One flew over the Phoenix nest Let the Children recover the Phoenix ship at Tacet Stella. 30%
Love is in the air Forgive the love affair between your two crew members. 29%
Sustainability Scrap 75 weapons or systems. 26%
Novice Engineer Craft 5 weapons or systems. 25%
Crew member sandwich Discover the truth about the ship assaulted by the pirates. 25%
The little recruit Accept Zoey Miller as a member of your crew. 22%
Doctor Cure 20 crew members. 20%
Switching sides Don't hand over Dr. Banner to the Children of the Sun. 20%
Bad influences Get Ashley away from Barry Collins in District 8. 19%
Commander of the Republic Destroy 200 enemy ships. 18%
Atom Party Save the crew member in the core reactor. 15%
Gullible Sell the Tablet to Edmund Glotz. 14%
Filthy Rich Save 100000 credits. 14%
Make a run for it Free Bradley from the wreckage. 14%
Codifiers Get the CSP codifiers so you can modify your ship. 13%
Reinsertion Agree to take Barry Collins with you. 12%
Overconfidence Give Dr. John Banner to the Children of the Sun. 9.9%
Collector Unlock 5 ships. 8.8%
Engineer Craft 15 weapons or systems. 8.6%
Phoenix Ashes Destroy the Phoenix destroyer at Tacet Stella. 8.5%
Presentations Be fortunate enough to meet the wonderful Hollow. 8.3%
The Beginning of the End Reach the Children of the Sun Headquarters in Sol Invictus. 8.3%
Recruit Rose! Recruit Rose Rooms as a crew member. 8.1%
Cyberparanoia Hack the Robotic Applications factory. 7.9%
Saviour Save Lieutenant Joddie Blaze. 7.9%
Commander Astra Become a Commander of the Children of the Sun. 7.9%
The Red Tear Accept Sheep's invitation to join the organization. 7.7%
Bewildered Obtain the goodbye letter from Zane. 7.3%
Expert Doctor Cure 50 crew members. 7.0%
Impartial Don't choose who Commander Riley executes. 6.9%
Admiral of the Republic Destroy 500 enemy ships. 6.6%
Elementary, my dear... Solve the robbery at the jewelry shop Moon Tears. 5.9%
Sabotage! Sabotage Maiden Abyss. 5.7%
Trusting Liberate Flanigan once you capture him. 5.5%
Barking Burke Finish off Captain Heather Burke. 5.5%
A Wary Man... Finish off Zerx in Hell’s Gulch. 5.4%
Cutting Communications Destroy the Children of the Sun communications station. 5.2%
Keep an Eye out! Extract Edward D’s bionic eye. 4.6%
HARDCORE! Start a game with sudden death mode activated. 4.4%
Breaking the Ice Finish off Jules Polaris. 4.4%
Little Warriors Be tricked by Neil and Aaron. 4.4%
Expert Engineer Craft 50 weapons or systems. 4.3%
It’s so fluffy! Obtain a Genesis ship plush toy. 4.3%
Crash Landing Land the Genesis after the battle with Nartos. 4.1%
Crushing Defeat Finish Chapter V. 3.9%
Impenetrable Wall Protect the station from the Children of the Sun. 3.9%
One Less Finish off Captain Ken Flanigan. 3.7%
Change of identity Accept Jessica Mills as a member of your crew. 3.6%
The Reconquest Take back Tacet Stella from the Children of the Sun. 3.6%
Another day, another infiltration… Capture Arner’s ship. 3.5%
Lost Lamb Rescue Sheep at Horus Station. 3.5%
End of the Game Finish the game’s campaign. 3.4%
Worm Soup Finish off the sand worm in the scavenger territory. 3.4%
Scott’s Will Restore the Genesis and its core. 3.4%
Back to the flock Bring Sheep to Blaymore. 3.4%
Drums of War Escort the fleet to the Solar System. 3.3%
Blackmail the Blackmailer Blachmail Rathmore so he pays you for the recordings. 3.3%
All Clear Protect Dûn-Marad. 3.3%
Last Hope Follow Nartos to Alpha Centauri. 3.1%
No to Chaos Leave Dr. Chaos on his own. 3.1%
Turn the other cheek Imprison the murderer of your crewmember after sabotaging the installations. 3.1%
Promotion to Lieutenant Promote Jackson for the selection trials. 3.1%
Night of Passion Spend the night with Susan. 3.0%
Martyr Sacrifice yourself to save the Galaxy. 3.0%
It should be in a museum Throw the Tablet into the trash destruction system. 3.0%
Expert Collector Unlock 10 ships. 2.9%
Defective delivery Deliver a defective KL41R3 robot to Dr. Chaos. 2.8%
Put out the Blaze End with Joddie Blaze alongside Flanigan. 2.8%
Revelations Reveal yourself as a Captain of the Interstellar Republic. 2.8%
Eye of an Eye Kill the murderer of your crewmember after sabotaging the installations. 2.8%
Embers remain Convince Blaze to give herself in. 2.8%
My treasure… Don’t throw the Tablet in the trash destructor system. 2.7%
One of Our Own Hide Flanigan amongst your crew. 2.7%
This Way! Exit the labyrinth in the abandoned mines without running into any issues. 2.5%
Edward’s Treasure Recover the Seht’ar ship from the underground bunker. 2.5%
Mercy Spare Captain Zerx’s life in Hell’s Gulch. 2.4%
Democracy Get the SMC board to vote for the offensive. 2.3%
Sabotage 2.0! Sabotage Nova Magna. 2.2%
Overlord Destroy 1000 enemy ships. 2.0%
Ninja! Get to the ship without any interruptions. 1.8%
Round 2 Confront Nartos using Scott's Core. 1.8%
Life makes its way Help Emily Hallowey give birth. 1.7%
Surprise, Surprise! Finish Zerx off in front of Flanigan in Hell’s Gulch. 1.6%
Daughter of the Republic Present a Jane to your former crew. 1.5%
End of the chain Decline Sheep's invitation to join the organization. 1.5%
Vendetta Let Barry take his revenge. 1.5%
Captain's right eye Choose who Commander Riley executes. 1.5%
Peace Reigns Raise a glass with your crew as fleet Admiral. 1.4%
Master’s friend Get the master's friend attribute. 1.3%
A New Adventure Head towards the Seht’ar sectors with your crew. 1.0%
A considered captain Wait for your turn at the Sharp Hill offices. 0.9%
New Crewmember Recruit Jackson as part of your crew. 0.9%
All red! Get the ludopath attribute. 0.8%
Overcharge Awaken the hidden power of your MAI core. 0.8%
Cheers! Drink with Logan before the great battle. 0.4%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.