Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes Review

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is a roguelike strategy game that captures the tense atmosphere of the TV series by combining a ticking clock with relentless Sylon attacks and crises. Players lead a small fleet aiming to rendezvous with Galactica after the destruction of Caprica, facing 10 turns to repair, upgrade, manage factions, and handle overwhelming situations before the Sylons arrive. After this, a two-minute real-time combat phase ensues before another FTL jump. The game effectively uses the show's eerie theme music and a 16-bit art style, reminiscent of FTL, to establish the Battlestar Galactica vibe, though some high-resolution Sylon mother ship portraits are unflattering. Combat is real-time tactical, allowing pauses for assigning targets and using abilities. Skirmishes are small-scale, typically involving three to five fighters, augmented by the player's gunstar battleship. Officer and fighter progression adds complexity, with stacked traits and abilities like temporary speed boosts or damage reflection offering strategic depth. While the game doesn't replicate the show's flashy dogfighting, preferring a more manageable visual style, it successfully creates tension through its core loop. Sylon attacks are predictable, primarily consisting of raiders, artillery, missile launchers, and stealth ships, allowing players to manage them with a small fleet. However, Sylon mother ships provide modifiers, and environmental factors like minefields or asteroids add variation. The constant threat of Sylon waves and the race to jump away before destruction are central to the experience. A key predictor of success is recruiting new crew members early on, who can pilot fighters, operate gunstar stations, and provide free actions for resolving situations or gathering resources. These benefits snowball quickly. Crisis management is crucial, with many multi-part resolutions requiring diverse actions. While there are numerous crisis stories and personal quests, the limited variety can lead to repetition after a few runs. The Sylon saboteur subplot, though intriguing, relies on deduction and can feel repetitive. Scattered Hopes runs typically last around two hours, allowing for significant crew and ship progression. Randomized upgrades and abilities lead to powerful combinations, though early runs are often failures due to withheld progression unlocks like starting resources or re-roll options. Unlocking these improves win rates, but also unlocks tougher gunstar variants and escalating challenges, ensuring long-term replayability. The game tests command under pressure, focusing on escaping Sylon attacks and crises with minimal losses, making strategic decisions in both turn-based and real-time phases.