Void Bastards is just one of many first-person shooters set in outer space, but this one comes with a twist. The game was published by prominent indie platform Humble Bundle, and developed by Blue Manchu. It came out in 2019 for PC and Xbox One, and was ported to Switch and PS4 the following year. As the game’s Steam page points out, this title takes inspiration from some of the genre’s biggest names, like System Shock 2 and the Bioshock games. These games are known for bringing a more thoughtful and strategic approach than run-and-gun games like Doom, and Void Bastards is no exception.
Void Bastards Premise
Void Bastards centers around a stranded prison ship that has run out of fuel. The ship’s AI rehydrates the prisoners so that they can salvage fuel and resources from nearby wrecks. The game has a roguelike progression system; when one prisoner dies, a new one is rehydrated to carry on the mission. Each prisoner has unique skills and traits. Their moveset can be further expanded by recovering resources from the field and using them to construct new tools. You can also make use of the environment itself to get an edge on your enemies.
Void Bastards Main Characters
Due to the nature of its roguelike setup, Void Bastards doesn’t have much in the way of main characters. Each mission stars a procedurally generated character with randomized traits. Due to their highly expendable nature, they don’t stick around long enough to have character development or storylines. Really the only proper main character in the game is the ship’s AI. The AI, referred to as B.A.C.S., is in charge of managing the missions and deciding where prisoners go to salvage materials. While it still doesn’t have much in the way of character development or a storyline, it’s the most enduring character in the game.
Void Bastards Cheat Codes
There are no official cheat codes for Void Bastards. Using third party software, however, you can open the developer console. As with many other PC games, the developer console can be used to input commands that bend the rules in a variety of ways. Specifically for this game, you can use the console to shut off turrets, or give prisoners specific traits. However, since the most reliable way to unlock the dev console is by using third-party trainers, it’s an unfortunately risky proposition. Third-party software is famously unreliable and could put your computer at risk of malware. If you’re determined to cheat this game, though, this FearLess Cheat Engine thread will give you a hand. Here are some of the most helpful codes you can use if you manage to get the console working.
- NO_TURRETS: Deactivate turrets.
- ALL_TURRETS: Reactivate turrets.
- Guns: Unlocks all weapons
- Justguns: Unlocks all weapons but without ammo.
- Gas: Grants food and fuel.
- Ghost: Unlocks the ability to fly.
- Meat: Deactivates flight from the ghost code.
- Merits (amount): Grants the specified amount of Merits.
- Hackskill (amount): Sets your hack skill to the specified level.
- God: Turns on God Mode.
- Human: Turns off God Mode.
- USA: Turns on God Mode and unlocks all weapons.
Void Bastards Cheats FAQ
How long does it take to beat Void Bastards? According to the game’s Steam page, Void Bastards can be finished in 12 to 15 hours. This is generally a pretty respectable length for an indie game like this. Of course, since it’s a roguelike, the game has a lot of built in replayability. Every run will feature different ships to explore and different enemies to confront. Every procedurally-generated prisoner offers new traits to build around, and unlocking new weapons and pieces of gear gives you more side goals to work toward.
Is Void Bastards an immersive sim? The immersive sim genre is a rather nebulous categorization centered around an emphasis on player choice. By giving the player heightened control over their surroundings, these games raise the stakes by making every choice count. Void Bastards, in paying homage to games like BioShock, is more than worthy of the immersive sim moniker. Difficult tactical decisions wait around every corner, and it’s important to make careful use of your resources in every fight.
Is Void Bastards endless? This game is not technically endless. The campaign does have a conclusion that you can eventually reach after the aforementioned 15 hours. However, thanks to the procedurally generated nature of the game and its playable prisoners, there is a theoretically infinite amount of content for you to explore. No two runs are the same, but in order to explore this infinite variety, you will likely need to start multiple playthroughs. Void Bastards does not have an endless mode.