12 Years Late, This Kickstarter-Funded Tribute To A Legendary Adventure Game Series Is A Complete Disaster

Importance Score: 25 / 100 🔵

SpaceVenture: Spiritual Successor to Space Quest Series Finally Launches to Disappointing Reception

In 2012, celebrated game designers Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe, the minds behind the classic Space Quest series, initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund a spiritual successor titled SpaceVenture. After a protracted 13-year development cycle marked by numerous delays and problematic initial releases, the adventure game has ultimately debuted on Steam. However, initial player feedback suggests a deeply flawed experience. Before delving into the criticisms, let’s examine the journey to this point.

Longtime gamers may recall the 1986 release of Space Quest by Sierra Online. This parser-based graphic adventure, while not initially lauded, saw creators Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy (self-proclaimed “The Two Guys from Andromeda”) develop a popular series of sequels. Notably, Space Quest IV and subsequent installments became cherished for their humor and engaging science fiction spoofs. Players assumed the role of Roger Wilco, a hapless space janitor navigating comical and perilous situations.

These adventure games, while graphically simplistic for their time, were pioneers in comedic gaming. The “lovable loser” protagonist was still a relatively fresh trope, and the series distinguished itself with its humorous death sequences, intricate parodies, and the distinctive voice of narrator Gary Owens, whose sardonic commentary enriched every player interaction. This era culminated with Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in The Spinal Frontier, launched in 1995, shortly before Sierra’s initial successful period concluded. Space Quest VII: The Return to Roman Numerals was under development when Vivendi acquired Sierra and cancelled all projects.

The Kickstarter Renaissance and SpaceVenture’s Crowdfunding

Several attempts to revive the beloved franchise emerged over the years, but none materialized, though the original games maintained a dedicated following through frequent PC re-releases. Compounding matters, Crowe and Murphy had reportedly been estranged for two decades. However, the rise of Kickstarter in 2012 presented a new opportunity. Following Tim Schafer’s successful fundraiser for “Double Fine Adventure,” which amassed over $3.3 million, numerous figures from the golden age of point-and-click adventures sought similar funding. The Two Guys from Andromeda reconciled their past differences to capitalize on this crowdfunding trend. Successfully riding the wave of nostalgia, they garnered over $500,000 from nearly 11,000 backers. The campaign’s success hung in the balance, reaching its half-million target in the final hours. This milestone, reached in June 2012, promised a game release by February 2013.

Observers will note the significant passage of time since 2013. The subsequent 12 years have been punctuated by numerous release delays, updates citing personal and family hardships, and repeated apologies, yet no complete game emerged. As early as 2015, concerns were raised regarding the prolonged development and the growing frustration among backers. The projected release was then slated for November 2016. However, that month brought yet another update—the 112th—announcing further postponement, assuring fans that the project was nearing completion. This assertion proved to be far from accurate.

Protracted Delays Plague SpaceVenture Development

Updates, typically vague and offering minimal concrete progress, became a periodic occurrence, arriving roughly every four months. These messages frequently reiterated that the development team was focused on the “final scenes” of the game. Tragically, during this extended period, Gary Owens, the iconic narrator, passed away, years after the initial anticipated launch date. By April 2018, following a six-month communication lapse, the message remained unchanged: “We’re almost there!” This pattern of repetitive, optimistic updates, juxtaposed with continued delays, fostered mounting anger among the fanbase, with reactions ranging from reasonable impatience to outright hostility. A prolonged silence from June 2019 to March 2020 preceded the announcement of a June release window.

Predictably, June then yielded an announcement of beta testing commencing in July. Beta testing eventually began in August 2020. By February 2021, the beta phase concluded, bugs were purportedly resolved, and release was described as imminent—conditional on fixing the save/load system. Fans braced themselves for the final stretch.

By November 2021, however, the persistent save/load issue remained unresolved. A full nine months had elapsed without a solution to this Unity engine-related problem. That update concluded with the assurance: “The next update WILL contain info about releasing the game.” Release was perpetually just around the corner.

July 25, 2022, arrived, marked by another update that began with a seemingly ironic, “Thank you all again for your patience.” The team claimed to be “very close to finishing.” The preceding eight months were supposedly dedicated to bug fixes—despite prior claims of bugs being addressed over a year earlier—and, predictably, the persistent save system! Finally, in August of that year, a firm release date was declared: September 16, 2022.

Against all expectations, and without further postponements, SpaceVenture was indeed released to Kickstarter backers on that date. Ten years after the initial crowdfunding success, the game reached its supporters. They had seemingly delivered.

SpaceVenture’s Disastrous Launch and Subsequent Problems

Contrary to the hopeful narrative, the released version of SpaceVenture was, by all accounts, a fundamentally broken and unplayable product. The gaming community’s reaction was overwhelmingly negative. Remarkably, it took a further six months before the development team acknowledged these critical issues via a Kickstarter update. At this juncture, Ken Williams, former head of Sierra, reportedly intervened, offering assistance. It was also revealed that the development team was working without pay. Another typical eight-month interval passed before an announcement disclosed that the year had been spent transitioning the game to a newer Unity engine version.

This migration process suffered further delays, maintaining the familiar six-to-eight-month update cadence, the recurring assurances of imminent completion, culminating in a March 2025 announcement: version 2 of the game was set to launch on Steam! Thirteen years after the Kickstarter, it was finally becoming available to a broader audience. In Early Access, no less.

Indeed, on the aptly chosen date of April 1st this year, SpaceVenture became purchasable on Steam for $15. However, this release is an unfinished version, with promises of full completion by this summer. The Steam release notes concede, “There are some key gameplay sequences that are only partially implemented at this stage, and you may experience some technical bugs…”

SpaceVenture: A Critically Panned Adventure Game

SpaceVenture is, unequivocally, a profoundly disappointing game.

The game’s shortcomings are apparent from the outset, immediately revealing its incompleteness, underwhelming visuals, and awkward execution.

Technical Deficiencies and Lack of Polish

Despite being developed in Unity, an engine known for its user-friendly options interface, SpaceVenture shockingly lacks any settings menu on PC. The game launches in fullscreen at 1920×1080 resolution, with no in-game options beyond using Alt-Enter to force a windowed mode. Pressing Esc during gameplay bypasses a main menu and directly quits to the desktop. While this may be a time-saver for frustrated players, it’s hardly a positive design choice. Adding to the sense of unfinished product, when user feedback regarding the missing settings was raised in Steam discussions, the developers responded that it was “…something we are considering.”

Poor Visual Presentation and Antiquated Graphics

Equally underwhelming is the opening cinematic. Characterized by jerky animation, poor lighting, and rudimentary textures, the scenes depicting a space van docking at a space station resemble placeholder assets. The visual fidelity evokes a poorly ported PlayStation 2 game from 2002. The scene transitions to the airlock interior, revealing the protagonist, the intentionally unlikeable Ace Hardway, another example of a rudimentary character model. His rigging appears unfinished, and animations are clumsy and unprofessional. Even the initial item description in the game, for a toolbox on the floor, contains a typographical error. These are just the initial impressions.

Gameplay Issues and Puzzle Design Flaws

Moments later, navigating a corridor, a steam burst erupts from a damaged pipe. The consistently low visual quality persists throughout, reminiscent of games from two decades prior. Deliberately walking into the steam, in anticipation of the series’ signature humorous death sequences, leads to Ace’s demise. Players then assume control of Rooter, Ace’s robot dog/toolbox. However, using certain interactive elements still triggers Ace’s dialogue lines, creating immediate inconsistencies. The rationale for controlling a toolbox remains unclear. Furthermore, a voice resembling the late Gary Owens, Space Quest’s narrator, abruptly appears—yet was absent from the game’s initial scenes where exposition and character introduction would be most beneficial.

The narrative contrivances continue: the tool-dog inexplicably possesses a cellphone with a defibrillator app, used to revive Ace. Accepting this leap of logic, gameplay progresses to a supply closet area. A crate-moving sequence is presented as a “puzzle,” requiring players to drag crates to clear a path. However, the puzzle element is functionally absent, requiring only arbitrary crate dragging until the correct direction is accidentally found. Upon entering the closet, essential items are blocked by—more identical crates. These crates, however, are now immovable due to “manual labor” restrictions. The convoluted solution involves placing Rooter on a shelf, enabling it to bypass the crates and operate a forklift. Interacting with Rooter to pick it up and then selecting the shelf icon yields only repeated “nope” messages. The intended action, inexplicably, is to “talk to” Rooter—an action not suggested by any visual cue, and for a character lacking even a “look at” description—prompting Ace to whistle, reverting Rooter into toolbox form, which then can be placed on the shelf. The puzzle design prioritizes obtuse logic over intuitive interaction.

Rooter’s interaction with the forklift then results in it moving forward, running over and killing Ace. The defibrillator app, previously presented as a functional resurrection tool, is now ineffective, forcing a scene reset and a frustrating puzzle restart.

These gameplay frustrations are encountered within the opening five minutes of SpaceVenture.

Screenshot selection for illustrative purposes has been challenging due to the game’s consistent visual shortcomings. However, accurately representing the typical visual presentation is crucial. The image featuring an untextured model on a desk exemplifies the overall lack of polish.

Save System Issues and Lack of Humor

Adding to the technical woes, the promised save system fix remains unimplemented. Saving the game to mitigate unpredictable deaths proves pointless, as reloading reverts the player to the scene’s beginning regardless.

Continuing a comprehensive list of every flaw in SpaceVenture would be exhaustive. Subsequent gameplay reveals consistently flawed puzzle design, a lack of player guidance or logical item interaction prompts, and a critical absence of humor in the dialogue. Despite initial anticipation of comedic elements, the game fails to deliver on this front. Beyond technical issues, a fundamental flaw lies in the character of Ace Hardway.

Protagonist Problem: Ace Hardway vs. Roger Wilco

Roger Wilco, the protagonist of the original Space Quest games, was intentionally portrayed as a clumsy, often self-serving, yet ultimately endearing character. The games humorously highlighted his ineptitude and failures in his aspirations beyond his janitorial role. In stark contrast, Ace Hardway, SpaceVenture‘s protagonist, is not merely incompetent but deeply unlikeable. He is characterized as rude, uncurious, and ultimately bland. Paradoxically, the game appears to celebrate Ace, with the narrator—despite echoing the sardonic tone of Space Quest IV’s commentator—offering positive affirmations even for his most mundane actions. This tonal dissonance is jarring and perplexing.

Empathy for Developers Amidst a Disastrous Launch

SpaceVenture is, in its current state, a considerable failure. While backers from 13 years prior, particularly those at higher pledge levels, have valid reasons for disappointment and frustration, there is also a palpable sense of sympathy for the developers’ predicament.

It appears evident that the core development team—Scott Murphy, Mark Crowe, and Chris Pope—were out of their depth from the project’s inception. The current state of the game suggests a limited grasp of the Unity engine, insufficient learning over the protracted development, and inadequate funding to address the growing technical challenges. Murphy and Crowe have publicly discussed personal hardships and family tragedies throughout the past decade, suggesting that this project became an immense burden, a commitment made that became inescapable. Playing the game evokes a sense of this burden, a prolonged struggle persisting far beyond its intended timeframe. And, critically, they are still not liberated from this commitment. “Early Access” status and projections of a summer completion date appear as unrealistic as previous release announcements dating back to 2013. One might wish for a way to release them from this obligation, to grant permission to declare the game complete, despite its flaws, allowing them to move forward. After an extended development, the result is a subpar game. However, it’s unlikely that the 10,000 Kickstarter backers would readily agree.

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