 Critical response to Starflight upon its release was extremely positive . Hartley and Patricia Lesser complimented the game in their " The Role of Computers " column in the December 1986 issue of Dragon , calling it " stunning in its presentation and play " . In 1986 and 1987 , Computer Gaming World declared it " the best space exploration game in years " and " the best science fiction game available on computer " . The magazine named Starflight its Adventure Game of the Year for 1987 , and in August 1988 , it joined the magazine 's Hall of Fame for games highly rated over time by readers , with the third @-@ highest rating for action / adventure games on the list , and the fourth @-@ highest overall . 
