Starblast is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs (although this is also available for free as a browser game). The game is a middle of the road SpaceWar! ripoff, with a dimension of depth added as you need to do resource gathering, there's a progression system and a number of multiplayer and solo game modes... and for me, a major problem here, none of these modes work.

The game simply sits and waits while launching for an indefinite period of time... my best guess is that it's trying to contact some mandatory online server or something so the game can be played, but failing to do so... but that's a guess. And it's not up to gamers to try to work out why games don't work... it's the responsibility of the developer to ensure their game works on all platforms at all times. This failure on the part of the developer has become a problem on the part of customers, and that's a problem.

From a technical perspective, as a mobile app, this doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard.

While there are options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic low quality vector art assets used to make the mobile app, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality. Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the mediocre 2D visuals.

The mobile app features somewhat lazy, simplistic "retro" looking 2D graphics, of the type you normally expect to see in low effort Flash/browser games and mobile apps. Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.

Because this is a mobile app, it carries a number of deliberate design deficiencies. Compromises were made to cater to the iPhones that the mobile app was designed for. These are unfortunate handicaps and limitations that PC gamers shouldn't be forced to accept, but it's evident that PC was an afterthought for the iPhone developers who are to blame for this. The mobile app is deficient as a result of these choices, and would have been so much better without the handicaps that designing games for mobile phones forces upon a game. Once more, mobile devs have made gaming worse for everyone. I didn't spend thousands on building a gaming rig just so I could pretend it's an iPhone.

These technical defects push this mobile app below acceptable standards for any modern PC game.

Because the mobile app is broken and unplayable for me, it may also not work for other gamers. This is a solid reason to approach this mobile app with some scepticism.

So, should you buy this mobile app? Is this one of the best of the 100,000+ games on Steam?

Once more we see greedy mobile devs trying to scam PC gamers. On Steam, this is $10 USD, on app stores, it's free. Mobile devs must learn PC gamers are not here to be gouged, and can't be expected to pay a premium for a free mobile app just because it's been lazily dumped on Steam. This is unacceptable disrespect for PC gamers. Because this can be played free elsewhere, and because of the other defects, it's impossible to recommend. For comparison, the $10 asking price for this free mobile app could get you games like "Grand Theft Auto V", "7 Days to Die" or "Rise of the Tomb Raider". Quality, professionally made games like those are frequently on sale cheaper than this.

Ten bucks for a broken, free mobile app. Just who do they think we are?

Its fun

Paid for the game JUST for the Game Creation (Custom Games) option, but, by some reason is not working for me...