Voyager-19 Wraps A Frightening Concept In A Simple Package

Voyager-19 is a space exploration game where players seek a new planet for humanity. In the process they’re also searching for another crew that’s gone missing. Gameplay consists of decoding files and taking photos of planets. Each takes years before the file can be read. As the time passes there will be strange anomalies with some of the planets. Until the player realizes that “planet” is appearing in multiple systems.

Once the wreckage of the last crew’s space station is found, tension instantly gets ratcheted up. A sense of impending dread is made worse when their reports show no unusual activity in the system. So what killed them? Voyager-19 is a great cosmic horror story wrapped up in simple controls. They do become a little tedious at the end. Resources become scarce and players must manage what gets power versus what gets shut off. It doesn’t last long enough to detract too much from the experience.

Players must also listen to planets over their ship’s radio. This is when we discover just how terrifying hearing a heartbeat can be. While the gameplay keeps its slow pace, it feels like a chase from this moment forward. These moments create spikes of adrenaline. Until that final moment as players realize even those seemingly random files were warnings.

Voyager-19 is a great narrative adventure. It doesn’t rush to reveal the story and doesn’t drag the mystery on too long. The concept is unique enough to be entertaining despite the small screen’s limits. It takes a grim look at what humanity could encounter while exploring infinite galaxies. While players are hunting for a new world, something large enough to mimic a planet is hunting them. It also leaves an open question of what else is out there for this creature to feed on? Fans of horror that leaves them with a feeling of claustrophobia will probably enjoy this.