Strategic planning is key to the game, and players must purchase ships, defense units, power plants, and then allocate limited resources for training or combat.

"[3] In the March 1980 edition of Dragon (Issue 35), William Fawcett enjoyed the ability to choose tactical formations for space fleets, and liked the rules, which he found to be simple enough to digest in 30 minutes.

"[2] In the August 1980 edition of The Space Gamer (Issue 30), Robert G. F. Marrinan gave it a favorable review, saying, "This is one of the most fun games that I've played in a while.

There are several interesting ideas, but the triviality of the movement system and the small choice of scenarios detract from the overall impact [...] I'm not sure that it will be played more than a couple of times.

"[4] In a retrospective review in Issue 7 of Simulacrum, Joe Scoleri commented, "Realistic or not, there's no denying that Double Star offers a good deal of variety within the bounds of the conflict it depicts."

Scoleri concluded, "Although Double Star shares superficial similarities with other sci-fi games, its unique background makes it truly one of a kind.