At the end of 1990, "Video Games & Computer Entertainment" gave "Star Control" the award for "Best Computer Science Fiction Game", noting that "Paul Reiche II and Fred Ford, the two creators, have put together a game that is great either as a full simulation or an action-combat contest". They later highlighted the game in a list of science fiction releases, proclaiming "Reiche and Ford's action-strategy tour de force is one of the most absorbing and challenging science fiction games of all-time."