Defend That Game: Round 1 - FTL

...it was $5 this past weekend. You could've gotten it and found out for yourself.

Really, I see no reason to attempt to answer the question when others have already done it so well, but I will point you to others answering the question so well:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/12/01/magnificent-and-important-advent-calendar-day-one/

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/23/games-are-best-when-things-go-wrong/

Simple to play, addictive, challenging, and each playthrough is unique.
The unlockable achievements encourage multiple playthroughs.
Also the fact that each game is quite short but due to the nature of the gameplay it feels like you have a lot to lose since it is quite difficult to complete.

I haven't played it but it seems that its strong following is mostly people who were present at the beginning of gaming. This game has the "ability" for you to lose permanently, which you definitely don't see much anymore. It's a niche product, but one that seems to be a solid game as well rather than only selling its semi-unique feature

I know for me, I enjoyed it, (I've logged like 18 hours on it so far) but I felt like there could be a lot more added (more crew customization, more gameplay modes, etc)
There are mods, and it is a new game, so who knows, maybe those features will be added!

I have played over 60 hours of the game. It could be said that I have enjoyed it, but it is hard to explain exactly why.
Part of the reason why I have played it as much as I have is the random elements to the game(two players are unlikely to have the exact same game).
Telling the story of your crew to someone else familiar with the game adds to the enjoyment of it. The sense of community this creates is possibly the reason for the following.
The challenge in the game makes overcoming the odds all that much more enjoyable. It is an easy game to lose, but a tricky one to win. I've had games where I lost after the first jump and ones where everything seemed to be going perfectly smoothly only to suddenly get demolished.
The replay value of trying to fulfill the unlock requirements for the additional ships is another reason I think I've played this a lot. Many of the ships require a very specific sequence of randomized events to take place and it will likely take some time to accomplish what is required.
The rogue-like nature of the game creates a real sense of urgency a permanence to many of the events and it makes losing a member of the crew all that more important.

I am pretty sure this has devolved into a wall of text and I'll avoid sinking into story mode to save space, but FTL is a game that is well worth its price and I'm glad to have played it.

Aliens

No idea, lol.

The game is not entirely luck-based. On my first playthrough, I got to the final boss. Just don't make stupid decisions.

(Hint: Dont attack the giant alien spiders.)

I can't wait for round 2.

Too many things I don't like about it after finishing it a few times to buy it for my own account. ...Did I lose the thread?

I suppose it comes down to whether you like roguelikes or not, as many have said in this thread. Try and blast your way through it and you will die. It requires thought, planning, the weighing of risk vs reward, and resource management, all in a game that could end in 5 minutes, but may last over an hour... not sure haven't made it to the end yet :) And replayability is great, with not only a randomized universe on every playthrough, but the different choice of ships to play it with (as you unlock them) each with their own strengths and weaknesses. And remember, if you end up getting it, it was intentionally made to be hard to beat. :)

Because its a very hard, strategic game. The game will punish you for every small mistake you made. And by punish I really mean punish. That makes this game so hard to master, but if you finally master the game, you will be rewarded by the epic felling of awesomeness.

Why is it that people keep playing this game? Because it's addicting to want to reach the end, and each playthrough is short enough that you don't get bored going through them over and over, especially because there are so many random events and unlockables. It's difficult enough that you don't find yourself plowing your way through, and yet it's not so difficult you feel that it's impossible to beat. You just really want to get to the end, over and over. I don't know if I explained myself well, because it's kind of hard to describe why I want to reach the end other than saying, I really wanna reach the end. I just find it... simply fun.

its quite randomized, and you have to struggle to survive. there are lots of possibilities and its done well

I see this game like an episode of Star Trek. There's no telling what will happen. Every encounter could be turned into it's own little episode. No Star Trek title has ever done so well to reach this level of space adventure, and your connection with the crew.

There are not many games like it to begin with. Also the randomness makes it entertaining to replay without letting luck be all that matters. Easy to learn, hard to master. All in all I had fun playing it and that's all the reason I need to like a game.

moria/rogue inspired.