Ghostship Aftermath

Ghostship Aftermath is a non-linear science-fiction survival horror game with roguelike elements. You play as Dr. Jake Abbots, sent aboard the missing CDF Goliath to assess threats to a salvage operation. Your partner, Dr. David Riggs, remains aboard the CSD Alexis as mission control, communicating by radio to give you objectives, advice and help.

The missing ship

More than 350 years in the future, humanity has spread across the galaxy and the Colonial Defense Force (CDF) protects Earth and its colonies. On March 1st, 2368, contact is lost with the most distant colony in the Icarus System. The CDF dispatches the Dreadnought-class spaceship CDF Goliath on March 3rd to investigate, but loses contact with it on March 12th, shortly after it enters the system. The Goliath is presumed to be a ghost ship.

Before sending more CDF forces, the usual procedure is to send an Advance Scientific Evaluation Team (ASET): two specialists from the Colonial Science Division (CSD) who determine whether biological or scientific threats could hinder a salvage operation. You board the Goliath while Riggs supports you from the CSD Alexis, but events aboard the ship do not go as planned.

Survival aboard the Goliath

Your actions have consequences, and death is permanent: if you die, you must start a new game. Oxygen is limited, and sprinting uses it four times as fast. Your helmet’s flashlight has a non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery that lasts one hour, so you must manage both resources to avoid suffocation and the horrors in the dark.

Explore the large, mostly functional military spacecraft to uncover secrets and clues, and find weapons, shields and medikits. Choose your fights carefully; this is not a regular first-person shooter. The game features normal gravity and zero gravity, along with a helmet view that presents the in-game HUD without an artificial overlay.

Modes and replayability

Random events, random enemy spawns and multiple story branches mean each game can unfold differently. Permadeath makes a death the start of a new run. Instant Action Mode offers a faster start with a few weapons and no permadeath. A separate free-roam option lets you explore without enemies or objectives.