title image

FTL: Faster Than Light

Simulation

Ratings

Age

9+

Category

Simulation

Languages

English

FTL allows you to take your ship and crew on an adventure through a randomly generated galaxy. Give orders to your crew, manage ship power distribution, and choose weapon targets in the heat of battle. This 'spaceship simulation roguelike-like' features deep strategic systems, permadeath, and hundreds of text-based encounters that force you to make tough decisions. No two play-throughs are ever the same.

Dinsun Expert Review

Our Expert Score

98/100

FTL: Faster Than Light on iPad is quite possibly the best port of a PC game I have ever played. The interface feels natural on a tablet, with the tap-and-drag controls making ship management and crew positioning feel even more tactile than they did with a mouse. FTL is a game of brutal decisions and systemic mastery. You are in a race against an overwhelming fleet, and every jump to a new sector could be your last.

The genius of FTL lies in its complexity. You aren't just firing weapons; you're managing oxygen levels, repairing hull breaches, and choosing whether to save a burning ship or salvage it for scrap. The 'Advanced Edition' content, included for free, adds a staggering amount of depth with new races and subsystems. It is a game designed for permadeath, where failure isn't just common—it's part of the narrative. Every run tells a story of triumph or tragic defeat, making it one of the most replayable games on the App Store.

Dinsun reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026

Features

1

Permadeath gameplay with high stakes

2

Advanced Edition expansion included

3

Strategic ship and crew management

4

Unlockable ships and alien races

5

Randomly generated galaxy encounters

Tips & Walkthrough

Gameplays

Screenshot

screenshot 0screenshot 1screenshot 2screenshot 3

Q&A

Yes, it includes the full FTL: Advanced Edition content with new ships, weapons, and systems.

Ratings & Reviews

Invalid Date

Fun but frustratingly difficult
Wed May 24 2017 Ryanator2011

This is an excellent spaceship sim but too much relies on luck not skill. While randomness is part of its charm, all it takes is a a couple of bad events to seriously hinder your game, even if you're doing well. Make a bad roll on an encounter and a crew member could die or your hull takes several hits of damage. Couple unlucky missile hits and your oxygen is now seriously running low or a couple rooms are on fire. Having skill can help you somewhat in anticipating these events and prepare accordingly but there's only so much you can do with the resources available. Took me about a week before I could finally beat all three stages of the boss on easy. Another weakness is that for the entire game you have to gear according to what you need on the final encounter. What might be working for you now won't necessarily allow you to win the game. After I beat this boss and after several more failed attempts in other ships, I've no longer have much motivation to play and put all with all this frustration. Easy mode should be that easy. I think the only difference in modes is how. I have resources you get each encounter. I'd really hate to put up with this game on harder levels. No longer fun for me and I'm quitting.

Fantastic Strategy Game, just one complaint...
Sun Apr 15 2018 Spaceman194

Let me first say this... I love FTL. I’m not one to like real-time strategy games, but this is a MAJOR exception for me, as Subset Games did a phenomenal job developing this game. While the difficulty and perma-death system can be vexing at times, there is one thing that must be fixed to make the experience better than it is now... The final boss. In one play-though I experienced, where I was close to defeating the Rebel Flagship. In this case, I was at low hull integrity, the Flagship was at a similar state of disrepair, and there was a system that could repair some of my damage. Naturally, I decided to take that opportunity to better insure my victory. Unfortunately, when I went back to finish off the Flagship, IT was back to full health, and I was annihilated within a few minutes. Simply put, have a system put in so enemy ships maintain the damage you inflicted on them as it could make the game slightly easier, but not so easy that it would take away from the game’s experience.

I’m leaning towards “Meh”....
Mon Nov 20 2017 Flea Hunter

I only have a couple hours on this game but it’s already starting to grate on me. As others have said, it’s mostly about luck. The graphics look good. The premise is decent and I like the layout and interface. The tutorial is helpful enough. What this game really needs is a save feature since all it takes is one bad encounter and your work goes up in flames, with starting from scratch (or deleting the thing) as your only option. Most games I make it a few turns before I’m done. Some have gone bad on the first stop. A couple were actually starting to look hopeful with added weapons, extra crew, and buffed equipment, but again one bad run in and “poof”, gone. It’s pretty frustrating to get boarded and watch helplessly as your systems and 6 person crew are decimated room by room with absolutely nothing you can do about it. With the gameplay of this thing starting to look like all stick, no carrot, and lottery odds to beat a level, I suspect my interest here will be short lived. That’s not being a “wuss”. Some people just prefer games that require actual eye/hand coordination and real problem solving skills over something that caters to mindless tenacity.

Difficult, and highly rewarding strategy
Fri Apr 20 2018 Jvfcbgcndvb

For anyone who loves RTS games, this will be a unique RTS. For those who can’t do strategy, you will lose over and over until you understand it. Most of the time if you die, it is your fault. To date I haven’t beaten the boss but I have had more fun losing than I have had winning in other games. Those who complain about the high difficulty either need to practice or they need to stop complaining, the game is fair, you do the same damage with the same weapon that your enemy has and that doesn’t change, the difficulty level changes the boss a little and the scrap levels. Some deaths are caused by the random nature of this game, but most are due to player error with weapon timing, being unable to prioritize upgrades, or being unable to multitask. The music is fantastic, couldn’t find a better place to put that so it is here. Overall I would highly recommend this game with a warning that you will lose.

Easier to learn, hard to master
Tue Nov 22 2022 IronUkulele

I bought this game when I was a kid, having saved up some money from lawn mowing. I recently noticed it was on the app store and decided to pick it up. It is the perfect game to play in between classes or when taking a break from work. Don’t be fooled however. This game can be relaxing but it is far from easy. Once you start to unlock other ships you realize there are so many different play styles. You will have to learn the ins and outs if you want to come close to beating the final boss. My tips: - Make getting a second shield your first priority - Don’t rely too much on missiles, use them to take out key systems before finishing them off with other weapons - Target the enemy’s weapons first. Take out their shields if you cannot get through them, target their pilot if they keep dodging - Manage your power well! Do not keep your medbay powered unless you need to heal, and you can de-power your oxygen if you need a quick boost - Shields and engine are priority upgrades. If you have the extra scrap, level up doors, oxygen, and pilot so you have a damage buffer - Your main objective is to avoid damage. Scraps you spend on repair could have been better spent on upgrades One of my favorite games from my childhood. Still holds up, and there is nothing like the feeling you get when you finally beat if for the first time.

Amazingly amazing
Sun Feb 23 2020 Burrhead2

FTL is ALMOST perfect, despite the high price tag. It can get pretty hard, and get a few bad jumps in a row and you're over. And on rare occasion, the randomized events can have harsh language. Since the game is rather short, the difficulty pacing is pretty quick. If you laze on upgrading you’ll be starting all over pretty soon. The graphics are great, and so are the battles. There are no bosses other than the final boss. There are some side quests, adding some variety. The AI is fairly smart-but it’s only for the crew of enemy ships (and drones). One complaint though-there have been times I’ve been flying through a Mantis sectors and have encountered an event which spawns hostile Mantis in my ship. Of course, the enemy ship that came with the event was also Mantis, and they had a Teleport Room, which means the Mantis on the ship would teleport over to mine (the Mantis that spawned on my ship weren't crew of the other, meaning the couldn’t be teleported; also, ship layouts and rooms are randomized) As for bad things, (other than the rather harsh language) there isn’t much. When a ship explodes, it just shows a top view of it while it explodes. The death animations aren’t gore-y. Fighting isn’t bad at all. Fires are just fires, and crew can’t get visually burnt (but they do loose health-that’s it). All in all, it’s worth a download. Unless you have an ultra-sensitive phobia to deal with.

Difficult... Until you get the hang of it
Wed Jan 10 2018 Suntan50

FTL is a roguelite. It requires a good understanding of micromanagement and tactics to win consistently. Losing a single battle, or even just taking a lot of damage usually means losing the run. On easy, this is circumvented a bit. You can afford to tank beatings once in awhile. Unlike most other roguelites (and some other reviews on here), it is USUALLY possible to go through the game with almost any combination of things and win consistently. Yeah every once in a while you're handed 3 beams and a single laser to take on the world, but even then if you have Advanced Edition content on, you can just grab hacking and shut off enemy shields so your beams can cut their ship to pieces... or you could board their ship. My point is that a lot of these complaints about difficulty are kinda unwarranted if you consider the genre. Roguelites and Roguelikes are often characterized by their difficulty... and this game isn't that difficult for roguelite standards. Easy mode for me, for example, is the automatic win difficulty. Hell I've beaten the game on easy with 3 ion weapons and a fire beam, because shutting off their medbay so they can't stop the fire is stock and trade. Also start with advanced edition on. It makes the game harder, but more exploitable. In addition, you don't have to learn a new way to play after getting used to not having it.

Is this the greatest strategy game of all time?
Sun Sep 22 2024 MrTTop

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!

Some Youtube Videos found!

News found!

Acclaimed strategy game Into the Breach comes to mobile via NetflixAcclaimed strategy game Into the Breach comes to mobile via Netflix

Into the Breach, the sci-fi turn-based strategy game from the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light, will be available on iOS and Android as part of a Netflix...

The Verge Thu Jun 23 2022

FTL: Faster Than Light is Free on Epic Games StoreFTL: Faster Than Light is Free on Epic Games Store

Subset Games' FTL: Faster Than Light is currently free on the Epic Games Store until 9 AM PST today. All you need to do is have an Epic Games account, login...

GamingBolt Thu Jan 23 2020

FTL: Faster Than Light hits iPadFTL: Faster Than Light hits iPad

Advanced Edition and iPad version in double whammy announcement from Subset Games.

Gamereactor UK Sun Jun 23 2019

FunBITS: FTL: Faster Than Light Moves to iPadFunBITS: FTL: Faster Than Light Moves to iPad

The developer, Subset Games, has now released both, with FTL for iPad available for $9.99 in the App Store, and Advanced Edition also available as a free...

TidBITS Wed Apr 23 2014

Not Merely Dead, Most Sincerely Dead (Published 2014)Not Merely Dead, Most Sincerely Dead (Published 2014)

The video game FTL: Faster Than Light explores the newish frontier of permadeath.

The New York Times Wed Apr 23 2014

FTL: Faster Than Light's free expansion and iPad port both coming April 3FTL: Faster Than Light's free expansion and iPad port both coming April 3

The iPad port of FTL: Faster Than Light and the game's free expansion, FTL: Advanced Edition, will both be available April 3,...

Polygon Wed Apr 23 2014

‘FTL: Faster Than Light’ for iPad Review – Easily The Best Way to Play ‘FTL’‘FTL: Faster Than Light’ for iPad Review – Easily The Best Way to Play ‘FTL’

FTL is a game of putting out both literal and figurative fires, avoiding the rebels, and seeing how far you can go.

TouchArcade Wed Apr 23 2014

The Indie Challenge: FTL: Faster Than Light - Week 2The Indie Challenge: FTL: Faster Than Light - Week 2

I'm not the sort person who is fond of Indie games. I like my big name titles, my polished graphics and my big budgets.

GameGrin Sun Jun 23 2013

You may also like