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Children of a Dead Earth on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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The most scientifically accurate space warfare simulator ever made. Now with Steam Workshop!
Children of a Dead Earth is a simulation, strategy and space game
developed and published by Q Switched Productions and LLC.
Released on September 23rd 2016 is available in English on Windows and MacOS.
It has received 843 reviews of which 756 were positive and 87 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Children of a Dead Earth into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7+
- Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 1.70 GHz processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
- Storage: 200 MB available space
MacOS
- OS: Mac OS X 10.7+
- Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 1.70 GHz processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
- Storage: 200 MB available space
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Children of a Dead Earth is one of the most technically ambitious space strategy games ever made, and it immediately becomes clear that the game was designed for players who are deeply interested in realistic physics, orbital mechanics, engineering, and hard science fiction. Unlike most space combat games that rely on cinematic explosions, arcade-style dogfights, and simplified systems, this game treats space warfare with near-obsessive realism. Every ship movement, weapon system, heat signature, and orbital maneuver is governed by believable scientific principles. The result is less like a traditional video game and more like a complex military simulation exploring what actual combat in space could realistically look like in the distant future. The setting establishes a bleak vision of humanity after the destruction of Earth. Civilization has spread across the solar system, where isolated factions now compete over resources, territory, and survival. While the narrative itself remains fairly minimal, the atmosphere created by the worldbuilding is extremely effective. Space feels cold, hostile, and militarized, with every conflict carrying a sense of desperation rather than heroism. The game avoids flashy science-fiction fantasy and instead presents a future where technology still obeys harsh physical limitations. This grounded approach gives the entire experience a very distinctive tone compared to more traditional sci-fi strategy games. What truly separates Children of a Dead Earth from nearly every other space combat title is its dedication to realism. Ships are not agile starfighters making impossible turns or firing endless energy weapons without consequence. They are fragile machines built around realistic propulsion systems, fuel limitations, thermal management, and vulnerable internal components. Weapons such as railguns, lasers, missiles, and nuclear devices behave according to believable scientific rules. Lasers generate massive heat, projectiles require predictive calculations over huge distances, and missiles must deal with realistic acceleration and interception problems. Even something as simple as radiator placement or reactor output can determine whether a ship survives battle or destroys itself through overheating. Ship construction becomes one of the most rewarding and intellectually engaging parts of the game. Players can design spacecraft almost entirely from scratch by selecting engines, reactors, radiators, armor thickness, fuel storage, weapons, ammunition types, and support systems. Every design decision has advantages and drawbacks. Heavier armor increases survivability but reduces maneuverability and acceleration. More powerful engines improve tactical flexibility but create enormous heat-management problems. Weapon choices drastically affect engagement ranges and combat doctrine. Designing ships feels closer to aerospace engineering than traditional game customization, and players who enjoy experimentation and optimization will likely become completely absorbed by the possibilities. Combat itself is unlike almost any other strategy game. Battles unfold slowly and methodically, often beginning long before ships are even within visible range of each other. Orbital positioning, intercept calculations, fuel reserves, and detection systems all matter before the first shot is fired. Once combat begins, players must manage weapon firing solutions, acceleration vectors, heat buildup, ammunition conservation, and defensive positioning simultaneously. The game uses a hybrid pause-and-command system that allows players to carefully analyze situations while still maintaining tension during engagements. Victories feel genuinely satisfying because success comes from planning, engineering, and tactical foresight rather than quick reflexes. One of the game’s most fascinating achievements is how effectively it communicates the terrifying reality of realistic space warfare. Ships are incredibly fragile, and a single successful strike can cripple engines, destroy reactors, or kill entire crews instantly. Battles are often decided by detection ranges, maneuver planning, and resource management rather than dramatic exchanges of fire. Heat becomes just as dangerous as enemy weapons because managing thermal buildup is essential for keeping systems operational. The game constantly reinforces the idea that space combat would likely be brutally unforgiving and heavily dependent on physics rather than cinematic heroics. The atmosphere is strengthened further by the audio design and presentation style. Music remains subtle and restrained, creating a cold and isolated mood rather than relying on dramatic orchestral themes. Sound effects are minimal but effective, helping reinforce the sterile and mechanical nature of the setting. The lack of exaggerated spectacle actually works in the game’s favor because it keeps the focus entirely on tension, calculation, and realism. Combined with the scientific approach to gameplay, the atmosphere becomes uniquely immersive for players interested in hard science fiction. However, the same realism that makes the game fascinating also creates its biggest weakness. Children of a Dead Earth has an extremely steep learning curve that can easily overwhelm new players. Understanding orbital mechanics, propulsion systems, thermal control, targeting solutions, and realistic combat strategies requires patience and genuine interest in the science behind the systems. Tutorials exist, but the game still expects players to invest significant time learning its mechanics. Players looking for accessible strategy gameplay or fast-paced action will likely struggle during the early hours. The interface can also feel intimidating and overly technical. Menus are filled with engineering data, numerical readouts, and detailed ship statistics that often resemble professional simulation software more than a traditional game interface. Battles can occasionally become difficult to visually interpret because so much of the complexity happens beneath the surface through calculations and invisible systems. Some players may appreciate this depth, while others may feel disconnected from the action because the simulation prioritizes realism over spectacle. Pacing will also divide players heavily. Combat is slow, deliberate, and heavily focused on preparation. Long stretches of planning and maneuvering are common, which may feel exhausting for players expecting constant action or cinematic battles. The game intentionally sacrifices excitement for authenticity, and that design choice will not appeal to everyone. Despite these flaws, Children of a Dead Earth succeeds because of how completely committed it is to its vision. It refuses to simplify its systems into conventional arcade mechanics and instead delivers one of the most scientifically grounded portrayals of space warfare ever attempted in gaming. Very few games are willing to embrace realism this deeply, and the result is a genuinely unique experience. For players fascinated by hard science fiction, realistic military simulations, and highly technical strategy games, Children of a Dead Earth offers an experience unlike almost anything else available. It is difficult, demanding, and occasionally overwhelming, but beneath the intimidating complexity lies one of the most intellectually rewarding space combat simulations ever created. Rating: 8/10
This game is probably the most accurate simulation of space combat I've ever seen -- orbital maneuvers and delta-v are huge, the weapons make sense, the vulnerabilities do too (you need radiators!)... but I didn't enjoy the game, for UI and gameplay reasons. Watch the game being played before buying -- maybe check YouTube.
Melt your computer with style and watch in horror as your frames drop to 5 seconds per frame and you hear hundreds of damage notifications for your ship you just designed. Fun to meddle around with obscenely large custom ships/components if your PC can handle it. So far the only true Hard-sci game.
This game is absolutely unique. There's quite literally nothing like it that I know of unless you want to rip your hair out modding Kerbal Space Program, and even then you won't be able to dive into module design anywhere near as much as you can in this game. I should first note a few cons, mainly that the AI in general isn't very smart at all at range and the controls for making maneuvers and intercepts in the map view can be quite finnicky and hard to get just right. The combat is also instanced. Because of this there can be times when enemies launch flak missiles at your incoming missile barrage and the ship they came from that's only 25km away won't show up in the instance, for example. I think if a sequel or spiritual successor to this game is ever made, it needs to be much more seamless and have more refined maneuver controls. Additionally I do also disagree with the use of the AI-generated portrait in the store image. I think the plain art with no face and just the title, like the banner you see in your library, looks much better on its own. Much better than all of that though is basically everything related to the actual engineering and direct combat side of this game, including the sandbox mode. It's far from perfect but I have easily spent most of my time in this game designing ships and crazy weapons or missiles and having them just go at each other with the instant action mode. I do also find the lore and setting to be quite cool, even if it's not the most realistic. Even with the limitations and imperfections of the design tools you can do some fun things. Do you want to make 1kg micro-nukes with a 99t yield launched from cannons at 7km/s? One giant ship-sized missile with highly efficient armor that detonates 30Mt of nukes at once and deletes anything nearby and is super hard to destroy? This game lets you. It feels like a lot of the stock modules and ships included are deliberately designed to be subpar to encourage you to make better versions of them. Also if you have photosensitive epilepsy (or just find flashing annoying) and want to play with nukes I HIGHLY recommend you turn off the bloom in the video settings so your whole screen doesn't light up 3 times per second. The music by Nigel Stanford is also something I can't neglect to mention because I feel like it was an absolutely perfect choice for this game's atmosphere and theme of juxtaposing high-energy orbital combat with the slow dancing of celestial motion. The guitar that kicks in during the track "Deep Space Cut" is unforgettable the first time you hear it. I enthusiastically recommend this game to anyone who is interested in hard sci-fi space combat and has a familiarity with orbital mechanics. As of the writing of this review, you're not going to find a game that depicts the chaotic beauty of point defense cannons, turreted lasers and high-velocity railgun broadsides as well as CoaDE does.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Children of a Dead Earth is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
No, Children of a Dead Earth is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
Yes, Children of a Dead Earth received 756 positive votes out of a total of 843 achieving a rating of 8.45.
😎
Children of a Dead Earth was developed and published by Q Switched Productions and LLC.
Yes, Children of a Dead Earth is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Yes, Children of a Dead Earth is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
No, Children of a Dead Earth is not playable on Linux.
Children of a Dead Earth is a single-player game.
No, Children of a Dead Earth does not currently offer any DLC.
Yes, Children of a Dead Earth is fully integrated with Steam Workshop. Visit Steam Workshop.
No, Children of a Dead Earth does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Children of a Dead Earth is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Children of a Dead Earth.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 24 July 2026 17:02 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 21 July 2026 12:15 UTC |
| Steam price | 29 July 2026 02:45 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 28 July 2026 12:02 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Children of a Dead Earth, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Children of a Dead Earth
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Children of a Dead Earth concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Children of a Dead Earth compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
10
Developer
Q Switched Productions, LLC
Publisher
Q Switched Productions, LLC
Release
23 Sep 2016
Platforms