HomeFeaturesGalacticare
Startopia meets Theme Hospital in this jaunty space hospital simGalacticare has that one guy from Twitter who does Matt Berry impressions
Galacticare has that one guy from Twitter who does Matt Berry impressions
Image credit:Cult Games
Image credit:Cult Games
Galacticare Announcement Trailer | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S/One | Coming 2023Watch on YouTube
Galacticare Announcement Trailer | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S/One | Coming 2023
I’ve only played a bit of a preview demo build so far, but the levels in Galacticare are pleasingly vibes-based in their pacing, relying less on overall goals and more on the successful navigation of surprise scenarios. My favourite was the second level, which puts you in charge of the hospital near Burning Moon festival (Galacticare also has lovely backdrops, so you can, for example, see the holo-stage of the festival below your hospital buildings).
That level is largely tied to the progress of the festival itself. As the running order goes on, the festival owner organiser then pops up with comms messages revealing he is - well, imagine my shock - a money-hungry capitalist who wants to avoid losses and PR disasters more than he wants the festival to be good. You’ll also run into the owner of a rival medical corporation who sounds almost, but not quite,exactly like Matt Berry.
Another neat little twist comes from the aliens themselves. One of the first group I met were all a) old people and b) clones. They’re like very cute little grey raisins, and they specifically like decorations that are “curious” - which is a sub-category of items you can place that largely consists of anatomical models and brains in jars. There are extremely huge boys who appreciate big rooms and wide corridors, and hot space angels who are, for some reason, inordinately fond of adequate seating. It’s kind of fun trying to keep all these requirements in mind, while also, you know, providing a service.
Image credit:Cult Games
There are other extra management sim bits as well. All doctors, no matter how expensive they are, come with a downside, including clumsiness, dropping litter, or, err, enjoying hurting people, so… you know. That’snice. But these flaws are balanced with an upside like working faster or making people happy. You can also push people to the front of the queue if they look particularly sick, and there’s a giant space whale with a ship on its back that’ll turn up to sell you upgrades and extras sometimes - including more of the robots who act as your entire janatorial staff.
All in all, theSteamdemo (which you can play yourself when Steam Next Fest kicks off next week on the 19th) suggests Galacticare is striking a good balance between satire and self-awareness, being wacky without becoming zany - death! - at least as far as tone and design is concerned. I think the acid test will be more in whether the demands of patient numbers (which increase fairly rapidly, especially in the early part of a level) become a case of unfun water treading rather than meeting challenges with efficiency. That’s always the main thing with a management sim, I find. Unfun Water Treading is probably an illness in there somewhere, too. Galacticare is out later this year.
