Speed. Timing. Finesse. Do you have what it takes? Blaze a trail across space in Starpoint, a 2D mobile platformer from Lazy Gray Pixel.

Anastasiia Selitska and Taras Kohut love space. Its innumerable stars, planets, and nebulas are unmatched in their breath-taking beauty and awe-inspiring grandeur. So when the software developer and the graphic designer from Lviv, Ukraine decided to make a video game together, it didn’t take them long to land on a universally popular theme. Come along for the ride in Starpoint, Lazy Gray Pixel’s side-scrolling journey across the cosmos! 

GRAPHICS 9/10

An array of colorful levels and planets await in this sparkly space platformer.

Starpoint has a clean, futuristic style and an impressive amount of visual detail. Starting as a black-and-white planet, players can quickly access more skins by cashing in stars, sharing the game on Facebook, or dropping a few dollars in-game. The levels themselves also boast a wide range of complementary colors. Layers of glittering stars scroll by as you play, and comets (or, randomly enough, penguins) streak across the night sky now and then in the background. My favorite feature is the lovely sparkler effect generated by snagging rows of star tokens. For a mobile game, the animation and graphics are remarkably smooth and refined.

SOUND QUALITY 9/10

Calming synthwave tracks and crystalline sound effects accentuate the spacey vibes.

Anastasiia Selitska’s new-age synth soundtrack is like a musical mirror for Starpoint’s pristine visual style. The overworld theme sounds like something out of Stranger Things, and the single track that accompanies all forty-five levels is an echoing music box tune that’s perfect for stargazing. Your planet is silent as it tumbles along, while gathering stars produces a multi-tonal tinkling noise. Selitska may have missed an opportunity to explore alternate themes for each of the nine areas on the star chart, but her minimalist compositions enhance the game’s atmosphere perfectly. 

GAMEPLAY 9/10

Reach for the stars!

The goal of Starpoint is simple: roll and jump across constellations while collecting stars and avoiding pitfalls. Although marketed as a relaxing experience, the game’s treacherous terrain may cause involuntary leaning, clenching of the extremities or buttocks, and outbursts of expletives when gravity ultimately gets its way. Fortunately, the surprisingly precise two-button controls allow players to fine-tune their acceleration and jumps for optimal trajectory. Temporary power-ups bestow magnetism or speed boosts, and some even reverse the pull of gravity! How you play is up to you: barrel across the firmament for a sloppy speedrun or meticulously gather every last star in the sky. Platforms made from dotted lines begin to dissolve as soon as you touch them, but a brief vibration in the mobile version alerts you to danger the moment you come in contact with any unstable ground.

OVERALL 9/10

This graphically pleasing platformer is a worthy challenge for any space enthusiast. 

Other than the occasional hard-to-get star tokens (which seem to require the player to give physics the finger to obtain), I can’t find anything negative to say about Starpoint. It loads quickly and plays seamlessly. Its clean visual style and tricky level design keep you engrossed to the end, and the chill music and sound design expertly offset the stress induced by striving for a perfect score. In the hands of a stubborn gamer, it’s hard to put down when you just need that one last star or want to shave a few milliseconds off your best time. All in all, Starpoint is an excellent distraction if you’re looking for a fun, space-inspired break from the mundane.

Starpoint was released in May 2021 and is available to download for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. The version reviewed was the free-to-play download for Android.