Games Like RetroSpace: 10 Immersive Sims and Influences

By Dana Whitcombe · Updated

The Wild Gentlemen have been open about where RetroSpace comes from. Their Steam FAQ lists “Half-Life, System Shock 2, Thief 1-2, Void Bastards, Deus Ex, Prey 2017, Bioshock 1-2, Metroid Prime, Dark Souls, Silent Hill, Resident Evil 1-2, Blood West, Dead Space series, and many, many more”. Here is what each one shares with it.

The closest matches

  1. System Shock 2. A developer on the forum: “our main and most important inspiration was System Shock. Especially (but not exclusively) System Shock 2.” A derelict ship, audio logs, keypad codes (RetroSpace even uses 0451) and a mysterious voice guiding you.
  2. Prey (2017). A space station you can explore freely, tools that open alternative routes, and mutation-style powers.
  3. BioShock 1 and 2. Retro-futurist ads that sell you mutations, and respawn chambers. ProRogueBear compares the Helo Domes to BioShock’s Vita-Chambers on first sight.
  4. Thief 1 and 2. The light indicator and the light-and-sound stealth model come from here, according to Dev Blog 09.
  5. Deus Ex. Multiple solutions to every obstacle: hack, sneak, find a vent or fight.

Similar mood or structure

  1. Void Bastards. Comic-book sci-fi humor on derelict ships.
  2. Half-Life. The developers say the first Half-Life “had a huge impact” on them.
  3. Metroid Prime. RetroSpace is partly Metroidvania: shortcuts and new paths open as you progress.
  4. Blood West. A recent immersive stealth shooter with a strong horror bent.
  5. Dead Space. Body horror on a ruined ship.

What about Skin Deep?

Players on the Steam forum noticed similarities with Skin Deep. A developer answered that RetroSpace was announced with its finished art and gameplay style “way before Skin Deep was announced (back in 2023 January)”, and that Skin Deep is “really mission-structured” while RetroSpace follows “the System Shock 1-2, and Prey route, where the narrative is front and center” with room for backtracking.

Why play RetroSpace if you know these?

Its 1970s disco-punk look, the cloning-error death system and a heavy dose of dry humor set it apart. See what reviewers say and how long it is.

Did this get you through the door?

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