Beyond Galaxyland review: out of this world

Video games are a miracle at the best of times, but video games made by just one person? Whether or not they’re my cup of tea, the fact they exist never ceases to blow me away.

It’s easy to forget the likes of Undertale and Stardew Valley are (predominantly) the result of one individual’s clear vision and passion. Beyond Galaxyland, the new sci-fi adventure from Sam Enright, now joins the hallowed ranks of games you can’t quite believe were created by one person.

I had an absolute blast during my time with Beyond Galaxyland, a shockingly expansive RPG that borrows and remixes elements from every corner of science-fiction. From Douglas Adams to Mass Effect, stopping via Ready Player One and The Last Starfighter, this is a rich and beautifully written adventure that fans of the genre owe it to themselves to check out.

Beyond Galaxyland begins on Earth as Doug and his pet hamster find themselves transported off-world to be saved from an impending apocalypse. The titular Galaxyland is kind of like a sci-fi Noah’s ark; an assortment of various biomes recreated to make various alien races feel at ease as they’re scooped from their homes and told to settle into their new lives.

Exploration and combat take place across a striking pixel-art 2D world, and some gentle platforming and puzzle solving accompany turn-based battles. Navigating between waypoints can sometimes be a little frustrating thanks to a fairly naff map system, and the nature of the game’s aesthetic sometimes makes it a little tricky to work out what you can and can’t interact with.

Platforming is also quite fiddly at the best of times, which means you’ll be wrestling with the controls and navigational systems when you’re supposed to be enjoying stunning alien vistas.

Combat is fairly straightforward, with the option to sneak up on enemies in the world and get a stealth attack in for an early bonus eliminating much of the malaise that can creep into turn-based RPGs. The meat of encounters revolve around a kind of rock-paper-scissors approach, with certain attacks from Doug and his allies working better against specific enemies.

Another fun quirk to combat is the ability to catch and befriend certain alien monsters after you’ve beaten them, which can then be used in future battles and trained up to learn new moves. It’s a wonderful nod to Pokémon, and I was surprised to see how much Beyond Galaxyland actually scratched my itch for a new creature collecting game.

Some minor issues aside, Beyond Galaxyland is easily one of 2024’s best surprises. I confess this is one game that wasn’t on my radar until I started playing it, but if you have any passion whatsoever for classic science fiction literature, games, and movies, I can guarantee you’ll have an absolute blast with this one.

Pros: Beautifully written, gorgeous worlds, creature collecting is a blast

Cons: Fiddly combat and rough navigation systems

For fans of: Mass Effect, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Cyberpunk 2077

8/10: Excellent

Beyond Galaxyland is available now for PC via Steam. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.