When it comes to roguelike strategy games, what usually comes to mind are deckbuilders of some sort, though there are obviously other terrific options out there including both the infamous Faster Than Light and Into the Breach specifically. It’s in that more sci-fi and spacefaring vein that we get Lonestar, which mixes together elements of careful equipment management and configuration, along with some lighter tactical combat to try to carve itself out a spot in the eShop.

What I did find somewhat appealing, especially when contrasted with its brethren that are notoriously challenging, is that at least early on you’re given some time to work things out. It isn’t that your first few runs will be a cakewalk, you’ll still need to be smart about how you play, but anyone with a reasonable amount of experience with this genre space should be able to catch on well enough to survive for a bit. Part of what helps to keep the complexity down is just the fact that you don’t really have all that many options, whether that’s your finite slots for equipment, limited ship maneuverability while in combat, or ways to make use of your energy as you try to make sure you’re putting out more damage in each lane than your enemy is able to.

Unfortunately, those compliments run right into one of the major downsides of the game, and that’s the fact that it does a terrible job of helping you get up to speed. It makes some minimal attempts to get you on board with how its different parts work and how to best make use of them, but it really isn’t enough. While I managed to survive my entire first run by stumbling my way through, having just enough of a clue to keep my enemies at bay, it was disconcerting that despite my success I still didn’t feel like I understood what I was doing very well. Granted, searching around the web for info on the game, I was able to get much more clean guidance, but having to go to such lengths to get a better understanding of a strategy game’s fundamentals is never a good thing.

Put it all together, and you have a reasonably-good roguelike strategy title, but one with some clear flaws. I’ll give it credit for being more approachable than its brethren in the space-faring roguelike strategy space, but that’s only because of its overall simplistic approach, and not because it offers sufficient guidance to the player. In fact, if you’re a novice to this sort of title, I would recommend playing something else first to learn the ropes, or at least read through a thorough guide first so it makes a bit more sense.