Developer Subset Games today released its popular real-time strategy game FTL: Faster Than Light on the iPad, coming roughly a year after the title was released on Mac, PC, and Linux to much acclaim.

The game puts the player in the commanding role of a ship aligned with the Galactic Federation, tasked with getting vital data back to its headquarters. However, rebel ships are persistent in attacking the spacecraft, allowing players to engage in top down combat while maintaining and upgrading their ship with new weapons, crew members, and more.

ftl_faster_than_light1

The award winning PC spaceship simulation game from Subset Games comes to iPad!

Key Features:
- Give orders to your crew, manage ship power distribution and choose weapon targets in the heat of battle.
- Pause the game mid-combat to evaluate your strategy and give orders.
- Upgrade your ship and unlock new ones with the help of seven diverse alien races.
- Hundreds of text based encounters will force you to make tough decisions.
- Each play-through will feature different enemies, events, and results to your decisions. No two play-throughs will be quite the same.
- Permadeath means when you die, there’s no coming back. The constant threat of defeat adds importance and tension to every action.

The iPad version of the game also includes the FTL: Advanced Edition expansion, which offers new ship systems, events, weapons, drones, equipment, enemy types, levels and more in addition to user interface improvements.

Our sister site TouchArcade reviewed the game, regarding the iPad version of FTL as the “definitive version”, crediting the title's touch controls and regarding them as more intuitive compared to a traditional mouse and keyboard control scheme. Overall, the title was noted as the perfect “play while you do something else game” and given a five star rating. The full review is well worth checking out, as is a video walkthrough of FTL which can be seen below.


FTL: Faster Than Light for the iPad is available for $9.99 on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

GulGnu Avatar
152 months ago
This isn't the kind of game you should evaluate using video - it is really excellent imho.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Igantius Avatar
152 months ago
Wasn't this a kick starter game? I heard it disappointed a lot of people because it didn't come with the features that people were pledging for.

Not quite, the developers (two guys, IIRC) were working in the games industry and decided they wanted to work for themselves so they started working FTL, using their savings.

They were almost finished, but needed a bit more cash so went onto Kickstarter – going from memory, but I think this is right – the target was $10K, but people pledged over $200K. They were able to finish the game as planned, but were able to expand it slightly – I think there was a longer soundtrack and they got someone to wrote events for the game and had more than they were planned.

I wasn’t a pledger but I follow a lot of Kickstarter projects and can’t recall anyone being dissatisfied with the finished project. If anything, FTl is a perfect example of someone showing an accurate representation of what they want to do (particularly as the game wasn’t near far from being finished) and delivering on it. From the various gaming forum threads I’ve read and participated on, response has been very positive in the main.

As I say, I didn’t pledge on Kickstarter but when FTL I bought the game straight away (so full price) and will be buying the iPad version without hesitation. Although I only dip into now and then, I thought that it would be perfect with a touch interface and it’s a neat game.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
152 months ago
It's a good game, I tried it and liked it, but didn't buy it - now with this update there's every incentive to fork over 10 bucks. I will buy it finally :)

Oh and for the love of all that is not spyware and stupid DRM, buy this game on GOG.com not Steam.

On GOG.com you get the Mac version as well as the PC version, just like on Steam, but without *any* strings attached. Steam is an unfortunate fact of modern PC/Mac gaming, but always check first on GOG.com for a game. :cool:

http://www.gog.com/game/faster_than_light

Not sure what you have against Steam. It is a wonderful service as far as I'm concerned. I play games with friends and Steam makes this very easy. I also have multiple machines that I game from and Steam syncs my game progress. Plus, during the Steam Summer sale I get mildly aged great games for a song. So, not sure how Steam's DRM is screwing me.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bflowers Avatar
152 months ago
I have this game via Steam. It is a really great, but constantly frustrating game. Expect to die a lot! Don't worry, you will just have fun doing it.

The great part about the desktop version is the healthy modding community. I've played the game in the StarTrek universe, and as a Firefly class ship from Serenity/Firefly.

The soundtrack alone is worth the $9.99, though I think you can actually download it for less via Steam.

----------

I had seen this game on the Mac App Store once and was mildly curious, but I don't really play games on my Mac. Coming to the iPad, that's a different story, so I wanted to watch that video but... boy is it painful. I'm not sure if the game looks really boring or if it's just him.

This game is really good. Try looking up several other people play it on the desktop version. Day 9 is pretty funny to watch, but is horrible at the game.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shenfrey Avatar
152 months ago
Your getting confused with another Kickstarter game Star Command.
Ah that name rings a bell!

Apologies, my mistake.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
amarcus Avatar
152 months ago
Wasn't this a kick starter game? I heard it disappointed a lot of people because it didn't come with the features that people were pledging for.

Your getting confused with another Kickstarter game Star Command.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....