Space Run

Lore & Background

The player acts as pilot for a cargo ship, performing space runs for various corporations. The ship is a flat platform made of hexagonal tiles; the player places weapons and modules on the tiles to defend against enemies and hazards. Different structures have varying placement requirements—most weapons must face outward into empty space, while some require power from an adjacent power source. Modules and weapons are built using a resource represented by a lug nut, which slowly accrues on its own; destroyed targets drop varying amounts that can be collected by moving the cursor over them. Each corporation provides a different type of cargo with unique characteristics: one provides simple cargo crates and a mechanic module that can produce more crates during the mission, while another provides passenger modules that must face outward, limiting space for weapons. Each mission has a timed duration with two tiers of time bonus; the player is rewarded with space credits based on cargo survival and speed, and reputation (displayed as stars) based on meeting cargo or time thresholds. Space credits are used between missions to purchase special abilities and bonuses for modules, while reputation unlocks new modules.

The player plays Buck Mann, a space runner down on his luck—a former military pilot and racer who begins accepting jobs from large corporations when his money runs out. Accompanied by the android Addam-12, he first works for Big Cargo carrying simple containers, then for Nuclear Star carrying nuclear waste. After several runs, he attracts the attention of pirates Brown Beard and Captain Black, who continuously harass him as his missions become more lucrative.

Space Run was developed by one-man studio PASSTECH Games in Lyon, France, founded by programmer Sylvain Passot in October 2012. Passot said the game was inspired by the boardgame Galaxy Trucker by Vlaada Chvatil and accessible games like Plants vs. Zombies. A sequel named Space Run Galaxy was announced in March 2016, featuring new boss battles, cargos, and online features.

Reader's Guide

Space Run is notable for attempting to reverse the typical tower defense concept, as noted by a PC Gamer reviewer, though the game ultimately relies on memorizing missions rather than clever design. The game received mixed reviews, with an aggregate score of 73 on Metacritic and 75% on GameRankings. GameSpot gave it an 8 out of 10, praising the characters, art, voice acting, and challenging gameplay, while noting that spoken dialogue sometimes did not match the displayed text. PC Gamer scored it 69 out of 100, considering the best part to be the time bonus necessary for earning full reputation. The game's development by a single programmer in Lyon, France, and its inspiration from a boardgame and a casual game, highlight its indie roots. A sequel, Space Run Galaxy, was announced in March 2016, indicating continued interest in the franchise. The game's mixed reception and subsequent sequel suggest it carved a niche in the tower defense genre during the 2010s, though it did not achieve widespread critical acclaim.

Did You Know?

• Space Run was developed by a one-man studio, PASSTECH Games, founded by Sylvain Passot in October 2012.
• GameSpot gave the game an 8 out of 10, praising its characters and challenging gameplay.