Drawing inspiration from animated comedies like Rick & Morty and Futurama, Space Control is an absurd adult-oriented job simulator that will make some players laugh, and others cringe.
As part of Steam’s Next Fest, MoonMonster Studios has released a brief playable demo of their upcoming comedic job simulator, Space Control. The thirty-minute demo offers an early glimpse at a game that I found to be equal parts charming workplace parody and infantile shock comedy.
The demo opens with a short setup exposited by a corporate onboarding video delivered with impressive voice acting. You play as a human from Earth who’s been abducted by Glorpo Incorporated, an intergalactic megacorporation, to work off a debt that "you" owe the company. The only problem is that you don’t owe the company anything. They’ve abducted you accidentally, in place of the actual debtor. But since Glorpo “doesn’t do returns,” you’re pressed to work anyway.
Space Control intro captured by UploadVR
Unfortunately, in this early build, the gameplay is not totally polished. There’s a feature in the game called “Force Grab” which allows you to pull distant objects toward you. This feature is in fact critical in the first two minutes of the game, since you’re trapped and must grab a heat gun to thaw your way out of cryo-sleep. I spent about ten minutes in my first playthrough simply trying to get this feature to work. I eventually managed to make it happen, but not in the way the developers intend.
For reference, I played this demo on a Quest 3S using Steam Link (the demo is only available on Steam for now, though the game will release on Quest alongside its PC VR release). I suspect the final game will not include these control issues.
After escaping your cryo-pod, you spend the next several minutes in your living quarters. Wandering around and picking up objects in these first moments is fun and silly. There are sentient dry-erase markers with distinct personalities (one screams in pain when using it to draw, while another seems to enjoy being used a little too much). There’s a Polaroid-style camera that incongruously ejects the same picture every time you use it (a photo of the space station’s supervisor stamped with the text “Back To Work”). There’s space goo to toss around, a rubber alien chicken to squeeze, fidget spinners, books with stupid titles, and so much more. The environment is simply brimming with distraction, a fun thing in VR.
Next, you’re introduced to a colorful cast of silly coworkers, each with exaggerated personalities. The tone in these first five minutes is instantly reminiscent of vintage Futurama (which I love). Your new friends are an offbeat, ragtag group of misfits dumped into the same metaphorical sinking ship. The characters’ designs are expressive and fun, their dialogue is snappy and delivered perfectly by their voice actors, and the space station environment brims with small gags and visual jokes.
Space Control VR gameplay captured by UploadVR
At this point in the demo, I’m feeling great. Despite the technical speedbumps, we’re moving along and having fun, and I can see myself really bonding with my hapless crewmates. If the gameplay continues to build on the silliness and mechanical interest of the starting area, I think Space Control could be something special.
By the end of my time with the demo, I’m not so sure.
The early charm of the characters and presentation are quickly outbalanced by the game’s insistence on infantile humor. While I’m by no means a prude, and while I enjoy the stupidity of the cartoons from which this game takes inspiration, Space Control is far more interested in shock humor than actual wittiness.
For example, there’s a whole game mechanic that involves shoving various butt-plugs into abductees’ butts. While a fifteen-year-old version of myself might have found this and many more of the game’s intended punchlines funny (maybe), my adult self spent more time cringing and wishing the writers had done something (anything) else.
I accept that not all types of humor are made for me. What I find annoying might make someone else howl, and I love that. If you find posters of hairy privates and butt plugs to be funny, you’re gonna love this game. For me, most of the humor is a miss.
Which is a real shame, because the gameplay is great. The job simulator portion of the demo has us manning a handful of command stations, each more ridiculous than the last.
We must abduct new debtors and process them into the workforce. This involves stripping their clothes, taking care of any of their health needs, ensuring they look the part of the respectable worker, and sending them on their way.
The mechanics of this process are well-crafted, with all our tools and devices (yes, even the butt plugs) reacting well in VR. The tools that we use are silly, fun to use, and inventive, and the fully voice-acted abductees are highly varied and do their best to say stupid, fun, or funny things. Our coworkers are there as well, helping us in their own way, and throughout the process we’re learning more about them and the overarching story of Space Control.
Comfort
Space Control offers sitting, standing, and roomscale modes. The game has a vignette effect for turning. It also uses hand tracking and controllers.
Space Control's job simulator gameplay captured by UploadVR
It all comes together pretty well, in the end. But the biggest challenge for Space Control’s developers will likely center on the game’s tonal target.
The humor often feels too infantile, yet the language and themes clearly aim for an adult audience. Characters casually swear, and the script isn’t shy about using the most explicit language. As a parent, I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting my 11-year-old play it, but I could imagine Space Control being perfect for her if only they had cut the language and eliminated the overtly sexual jokes.
That said, I’m 42-years-old. I can imagine teens (whose parents aren’t such helicopters as me) gasping between laughs at the game’s absurd props and crude punchlines. Comedy is subjective, and jokes that make me cringe might be exactly what another player hopes for in a VR comedy game.
The demo ends abruptly enough that it feels more like a teaser than a vertical slice. As the screen fades out, I get the feeling that the real comedic escalation and narrative momentum lie beyond the cutoff point.
Based on this brief preview, Space Control shows genuine promise. Its interactive design is strong and its environments are lovingly crafted and richly detailed. Its cast has potential to become genuinely endearing over time. The biggest question mark, for me, is tonal balance. If the rest of the game leans closer to the clever absurdity of its premise and less into blunt, smack-you-in-the-face shock humor, the game will appeal to a massive audience (me included). If not, there’s still a lot to love, especially for fans of dumb comedy.
MoonMonster Studios plans to bring Space Control to Meta Quest and PC VR this April. You can wishlist the game at those storefronts, and sample the demo now as part of Steam Next Fest.
