FTL: Faster Than Light is a single-player strategy game with roguelike design. The player commands a spaceship from a top-down view, managing systems such as weapons, engines, shields, and life support while recruiting crew and upgrading the vessel. The ship travels across procedurally generated sectors, jumping between beacons that present random events, stores, and enemy encounters. Combat plays out in real time with the option to pause and issue orders. Losing the ship or its crew ends the run and requires starting over, giving each playthrough a different layout and set of challenges.