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Stars in Shadow

Game overview

Stars in Shadow

Stars in Shadow is a turn-based 4X strategy game and a vivid tribute to the genre classics. Compete with alien factions to explore and colonize nearby starsystems, build fleets to defend against rivals, negotiate or conquer them. Win by unifying the galaxy, through diplomacy or force.

Strategy 4X Indie Turn-Based Strategy Space
Last tracked players
19
All-time peak
21
24-hour change
Unavailable
Steam reviews
78.9% positive
787 reviews · via SteamSpy

Delayed observation · last tracked . Values marked unavailable are not estimated.

About this game Read the full description

Stars in Shadow is a turn-based 4X science fiction strategy game. Explore the stars, settle distant worlds, and build an interstellar empire. Recover ancient technologies and negotiate with alien leaders. Created by a pair of passionate strategy gamers, Stars in Shadow features streamlined empire management, sophisticated turn-based tactical combat, and detailed world building.

FEATURES

  • Epic Scope:
    Starting at the dawn of interstellar travel, progress through four eras of technological advancement. Discover the science of planetary terraforming, upgrade your infantry battalions to battle mechs, and grow your fleet from a squadron of destroyers to an armada of planet-destroying Dread Stars.

  • Varied Factions:
    7 Playable factions comprising six alien races. Each faction has different research strengths and technology options. Forming alliances, conquering neighboring species, or discovering ancient artifacts may open up additional avenues of research. Choose your race wisely as it impacts which worlds will suit you, what trades or alliances may be offered, and whether or not your neighbors are inclined to trust you.

  • Stylized Setting:
    A distinctive comic-book art style and an original, detailed universe backstory draw you into an immersive game world. Interact with a unique cast of alien characters, make friends and influence people, or crush your enemies and see them driven before you.

  • Focused High-Level Strategy:
    Build a vast and varied empire, taking advantage of the unique traits offered by different alien populations and the worlds they inhabit. Experiments on a slave population might diminish your popularity in the Galactic Council. A streamlined resource and planetary improvement model keeps the game moving even when your empire grows large.

  • Deep Turn-Based Tactical Combat:
    Face off against your opponents in complex 2D turn-based tactical battles. Counter your enemy’s missile barrage using point defense or interceptors, then close to energy weapon range! Stars in Shadow’s tactical engine includes several features rarely seen in turn based games. Multi-ship commands keep even large fleet battles fast-paced, and smart unit behaviors allow tight control with minimal micromanagement. Auto-resolve battles that are a foregone conclusion, while retaining the ability to replay any engagement to see exactly what happened.

Player activity

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Price history

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Development Update: 25 May 2026 Development Update: 13 May 2026 Development Update: 10 August 2020
System requirements Windows

Windows

Minimum

Minimum:
  • OS *: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10
  • Processor: Intel Core 2.6 GHz or equivalent
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4000 Series or better
  • Storage: 3 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: Stars in Shadow requires the OpenGL framebuffer extension. This extension is present on almost all graphics drivers released after 2010, but laptops made before 2010 with vendor-locked graphics drivers may not be able to run the game.

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows 7,8,10
  • Processor: Intel Core Duo 3.0 GHz or equivalent
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce 400 Series or better, 1 GB RAM
  • Storage: 3 GB available space
Game details Languages, features & support
Publisher
Iceberg Interactive
Brazilian rating
10
Steam Germany rating
12
Achievements
62
Metacritic
75
Features
Single-player, Family Sharing
Languages
English
Compatibility & accessibility Steam Deck, controllers & access features

Can I Play This?

Steam declarations and Valve's Steam Deck compatibility result. Missing data is shown as unknown, never unsupported.

Sources fresh
Native Steam builds
Windows: unknown
macOS: unknown
Linux: unknown
Steam Deck
unknown
Valve compatibility test
Input
Controller support: unknown
Structured language support (1)
LanguageInterfaceFull audioSubtitles
EnglishYesNoNo

Third-party requirements shown by Steam

Requires agreement to a 3rd-party EULA Stars in Shadow EULA
Steam store page fresh · checked 2026-11-06 PCGamingWiki technical notes External link only; SteamIQHQ does not ingest PCGamingWiki content.
More analysis Activity patterns, updates & developer tools

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Game Insights

Buy Verdict

Wait — $24.99.

Not the best time to buy. Price could improve with future sales.

▬ ~15 days until next sale

Update Momentum

Infrequent Updates — 0 patches in last 30 days.

2 patches and 2 news items in last 180 days. Latest patch effect size: 0.00.

▼ No recent patches

Value Score

Great Value — 79th percentile.

Price-to-player ratio ranks in the 79th percentile. Priced as Market at $24.99.

▲ Market pricing tier

Genre Benchmarks

Player Count Top 31%
Value Ratio Top 21%

Activity Heatmap

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Avg Activity
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Active Hours
8%
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Developer Analytics

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stars in Shadow worth buying right now?
Wait — $24.99. Not the best time to buy. Price could improve with future sales.
When does Stars in Shadow go on sale?
Not the best time to buy. Price could improve with future sales.
Is Stars in Shadow still getting updates?
Infrequent Updates — 0 patches in last 30 days. 2 patches and 2 news items in last 180 days. Latest patch effect size: 0.00.
Is Stars in Shadow free to play?
Stars in Shadow costs $24.99 on Steam.
What genre is Stars in Shadow?
Stars in Shadow is a Indie, Strategy game.
Who developed Stars in Shadow?
Stars in Shadow was developed by Ashdar Games and published by Iceberg Interactive.
What platforms does Stars in Shadow support?
Available on Steam for Windows.

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