Space Hulk (Classic)
Space Hulk (Classic)
Game
Game2015
Space Hulk: Ascension (Classic)
Developer Full Control Studios
Space Hulk: Ascension (also known as Space Hulk: Ascension Edition) is a turn-based tactics video game developed and published by Full Control. It is set in the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, and is specifically an adaptation of the board game Space Hulk by Games Workshop. It is a follow-up to Full Control's 2013 Space Hulk. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
275 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
145 positive · 38 negative
95% range 73–84%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 145 | 38 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 22 | 1 | 63 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
475 of 655 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
79% recommend · 148 yes, 39 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 187 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (701 of 943 positive).
Players praise this as the best video game adaptation of the Space Hulk board game. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the game slow, difficult, and punishing. [4][5][6] Several players note the game is no longer available for purchase on Steam. [7][2][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
tl; dr - Summary ----- There are better Space Hulk games out there (see just "Space Hulk"). This one has a lot of gameplay flaws that make the game just simply frustrating. ----- There are a handful of Space Hulk games out there. Its an easy concept. Turn based board game with very straight forward mechanics. Easy for a dev team to put together and get their feet wet. Plus 40k...there have to be a number of suckers …
- [1]
Great to see the best version of video game adaptations of Space Hulk is back and still works with the fantastic Cold Corridor Combat Overhaul, the mod needs to applied to a fresh install to work as if you happened to have the game and mod still installed when the Classic version was updated/released then the game with freeze before getting to the menu.
- [2]
Arguably the single best iteration of space hulk in a video game form. The atmosphere is just perfect, and although the content is lacking its still quite fun. Sadly the game is no longer available for purchase, and even if you manage to buy a key like I did (you can still get them pretty cheap as of writing this), you still have no access to the DLC. However, there's an urban legend, a myth if you will. Some say …
- [10]
*Space Hulk: Ascension (Classic)*, developed by Full Control Studios and published by SNEG, is a deliberate and uncompromising turn-based tactics game that leans heavily into the oppressive tone of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Rather than chasing modern accessibility trends, it commits to a slow, methodical style of play that demands patience and careful planning. The result is an experience that feels intensely …
- [3]
The best Space Hulk video game adaptation. Buy a key from g2a and then follow some instructions you'll find in the game forums to unlock all the DLC. Worth playing if you are a fan of TBS or Astartes in general. And don't forget to download the Cold Corridors Combat mod - it makes the experience even better.
Summarised from 26 of the 187 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Space Hulk: Ascension (Classic) sits at 79% positive across 183 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Brett Todd of GameSpot summarized: "Space Hulk: Ascension rises to the challenge by preserving the spirit and most of the mechanics of the original board game, while still expanding on the design to embrace its new home on the PC." Bradly Halestorm of Hardcore Gamer summarized: "Space Hulk: Ascension Edition is the more complete and refined version of 2013's title bearing the same namesake." Sascha Lohmüller of PC Games said: "The Ascension edition of Space Hulk is better than its predecessor in every regard. The tactical gameplay opens up a lot of…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 275 · most liked firstFor the first time in over a year, I have some finished models to show you! 😱 1st edition Space Hulk Blood Angels terminators! Bases are from the Sulaco range by my talented friend @fenrisgames.com, and backdrop as always from the perpetually creative mind of @handiworkgames.bsky.social #Nerdlings
neutral · AI labelView post →The occupational hazard of space hulk cleansing: Genestealer claw to the face! 📺: Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels, Key Game/Krisalis, 1995 (1996 PS1 version, RGB SCART)
neutral · AI labelView post →Last night we played a great homebrew version of PvE Kill Team, that included some Space Hulk style house rules. Black Templars and Imperial Guard were part of a joint boarding party investigating mysterious signals from a freighter, only to uncover a Genestealer infestation!
neutral · AI labelView post →The 20mm “Space Cathedral” is coming along. This will be the centerpiece of a big game of Space Hulk at #kublacon next year. It will represent the bridge of a Battlefleet Gothic ship. 20mm Terminator for scale.
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a decent enough game. The visuals are very nice, game play decent. The dev did a great job creating a dark and scary atmosphere. I enjoyed the game for the two hours I had it. The reason I can't recommend it is as soon as I started the regular campaign I noticed BUY on some space hulks. So now I see. They sell part of the game (with only a few zones) and then you have to buy the rest if you want to keep playing. I wish they kept this type of gaming on mobile platforms.I'll be asking…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Did a 6mm game in a box set for the way of the Buffalo! Thinking about doing a 6mm version of Space Hulk but with Aliens vs Colonial Marines next.
neutral · AI labelView post →At school today we had another Miniature Game day. 12 students joined this time (a record). We played a game based on the old Ultramarines GW intro game. The scenario was from John Lambshead’s Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios📘 The board is a recreation of Space Hulk that I made years ago…
neutral · AI labelView post →tl; dr - Summary ----- There are better Space Hulk games out there (see just "Space Hulk"). This one has a lot of gameplay flaws that make the game just simply frustrating. ----- There are a handful of Space Hulk games out there. Its an easy concept. Turn based board game with very straight forward mechanics. Easy for a dev team to put together and get their feet wet. Plus 40k...there have to be a number of suckers out there that will buy the game just for that (raises hand). The dev…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At #BristolIndependentGaming - more @onepagerules.bsky.social today with a standard game of my Rebel Guerillas vs Dwarves, and a three player Space Hulk themed game with randomised encounters! #Nerdlings #Wargaming
neutral · AI labelView post →White Dwarf 163 (July '93) would give a preview of a new video game, Space Hulk. This was the second 40K video game ever, but the first to be based on a wholly GW produced board game. Many more video games set in the worlds of 40K would follow...
neutral · AI labelView post →Great to see the best version of video game adaptations of Space Hulk is back and still works with the fantastic Cold Corridor Combat Overhaul, the mod needs to applied to a fresh install to work as if you happened to have the game and mod still installed when the Classic version was updated/released then the game with freeze before getting to the menu.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Today’s special bonus edition of #RandomRPGCover is the first edition of the “Aliens”-inspired board game Space Hulk, released in 1989. I loved this game, painted a ton of minis for it, and had the Deathwing and Genestealer expansions too. #warhammer #oldhammer #40k #warhammer40000 #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Insane project of the week: Attempting to play a double solo game of Space Hulk! #spacehulk #warhammer #WH40K #tabletopgaming #oldhammer
neutral · AI labelView post →Mechanicus is a great tactics game with a BALLER soundtrack I haven't gotten to play Deff Skwadron but Shootas Blood and Teef is a real fun sidescrolling shooter, I should revisit it Space Marine 1 and 2 are both great, 2 has a solid community and frequent updates (also PRAISE TZEENTCH) Boltgun is honestly one of the better DOOMclones ive played, up there with Project Warlock (YET MORE PRAISE TO TZEENTCH AS IT SHOULD BE) I feel like im forgetting some (ignoring RTS per OP), will edit if I…
neutral · AI labelView post →Idk when/why/how everyone got into Warhammer, presumably by painting lil guys in lockdown. But for me, this is the entirety of Warhammer's existence right here. 32-bit Space Hulk and the PSP port of that tactics game from RedLynx, the people what made the Trials games.
positive · AI labelView post →The squad speech is neat (and much better than the DOS version of the OG Space Hulk game), and the texture-mapped graphics and meaty audio are great, but I still have more of a fondness for that original game for DOS/Amiga.
neutral · AI labelView post →Space Hulk fan? Get it. Everyone else? I would only recommend if you know what Space Hulk is. A lot of the negative reviews here seem to be people complaining how the game is unfair, tedious, etc. Pretty much people unfamiliar with the game. First off, SH is an assymetric board game. Depending on the side you play, you have some very apparent advantages and disadvantages. Since you will only play as terminators in this: you need to keep sight lines and open distance to the enemy. Close combat…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even on easy, I'm following the exact tutorial directions and losing men on the first map. Maybe it's a good game that I just suck at, I don't know. Doesn't seem to be much build up or strategy. Just Waves of Mutilation. Was hoping for something a bit more like an early FFT, where there's the potential for creative strategy like attacking your own enemy for 1HP so they Auto-Potion. This is worse. There's none of that. This is you optimize your positioning exactly at every step, play the level…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yet another game from my library that I now find is no longer available on Steam. WTF is going on around here? Left and right, good board game adaptations are being pulled off Steam. Some to be replaced with poorly designed trash that serve only as a vehicle for DLCs and micro transactions. Others, like this, just appear to have been yanked "just cus". Fortunate I suppose in that since I already own it, I can still install and play it, for now at least. But sad that I can no longer obtain the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing ~70 hours, I can say that this game made me cry. Failure is a hard word, and no matter how you analyze the Space Hulk: Ascension missions, that is exactly what it was. The War was a personal failure. From its beginnings, through the bloodiest, darkest days and finally to the bitter end. Some may believe that the only lesson that will ever be learned is a personal one. Do you know someone that died in a dark corridors there? Did you have a friend or mates or a member of your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been working on my Space Hulk terrain the past couple of weeks. Just saw a video extolling the virtues of Necromunda, a game I also love... And now I'm pondering a Space Hulk Necromunda mashup, where you play tribes of survivors from the various wrecks in the Hulk, battling for survival...
neutral · AI labelView post →I have these two well loved versions of SPACE HULK board game and this rad PS1 SPACE HULK video game. Sadly I didn't know about Star Quest Space Crusade or Tyranid Attack as they were only released in Europe. I found Warhammer 40K before I got Space Hulk, but found HeroQuest before Warhammer Fantasy
neutral · AI labelView post →Don't often post in-game photos, as I dont often get a chance to play, so as a change, we have 10mm warhammer (Dragon Rampant rules), Space Hulk, Dreadfleet and Heroquest. #Nerdlings
neutral · AI labelView post →Space Hulk: Ascension is a turn based tactics game set in the Warhammer 40K universe. The player must guide squads of Space Marine Terminators through the narrow corridors of ancient derelict spaceships, while engaging in combat against hordes of alien Genestealers. I've played a few Warhammer games on PC but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about 40K lore, so this review will just focus on the quality of the game mechanics. Terminators can equip a few different weapons including storm…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not my first negative review, however this is totally different comparing to others. Those negative reviews are usually reveals some mechanics with issues or reveals the game do not offer the content or style which is advertised., but those games are far what i call really bad. This game IS bad, no matter how I look at perspective. Long review ahead. Prepare yourself before venturing forth. Story This game has no real story. You get some minor briefing before every mission but that's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A slow-paced turn-based strategy game. Space hulk ascension is a game for patient players that encourages the player to act as catious as possible. A lot of missions may involve slowly moving your squad from point A to point B, but the good missions force the player to split the squad up and emphasise careful positioning. Pros: - Very good atmosphere and true to WH40K lore - Watching genestealers die is satisfying - Thoughtful tactical play - Fair amount of content - Decent customisation…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arguably the single best iteration of space hulk in a video game form. The atmosphere is just perfect, and although the content is lacking its still quite fun. Sadly the game is no longer available for purchase, and even if you manage to buy a key like I did (you can still get them pretty cheap as of writing this), you still have no access to the DLC. However, there's an urban legend, a myth if you will. Some say that If you wait untill 3:00 AM, burn incence while listening to DOW1 ost, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So glad this is back, thought this would be lost to time. Shout out to the Cold Corridor Mod for adding extra chapters. Works on steam deck nicely just tone down the graphics settings a bit or turn off shoulder camera, whichever is your preference.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yeah, it's been removed from Steam, but let's do this for posterity. I love Space Hulk... the Board Game. And I love Space Hulk, the video game based on the board game, which was just a digital version of the board game. I do NOT love Space Hulk Ascension. They tried too hard to make something different. First, there's the issue of the map. In classic Space Hulk you could see where you were going and you even had an option to play from a top-down "Aliens-style" perspective. Space Hulk…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first 2 hours in this game: Turn1 - Move a few squares > shoot enemy / set overwatch, repeat for 4 other units. (Enemy Turn - Genestealers got blasted, hey that looks bloody and awesome) Turn2 - (Repeat Turn 1) (Enemy Turn - Genestealers got blasted, oh wow i can keep this going) ......... .......... .......... Turn100 - Close game (Uninstalled) Basically game revolves around you playing super cautiously and punish you heavily with repititve gameplay. I am a fan of xcom and turn based…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't care if this game is an adaptation or nor - there is no power phantasy here. A single genestealer from a tutorial campaign kills your Emperor's Chosen Terminator. WTF is that?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the old game, didn't really have the time or masochistic bent to get into this version. I felt they made it a bit to difficult for casual play for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My dream 40k skirmish game is Space Hulk. Wait, let me explain. It's a Necromunda gang level game set on a Space Hulk. Gangs include Orks, Tyrannids, GS Cults, Chaos Cults and for some reason Chaos Androids. The Gangs need to survive each other and random Space Marine assault parties.
neutral · AI labelView post →Some solo Space Hulk Death Angel on the table tonight. Had this game for 15 years and never actually beaten it. Unfortunately that is not going to change tonight! #boardgames #cardgames #SpaceHulk
neutral · AI labelView post →Space King isn't even a tabletop wargame like 40k. Its more like a Warhammer Quest or boxed game like Space Hulk. That said, I watched the video where they demoed it, and it seems... fun. So good for them.
neutral · AI labelView post →Goated, most certainly, with the sauce. This game is amazing. I have no idea what people were on about with the controls being clumsy or difficult. The game is exceedingly simple to understand and play, and the actual content here offers hundreds of hours of replayability. When I started the game up, I saw about 8 different icons on the in-game map. "Okay", I thought, "the game has 8 missions for me to do right now". Uh.... nope. Those were 8 campaigns for me to play, each with what seems like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Staying with friends up in the north and had a fun game of FFGs Space Hulk Death Angel card game. Slowly but surely I can feel the creative juices returning. Was offered the GW Space Hulk boardgame to paint up and I'm actually a little tempted.
neutral · AI labelView post →I played the board game version of this and loved it. This however...ehhh So i started out playing the normal level and found that it did not go well. I decided to step back and play the evil level so I could get the mechanics and reduce mistakes. Ya, that didnt go well either. I truly believe this is a game that does not understand how percetages work. Missed 75% and 63% shots more often than not. And as you know, every shot counts. So it didnt take too long before my guys were swamped…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dark, slow and clunky. The game looks good and it has an exciting atmosphere, but the gameplay is awkward. What I dislike most is that the marines have extremely limited actions per turn and are often forced to move in line in corridors that allow only 1 person at a time. This makes you shuffle through levels at a very slow pace. Move 2 or 3 steps, go into overwatch mode, repeat. Position a marine at a door or cross section, constantly activate overwatch mode every turn for the rest of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazed to see it back. I had base game bought a long time ago, but didn't get DLCs before they are delisted. And now you are telling me I get them for free? Incredible. And ofc, the game is decent. I enjoyed it a decade ago. Going to replay now.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Post an image of a game you played as a teenager: Talisman was my favorite board game of all time--still is. We played that for days on end. Axis and Allies was our other game. We played so much we knew the opening move for each country Space Hulk was a gateway drug Cribbage.. we loved cribbage
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a good effort and I wish Steam would add the middle ground between recommend or not already. The game has solid mechanics but a ton of issues that just make it not worth the bother. The dice rolls are punishing beyond any reason and the percentage portrayed is just made up. You can miss 6 shots on a 70% hit because the gears behind the code already rolled misses for you that round. If you REALLY like Space Hulk and want a digital format of it this is your game. To anyone that likes turn…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfair, frustrating, an exercise in futility. The difficulty is absurd, and I say that as an XCOM veteran. There is no opportunity to learn, as the perma-death results in your squads being wiped one after another before they can accrue any experience points. This is not a game where you can build up a stable of characters by rotating them in and out in order to replace lost troops like in XCOM, dead Terminators are immediately replaced with level 1 characters regardless of your progress in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Space Hulk: Ascension takes the board game and tweaks the systems a bit, replacing things like weapon jams on dice rolls with an overheat mechanism. Soldiers gain experience, with higher-ranked units having access to a wider variety of skills and weaponry. It's hard to tell for whom this was intended. Space Hulk fans may be put off by the divergence from the standard rule set, while PC gamers accustomed to open XCOM-style maps may find the game's narrow corridors claustrophobic. I felt like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The 40K setting interests me and I've certainly spent quite a few hours reading and listening to quite a bit of the information and lore about the "world" of 40K, but I don't think that purely an interest into 40K is sufficient to get on board with Space Hulk: Ascension. The game feels a bit tedious in its short move-distance per turn, "anal" nature concerning costing action points to face a different direction, and even having to rely on RNG to some extent on your attacks against the enemy.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Explaining to my partner what Genestealer Cults are and now I'm downloading Space Hulk: Deathwatch again... I miss this game.
positive · AI labelView post →The original Space Hulk PC game might still be the most nerve-racking, anxiety-inducing video game ever, and I've discovered you can play it in your browser: classicreload.com/space-hulk.h...
positive · AI labelView post →Welcome back space hulk ascension we have missed you
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an awesome game. You know, if you could buy it. Letting the best Space Hulk game go into the void is so uncalled for. Sell it. Sell it. Sell. It. Don't be ridiculous.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game looks great, but is frustrating to play. Wonky controls that have you moving when you're trying to select another guy are the absolute worst. It does a great job of giving you a spooky searching vibe, but I just cannot get past the unpredictable controls issue. Much of the DLC isn't available any more either, so if you didn't buy it back when it was available, you don't get it now. I give it a meh. Find something that isn't frustrating to play is my recommendation.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not playable on Linux due to graphical glitches obscuring your view.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let's see. Slow, awkward, unreasonably difficult... Yep, it's Space Hulk, alright.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In a word: BORING. I'm an avid warhammer 40k fan. I love the lore, the characters, everything. Even the tabletop games. But honestly, I think you'd have more fun playing the board game than you would this. There's nothing exciting about watching Terminators trudge through hallway after hallway and fighting Genestealers. The b/g music just makes the game all the more underwhelming and just dull. On the plus, the graphics, custom options or units and the EXP/ level up system is cool.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#BGalphabet Space Hulk Death Angel and Stellarion. I wasn't getting through S without some kind of space games. Somehow survived the 40k nonsense then failed at the cute game.
neutral · AI labelView post →I think it's a fun puzzle game. It's nothing too fancy but the terminator view is fun and it's actually a comfort game I come back to every few years or so. If thinking about which corridors you want to cover and watching a terminator shoot an obscene number of bugs sounds fun, it could be worth checking out.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →*Space Hulk: Ascension (Classic)*, developed by Full Control Studios and published by SNEG, is a deliberate and uncompromising turn-based tactics game that leans heavily into the oppressive tone of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Rather than chasing modern accessibility trends, it commits to a slow, methodical style of play that demands patience and careful planning. The result is an experience that feels intensely strategic and immersive, but also one that can test the limits of a player’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Almost perfect, missing steam cloud saves so I can't switch to the deck without manual copying...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game with Classic Returns
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decent board game, though I don't think I'd generally recommend it. The campaign narrative was cool but it would've been better if it were more cinematic and fully voiced. Missions were fun individually but the repetitive gameplay didn't inspire continuous play. Character progression was too slow to be interesting and the environment was a bit darker than necessary.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Space Hulk - Featured in our book - I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002 Covering 180 games, I’m Too Young To Die digs into the making of the first-person shooter classics which defined the genre, including DOOM, Quake, Half-Life, Deus Ex, GoldenEye 007, Metroid Prime, Halo and many more. Reprints are due in May 🔫 Get an email reminder here:…
neutral · AI labelView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
