# FTL: Faster Than Light — user reviews > 286 indexed App Store user reviews of FTL by Subset Games, rated 4.50/5 from 805 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ftl-faster-than-light/id833951143/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ftl-faster-than-light/id833951143.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 655 · 4★ 41 · 3★ 28 · 2★ 19 · 1★ 62 ## What do users think of FTL? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ⭐ Amazing game - 🚀 Highly replayable - 🎮 Excellent gameplay - 💎 Challenging yet rewarding - 🎶 Great soundtrack **Cons** - 🤯 Extremely difficult, even on easy mode - 🔁 Repetitive start-from-scratch gameplay - 🕹️ Clunky controls on iPad - 🔍 Lack of save/load functionality **Commonly reported bugs** - Sound issues on iOS 10+ - Compatibility problems with newer iPad models **Most requested features** - Endless/sandbox mode - Multiplayer support - More ships and customization options - Difficulty tweaks for easier progression ## Newest reviews (10 of 286) ### 4/5 — This game was surprisingly easy for me. *2026-08-10, version 1.6.21* I know, so surprising! But I watched my dad play for years, and when I started out he helped, now I have memorized almost all outcomes for every decision, been playing it for years, favorite offline game by far! May I point out that the age restrictions are 9+? Imagine a nine year old playing this game, better hope he is the most mature nine year old ever or it’s guaranteed a 1 star review. ### 4/5 — Was having my best game yet, before a random encounter destroyed me *2026-06-22, version 1.6.21* It’s a very addictive and challenging game. Skill is a factor, but luck plays an equal part. Would love to see an ‘easier’ mode to help explore game mechanics. Would also love to get some reward for repelling boarders, fighting off 4 attackers on an early ship deserves something! Love this game but getting totally destroyed by an overpowered random encounter is frustrating. Skill alone is not enough ### 2/5 — Clunky interface, iPad afterthought slop *2026-05-18, version 1.6.21* The interface is extremely clunky and just doesn't do a lot of things that are very obvious that it should do. I see the last update was four years ago, so iPads haven't changed a lot since then so I don't really get why the touch interface is so bad. They threw in this pause-when-you-select-your-guys option that's more like a nod to the fact that the interface is so badly designed in the game can't be played in real time as a result. Sometimes you'll get a dialogue that pops up the instant you're selecting a character in the same spot as a dialogue option so you don't even get to read the dialogue and you're forced into whatever you happen to be touching at the moment you definitely get the impression that the developers never play tested it. It's just a gambling, RNG psychological manipulation type of game so they probably won't enjoy it knowing the manipulative mechanics. It would make a lot more sense if the battles just started paused. Instead, you got this weird thing where pause is being toggle depending on what you're doing so you're constantly miss touching what you intend to do and there's no other alternative. For instance, you have to go into "door mode" to open and close doors then you have to turn it off again to do anything else you can't just select outside the door mode to disable it. The same is true for every single kind of subsystem. You have to turn on each subsystem to use the thing even if there's only one thing then you have to turn that mode off again. It's ridiculous. You can tell the developers really didn't care. They just wanted to get an iPad version out so they could get it in Apple's silo ecosystem. I also have to mention that the newest version of the iPadOS loses your entire review if you change your orientation, so Apple is getting worse and worse because they can keep getting sales as a monopoly as the only option outside of Google. I don't know why iOS 26 is so bad. It's been six months and they still haven't fixed a lot of very obvious glitches. ### 2/5 — Just Bad Balancing *2026-02-10, version 1.6.21* I like the concept of the game, but the execution is god awful. Fires will randomly be significantly more deadly, rapidly destroying rooms and killing crew members. Star charts that fully block you from taking entire routes. Weapons having full combat phases where they magically won’t land a single shot while the enemy is escaping. Random events that damage your ship. Literally no benefit for visiting “dangerous” map segments. A single piece of debris can fully ruin an entire run. Great idea for a tablet game, but I genuinely can’t rate this game more than 2 stars for how horribly it’s executed. The 4.5 *has* to be paid reviews. ### 3/5 — Lost all my ships *2026-01-17, version 1.6.21* I got a new iPad. All my achievements are there, but all of my actual progress is gone. Only have one ship even though I previously unlocked everything. ### 2/5 — Final Boss Cheats *2025-11-30, version 1.6.21* (SPOILERS: Not that it matters: the game is unfunny difficult even on easy) Over 200 hours playing across PC and iPad and I’ve only beaten the game once, on easy. Achievement data shows only 1 in 4 have ever beaten the game at all. I adore the concept, love the challenge, I’m fine with the permanent death, and I’m fine with fighting the final boss three times. My problem is that the final boss breaks the established rules of the game. Disable its cloak and it can cloak anyway, knock out its FTL drive and pilot the watch it light speed escape anyway. Kill every crew member and the AI takes control. My last straw was watching my crew of seven in an undamaged ship, with as many upgrades affordable with its limited power slots, completely drained of oxygen by the boss hacking drone and game over within 45 seconds. This is not a strategy game, it’s a gotcha RNG game with poorly designed features. I wonder if the devs can beat actually this game on normal mode. Even though I got my money’s worth, so they say, I cannot recommend this game. ### 2/5 — Waste of time *2025-08-27, version 1.6.21* This is a great concept game whose fun is ruined by the lack of a save feature. The game designer DECIDED to make this an unsavable, arcade-concept game, and ruined it for a lot of people. I enjoy the game play, but the game demands hours of experimentation AND A LOT OF LUCK for each randomly-generated playthrough, and I ain’t got time for that. With a save feature: 5 stars, easily. As it is: 2 stars and a lot of frustration. ### 4/5 — Amazing game but last round is too hard *2025-06-23, version 1.6.21* I love this game. But it is too too hard to beat the boss at the end. Sadly, no more updates. So it is what it is still an amazing game. Just know the odds of winning are low. ### 3/5 — Too hard even on easy. How is that fun *2025-04-05, version 1.6.21* Love the game, I do, but it needs a save function so you can continue your run. I was doing well for 6 games straight and lost those 6 games. Best I was doing ever, high scores on each consecutive run. Then it says game over and I lose all of my progress. Not even a “Restart current sector?” option. Where is the incentive to continue when each time you think you’re doing better you still lose? ### 5/5 — Is this the greatest strategy game of all time? *2024-09-22, version 1.6.21* It's definitely my favorite. Undoubtedly it is challenging, even on easy mode. It took me months to beat the boss the first time. But over time you adapt your strategy, you get better, the game unfolds new subtleties and scenarios. I find it endlessly replayable, with lots of variety with the different types of ships and multiple pathways to victory. I started playing this when my sons were very young -- they are teenagers now and the whole family plays this game (my wife and the boys play on their laptops). We have tournaments where we all play on the same ships and compare scores. I have played this game for thousands of hours and they have easily played for hundreds. One son wrote a 50+ page strategy guide for this game for a school writing assignment. It is hard, but stick with it, it is so rewarding! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Frustrating Beyond What’s Reasonable *2026-07-24, version 1.6.21* Ok, I’m done with this game. Even on ‘easy’ mode, events are so random that you can be totally killing it. Then when you jump, one bad RNG roll, and you get wiped out. I am a game designer; that’s my job. I have so many ideas to make this game more fun and playable. I’ll give the developers one hint for free, on every failed attempt, give upgrade currency to improve your ship on the outset. As is, this game is a waste of time. ### 1/5 — Loading *2026-05-30, version 1.6.21* I played the game three or four times over the span of a couple weeks. Now when I try to open the app it just gets stuck on the loading screen. I even tried deleting and reinstalling it, still just loading… ### 1/5 — Imitation of Participation *2026-02-25, version 1.6.21* That’s how I would describe this game. The outcome of any session depends mostly on randomness (around 80%), with player skill having only a minor impact (about 20%). No matter how good you are at the game, randomness ultimately decides whether a run is successful or not. Because of this, the game barely needs a player at all. The developers should take a look at Dead Cells to understand how to properly balance randomness with player skill. In its current state, the game feels like a slot machine — just much, much longer. ### 1/5 — Stuck on the loading screen *2026-02-15, version 1.6.21* Suddenly the game just won’t load and everything else continues to work as normally on this iPad. Reinstalling does nothing, I have little control over this device to clean out what might be file corruption, so I would put this on the port or the patch that’s allowing it to land in a permanently unusable state. I love this game, i’ve played it for years on every platform. Uninstalled on this platform and probably won’t check back. Probably the most satisfying platform for it too. ### 1/5 — The interface is unusable *2025-12-20, version 1.6.21* I play this game quite a bit on desktop, and i wish the iPad version was a direct translation where your finger is the mouse cursor. Instead, the interface as modified for iPad is clunky and frustrating to use. ### 1/5 — Won’t load on M5 iPad Pro *2025-11-22, version 1.6.21* It gets stuck on the initial loading screen. Restarted the app, restarted my iPad, same issue. Requested a refund, Apple won’t give me one. Complete waste of $9.99. ### 1/5 — Bad game *2025-06-07, version 1.6.21* Fun at first but the more you play it becomes increasingly obvious how much this game cheats you. No matter how you try to play, what ship you use, even on the easiest difficulty the game stacks every upgrade against you but imposes strict limitations on your ship so you can’t punch through the final boss. Do not buy this game it is a waste of time and money ### 1/5 — Easy? *2025-06-04, version 1.6.21* Easy difficulty is a joke, game has broken enemies and no incentive to continue the loop to incrementally gain advantage. Absolutely a joke this game was so highly rated. Don’t waste your money on this hot garbage. ### 1/5 — Fun to play sometimes, but not fair *2025-01-31, version 1.6.21* In general, you can tell within 10 min of a run whether or not you will be able to even so much as get to the final boss, much let beat it. The odds of getting there are about 1 in 10; I have yet to beat it in about 40+ hours. You better hope it doesn’t hack your weapons bay…. Btw, it always does ### 1/5 — Terrible *2024-09-18, version 1.6.21* T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. Ever know a person who likes to build someone up..just to tear them down? You know, the way a narcissist or a sociopath would? That’s this game in a nutshell. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — A Very Good Game *2026-07-12, version 1.6.21* I miss the click-and-drag selection for launching crew commands, but this game is very fun and I am happy it was modded for mobile, only it took me like twelve years to notice. Thanks! ### 5/5 — I Love this game! *2026-06-15, version 1.6.21* This game is one of my favorites! I love the graphics, gameplay, and strategy of this game. I also like how you can command your own ship while evading a horde of other ships. I also like the advanced mode and being able to command your crew, and all of the systems and weapons you can unlock. My only issues with this game is that it’s incredibly hard, even on easy mode. I have never won the game before, even though I have gotten to sector 8 before. My other issue is that it’s difficult for me to unlock ships. It would be nice if there were more of specific sectors (Such as: “Rock Homeworlds” and “Rebel Stronghold”.) Anyways, I love the game, but I would like it if it was easier to win. ### 5/5 — Awesome *2026-05-24, version 1.6.21* Ok hear me out this could possibly be the best strategy game ever it is so replayable! It is also EXTREMELY hard but it is definitely worth it to buy! 👍 ### 5/5 — Still one of the best iPad games years later *2026-05-23, version 1.6.21* Hasn’t been updated in a long time, but doesn’t need it. Beautiful, deep, engaging, simple, fun. Hours and hours of gameplay, and has been translated well to touch. Runs on any iPad too and easy on battery. Still a MUST-BUY for iPad users! ### 5/5 — Crybabies *2025-11-04, version 1.6.21* The people that are crying for a save feature are the same people in line at your local ebt office. For those that want an awesome and challenging experience get FTL. ### 5/5 — Amazing game, almost timeless *2025-09-08, version 1.6.21* Even after playing this game so many years ago, and so many times, I am still finding joy in coming back to this game after so long. Yes, it can be frustrating at times, and does take getting used to, this is an amazing game. It is purchased once, and still playable after 7 years. ### 5/5 — More please *2025-08-17, version 1.6.21* Could we have a game mode where we don’t have to run the fleet or a game mode where we can play against other people or perhaps a sandbox mode this game is perfect for more to be added in a sense of attack attacking planets attack attacking other ships more in detail maybe building your own creating your own shape of the ship great game thank you ### 5/5 — Very fun and yet very frustrating. *2025-07-20, version 1.6.21* Let’s start by saying this isn’t a game for the casual fans or gamers. This thing is complicated as heck and you’ll spend a lot of time learning its mechanics and what’s expected of you. Some of the game is based on skill and most on luck. But on other times the roll of the dice mechanics can just about destroy the experience sometimes. Those times you put it down and try later. What gets me is the randomness can sometimes hinder you from winning at all. You can get to the end and find you weren’t able to get everything and lose or another run find that you had everything to kick butt only to find you were destroyed near the end because you didn’t get the missile drone you were tryna find the whole dang time. However the randomness adds a dimension of depth and complexity not found in a lot of times. One time you’ll listen to someone’s story and get a crew member and other times they kill one of your crew members instead. Makes it genuinely rewarding and you feel guilty when you listen to the “lost crew members story” only to find one of your crew was killed by them. Good game otherwise. Just wish there was a way to not randomize store drops as much so you can actually have a chance to win more often than not. But that’s part of the games charm. Recommend looking up any random encounters that completely stump you because you’ll need it. ### 5/5 — Tears of a nerd *2024-12-14, version 1.6.21* One.more.run. ### 5/5 — Great Game, massive replayability *2024-10-30, version 1.6.21* Frankly, this about the only iPad game I still play because of the crazy cost of playing what are essentially remakes of old games with less playability, and constant attempts to force or irritate gamers into more in app purchases. Zero Bugs, Reasonably challenging on easy difficulty and very challenging on hard. I come back to this game every year. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-19.*