VGSources / Games / Positech Games
turn-based strategy video game
Gratuitous Space Battles
By Positech Games, released 1 Jan 2009
- Microsoft Windows
- Linux
- macOS
What it is
Gratuitous Space Battles is a space-fleet strategy game from Positech Games. Players design ships, assemble fleets and set orders and formations before battle; they do not control individual ships once combat begins. Battles focus on planning fleet composition and balancing defenses such as shields and armor against weapons including laser cannons and plasma torpedoes. The game offers four unlockable player races, more than 40 ship hulls and over 120 ship modules. Players can choose skirmishes against AI or an ongoing survival mode, and battles can include different spatial anomalies. Listed Steam features include single-player, Steam Trading Cards and Family Sharing. It was released in 2009 and is available for Windows, Linux and macOS. The store description cautions that the game is 16 years old and that resolutions above 1920x1080 may cause visual issues on some screens.
What players like, and what they don't
- More than 40 ship hulls
- Over 120 spaceship modules
- Four unlockable player races
- AI skirmish and survival modes
- Available on Windows, Linux and macOS
- Ships follow pre-set orders during battles
- Resolutions above 1920x1080 may cause visual issues
- Store description notes the game is 16 years old
Who it suits
It suits players who enjoy planning ship designs, fleet composition and battle orders rather than directing ships during combat. The AI skirmish and survival modes offer solo options.
Gratuitous Space Battles puts fleet planning before direct control, with a wide selection of hulls and modules to configure. Its listed modes are solo skirmishes against AI and survival play.
