39 Days to Mars

39 Days to Mars is serviceable, but there isn’t a ton of substance here. Most of the ingenuity and overall appeal can be found in the charming art style and some of the creative cooperative puzzles interwoven nicely into the gameplay.

Starting at $13.39Buy now

Get on Steam

"39 Days to Mars" is a co-operative puzzle-adventure game where players take on the roles of Victorian-era explorers on a journey to Mars. The game features a variety of charming brainteasers and mini-games that require communication and teamwork to overcome. With a whimsical art style and quirky humor, "39 Days to Mars" is a delightful and challenging experience for players looking for a unique and collaborative adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 197 reviews

humor33 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a charming hand-drawn art style and lighthearted dialogue that creates an engaging atmosphere.
Cooperative gameplay is fun and requires teamwork, making it a great choice for playing with a partner or friend.
The humor and quirky story add to the overall enjoyment, making it a delightful experience for players.

The game is very short, typically taking around 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, which some players feel is not worth the price.
Many puzzles can feel tedious and repetitive, particularly the mini-games involving making tea and scones, which can detract from the overall experience.
Controls can be awkward and frustrating, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience, especially in cooperative mode.

humor
33 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky charm, witty dialogue, and engaging storytelling, making it a delightful experience for cooperative play. Many players found themselves laughing throughout, particularly enjoying the British steampunk atmosphere and self-referential jokes. However, some critiques mention that certain repetitive elements, like mini-games, can detract from the overall comedic experience, and the humor may feel overly simplistic or tiresome at times.
- “This game is a delightful puzzle adventure that thrives on its cooperative gameplay and quirky humor.”
- “Fantastic couch co-op game, my girlfriend and I were laughing uncontrollably while playing it.”
- “This game accomplished that with an unexpected amount of charm, wit, and humor.”
gameplay
29 mentions
45 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its charming cooperative puzzles and quirky humor, making for an engaging experience despite its relatively short length. While the mechanics are mostly simple and fun, some players found certain repetitive tasks detracted from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is praised for its delightful design and creativity, though some felt it could benefit from more content for the price.
- “This game is a delightful puzzle adventure that thrives on its cooperative gameplay and quirky humor.”
- “The puzzles were engaging and fun, mostly simple, and the game mechanic of basically being really clumsy hands was a good time.”
- “The humor and gameplay were excellent, and the style was witty and clever.”
- “The gameplay isn't very challenging, but I feel it's more about the story and its humor.”
- “It's $10 for ~2 hours of not the best co-op gameplay.”
- “What really kills this game is that, in an effort to pad out the gameplay, you have to perform the 'make tea' or 'make scones' challenge repeatedly.”
story
24 mentions
58 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its humor, charm, and quirky elements, contributing to an enjoyable cooperative adventure. While the narrative is engaging and complemented by interesting puzzles and a unique art style, some players noted that the overall experience is quite short. Despite minor criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the emphasis on storytelling and character interactions stands out positively.
- “"39 Days to Mars" is an insanely well-built game with love to detail, interesting puzzles, and a great story.”
- “The gameplay isn't very challenging, but I feel it's more about the story and its humor.”
- “We absolutely loved the cooperative adventure and entirely charming characters/storyline, but found it to be very short indeed.”
- “There aren't enough games like this, cooperative puzzle with a story.”
graphics
23 mentions
61 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a charming hand-drawn art style that enhances its lighthearted atmosphere, complemented by excellent voice acting and music. While the graphics are consistently praised for their beauty and creativity, some players noted that gameplay elements, such as gardening mechanics, detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a recommended choice for fans of aesthetically pleasing designs.
- “The game’s hand-drawn art style and lighthearted dialogue create a charming atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “Neat concept and amazing art style, as well as a cute story.”
- “The game has a great atmosphere due to the unity of the art style, the music, and the dialogues.”
music
14 mentions
71 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, complementing the beautiful hand-drawn graphics and engaging voice acting. Reviewers appreciate the great soundtrack, noting that it contributes significantly to the game's charm and experience, particularly during key moments. Despite some concerns about the game's price, many feel the exceptional music and artistic cohesion justify the cost.
- “The game has a great atmosphere due to the unity of the art style, the music, and the dialogues.”
- “Great voice acting and music!”
- “Not only are the art, music, and writing just wonderful - the game itself, with a lovely combination of logic and mild physics puzzles, is an excellent way to spend a session with a friend or partner.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a charming atmosphere enhanced by its hand-drawn art style, lighthearted dialogue, and cohesive music, creating an immersive experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique blend of humor and a British steampunk aesthetic, though opinions on the latter vary. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently praised for its engaging and inviting qualities.
- “The game’s hand-drawn art style and lighthearted dialogue create a charming atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The game has a great atmosphere due to the unity of the art style, the music, and the dialogues.”
- “Immersive atmosphere.”
replayability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to short playtime and obscure puzzle design, others appreciate the varied paths and couch co-op features that enhance replay value.
- “Designed for couch co-op, it doesn't penalize you for being a misanthrope like myself and offers a good amount of replay value with varied paths to take.”
- “Great visual design, simple but interesting puzzles, great sense of humor, multiple paths to go down, offering high replay value.”
- “Finished in perhaps 2 hours, and doesn't seemingly have much replay value.”
- “Fairly short and not replayable.”
- “Puzzle design relied too much on 'difficulty through obscurity.' I can't imagine there's much replay value here.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is often perceived as tedious and frustrating, with players feeling that many tasks lack clarity and are more about repetitive work than engaging puzzles. This has led to a sense of dissatisfaction, particularly when attempting to progress through the game.
- “Bought this to play with my wife, but she says 'someone needs to tell them these aren't puzzles, it's just tedious work.' So we didn't make it out of the house.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Some of the puzzles are decent enough, some are incredibly tedious, and others are so vague that we ended up just brute forcing our way around them as there was zero explanation to point us towards what we should even be doing.”