Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova, in keeping with its namesake, is a kid focused take on the Star Trek Universe. Much like the animated series upon which it is based, it provides an accessible entry point for a younger audience into the expansive Star Trek series. Featuring the full voice cast of the show, including Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as a hologram of Katherine Janeway, Supernova feels very much in the same tone as Star Trek Prodigy itself. As a game Supernova nails exactly what it is going for but only rarely goes above and beyond. As a result it harkens back to an age of regular lower budget game tie-ins that while often rough around the edges, carried with them a fair bit of charm.

For those completely unfamiliar with the show. Star Trek Prodigy tells the story of a group of young escaped prisoners, who find freedom on a stolen Federation starship. The ship itself is a Starfleet training vessel where the young crew ultimately are taught the values of Starfleet and the Federation as they attempt to escape their former captors. Supernova itself takes place during the first season of the show so there isn’t too much backstory to catch up on. The story is accessible however a working knowledge of Stark Trek Prodigy will certainly make it more enjoyable. An understanding of the greater Star Trek universe is not needed in the slightest, and only serves to provide light chuckles when characters reference various species passingly in dialogue. Much of this feels more like a madlib with Star Trek names inserted than meaningful dialogue, but where else are you going to find reference to the Xindi outside of Season 3 of Star Trek Enterprise, so I’ll give it a pass.

Supernova is a top-down, level-based, adventure game with a strong focus on combat and puzzle solving. You play as Dal and Gwyn, either by alternating between them or cooperatively in local multiplayer. Levels play out across a series of linear stages on one of three different planets. While the path through each stage is generally straight forward with little need to backtrack, plenty of hidden collectibles and unlockables are strewn throughout. You’ll also collect breakable crystals as you go which can be traded in for upgrades back on the Protostar (your ship). These upgrades are purchased from the other members of your crew, who must be rescued before you’ll have access to their upgrades. Rescued crew members also aid you in combat. After you’ve dealt out enough damage the unique ability of whatever crew member you have assigned to your character will kick in. Combat in general however is probably the weakest aspect of Supernova. The controls often feel clunky, with dashes used for dodging attacks taking a moment too long to register. Enemy unit types are also limited and combat encounters tend to feel repetitive very quickly. Puzzle solving on the other hand stands out as a strength. Many of these deal with manipulating the flow of energy through various conduits, but almost every stage introduces some new mechanic for how you’re able to do this. Later puzzles, though not too baffling, become genuinely expansive and require both characters working in tandem to solve.

Presentation on a whole is reasonably good for what is obviously a limited budget. Despite each planet being used repeatedly, individual levels look somewhat distinct and the underlying art blends fantastically with the style of Star Trek Prodigy. Sound design is a bit less impressive. While the game is fully voiced, dialogue subtitles are often entirely wrong, likely due to actors improvising on the given script. The sound mix by default also places dialogue and sound effects so far above the music that for the first couple stages I didn’t think there was any. I’d recommend leaving music at 10 but turning sound and voices down to about 6.

Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova is a straightforward, easy to understand adventure game that does its job of being approachable for a younger audience. The inclusion of optional cooperative multiplayer locally on a single system earns it some bonus points for being playable with friends, siblings, or parents. Fans of the series will also find plenty to enjoy from familiar characters. While combat can get a little repetitive, the puzzles are genuinely inventive. Ultimately whether a trekkie or not, Supernova provides a reasonably solid experience with fun multiplayer that is approachable for everyone.