From Dust

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,879 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
From Dust Game Cover
Although sometimes frustrating, From Dust's take on the god genre with a series of objective-driven levels and fast paced challenge maps is an interesting twist on an old favourite.
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"From Dust" is a strategy game with a unique art style that allows players to control the environment and weather, helping a primitive tribe survive in a dynamic, ever-changing world. The game features a story mode with 13 diverse territories, each with its own emergent gameplay. Utilizing ground-breaking technology, players will experience a constantly renewed environment, where they must master the elements to ensure their tribe's survival.

  • PC
  • Web Browser
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,879 reviews
gameplay109 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • Unique and engaging gameplay mechanics that allow players to manipulate the environment creatively.
  • Beautiful graphics and impressive fluid dynamics that enhance the overall experience.
  • Fun and challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking to protect the tribe from natural disasters.
  • Mandatory Uplay DRM that complicates access and can lead to crashes, making the game unplayable for some users.
  • Short campaign length with limited replay value, leaving players wanting more content.
  • Clunky controls and poor AI pathfinding that can frustrate players during gameplay.
  • gameplay258 mentions

    The gameplay of "From Dust" is characterized by its unique god-game mechanics that allow players to manipulate the environment using elements like water, lava, and earth, creating engaging and visually stunning interactions. While the game offers interesting puzzles and a straightforward learning curve, many players report issues with technical glitches, clunky controls, and a repetitive gameplay loop that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the innovative mechanics and beautiful graphics make it a noteworthy title for fans of the genre, though some may find it lacking in depth and replayability.

    • “The game's impressive simulation technology, stunning visuals, and engaging gameplay make it a must-play for fans of the genre and gamers looking for something new and different.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to learn as the game guides you and teaches you the skills you'll need for later levels, which are a bit more challenging.”
    • “From Dust delivers excellent gameplay that's easy to learn yet amazingly addictive, making it one of the best simulators out there.”
    • “Unfortunately, the control scheme is awful and as much of a challenge as the gameplay itself.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly repetitive, and you don't really interact with the villagers, outside of begging them to walk somewhere, and they don't really interact with you other than to yell at you every single time they see a drop of water.”
    • “An awesome concept crippled by poor mechanics, rough difficulty, technical issues, and a premature release.”
  • story188 mentions

    The story in "From Dust" revolves around guiding an ancient tribe through survival challenges with the help of a godlike entity, but it is often criticized for being simplistic and lacking depth. While some players appreciate the unique cultural elements and the atmospheric storytelling, many find the narrative to be minimal, with a focus on puzzle-solving rather than character development or a compelling plot. Overall, the game offers a short campaign with limited story engagement, leaving players wanting more in terms of narrative richness and variety.

    • “The story follows what seem to be the last few members of a tribe that has summoned you, a somewhat godlike entity called the 'breath' that has the ability to influence the land in order to help them on their journey.”
    • “Tasked with guiding a primitive tribe on a quest for answers about their past, you are given control of the environment, picking up dirt, water, and lava, to clear paths or build them, while fighting off nature itself.”
    • “The story itself shows that the developers did their research, keeping things simple while showcasing the characters' cultural development.”
    • “The story is nothing special.”
    • “There really isn't a story, just a narrator during short cutscenes.”
    • “The story itself is about 8 hours total of extremely repetitious gameplay that at first is fun, but it eventually becomes goddamnit this is annoying.”
  • graphics156 mentions

    The graphics of "From Dust" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant art style, which effectively convey a god-game aesthetic through detailed environments and impressive elemental effects. While many players appreciate the game's beautiful graphics and unique physics simulation, some criticize the lack of customization options and performance issues, particularly on modern systems. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a highlight, even if they show signs of aging and are hampered by technical limitations.

    • “The game's visuals are stunning, with detailed environments and beautiful particle effects that add to the game's sense of immersion.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, as are the effects.”
    • “The beautiful graphics and physics hold up today against more modern games.”
    • “The game looks terrible on PC... very limited graphics options and a 30fps cap.”
    • “If the Uplay DRM wasn't enough, the 30fps cap and no graphics options will make your eyes bleed.”
    • “From Dust lacks any sort of graphics customization, only giving you the option of changing your resolution.”
  • replayability41 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag among reviewers. While some appreciate the challenge maps and sandbox mode that enhance replay value, many criticize the short campaign and limited content, leading to a consensus that replayability is generally low. Players suggest that while the game can be entertaining for a brief period, it lacks substantial incentives for repeated playthroughs.

    • “While the game's campaign can be completed in a few hours, the inclusion of challenge maps and a sandbox mode add to the game's replay value.”
    • “Yes, the game is kind of short, but it is very replayable because it is not all about winning but doing wacky stuff with your godly powers.”
    • “The main story has thirteen levels with an ending that fits; this seeming brevity is more than made up for by replay value and the challenge mode's sheer variety of levels.”
    • “But very, very short with lacking replay value.”
    • “It's fun, it looks nice and sounds good, but it has no replay value.”
    • “A good game idea with zero replay value and plenty of annoyances.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, featuring a blend of tribal chants and ambient sounds that enhance the mystical experience. While many reviewers appreciate the unique sound design and uplifting soundtrack, some note issues with abrupt transitions and repetitive elements. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's enchanting environment, despite a few criticisms regarding its execution.

    • “Background music: atmospheric and thematic, enhancing the mystical and primal feel of the game.”
    • “The game's music and sound design are also excellent, with a range of ambient sounds and tribal chants that create a unique and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Not only that, the game is a work of art, comprising beautifully executed music, masterful narrative, and astonishing visuals, all capable of arousing a sense of longing, of belonging to that ancient past.”
    • “One of the two things that really irked me was how abruptly the music cuts off at the ends of cinematics.”
    • “There's no fade out, no transition, just a hard cut mid-phrase, and it's really startling (especially since it's the only non-diegetic music in the game).”
    • “On the downside, the levels load before the dramatic entry music finishes, creating a jarring moment where it should have been a nice fanfare entry.”
  • atmosphere25 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring sparse yet effective voice acting, rich ambient sounds, and thematic background music that enhances its mystical and tribal feel. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and sound design, creating a captivating environment that draws players in, despite some criticisms regarding controls and aging graphics. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout aspect, making the game a memorable experience.

    • “The game's music and sound design are also excellent, with a range of ambient sounds and tribal chants that create a unique and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “It's an astonishing game, the atmosphere is so rich in that 'a world to be seen' kind of way, the sound design is extraordinary.”
    • “A beautiful, atmospheric, absorbing and utterly enjoyable game that will captivate you while offering progressively more difficult tasks to advance your tribe through the various stages of their evolution.”
    • “The audio and atmosphere are lacking, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
    • “Overall, I'd recommend it almost on the atmosphere alone, which I'm a big fan of.”
  • optimization20 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues on PC, including severe frame rate drops and graphical glitches, while console versions tend to be more stable. Critics highlight poor controls for keyboard and mouse, a lack of customization options, and a general feeling of being an unoptimized port from consoles, compounded by problematic DRM. Overall, the game's imaginative elements are overshadowed by its technical shortcomings, making for a frustrating experience.

    • “Optimization: mixed reviews, with some reports of performance issues on PC but generally stable on consoles.”
    • “Controls are optimized for controllers, but not acceptable for keyboard and mouse.”
    • “A beautiful game with an interesting concept and low price tag marred by what is quite possibly the worst port ever, with the 'features' of draconian DRM, shoddy optimization, and unnecessary Uplay.”
    • “The performance isn't great, with FPS dropping down to like 20 at times on modern hardware.”
    • “Always liked this on Xbox 360 back in the day, but it's an unplayable stuttering mess in backwards compatibility mode on the Series X.”
    • “Not only is it an absolutely terrible console port (no video options outside of resolution, capped at 30 FPS, god-awful mouse and keyboard control, and much more), it is poorly optimized and includes Ubisoft's infamously terrible DRM.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly on the PC version and when using the Uplay platform. While some users experienced smooth gameplay with no issues, the overall sentiment highlights a frustrating experience due to frequent technical problems and unreliable performance. Players have expressed concerns about the game's stability, making it difficult to recommend without reservations.

    • “This is a pretty decent and fun god game where you get to help a tribe of people regain their lost knowledge and grow as a civilization, but due to the constant crashes and glitches, I have trouble recommending it.”
    • “Crashes and freezes all the time; I tried on 4 different computers!”
    • “Uplay is an extremely bad and buggy platform with no support from Ubisoft.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the mechanics and sandbox elements, many express frustration with the repetitive tasks required, particularly in manipulating the environment. The endgame content is frequently described as boring, with challenges either being too easy or excessively tedious.

    • “Unfortunately, it got tedious fast.”
    • “I don't understand the point in letting players manipulate something in such a tedious way instead of providing a less time-consuming method.”
    • “End game is very boring, and 'challenge' maps are either incredibly easy or incredibly tedious.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being overly aggressive, with users feeling that it prioritizes ad revenue over gameplay quality. Many reviewers perceive it as a cash grab, highlighting the intrusive nature of ads and the limited content available, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, concerns about security vulnerabilities related to the ad system have been raised.

    • “The reason I'm not going to recommend this, though, is because I'm starting to think this is more of a cash grab than anything.”
    • “Forces you to go through some sort of Uplay game advertising system.”
    • “I think it's too small, only 15 levels, more like an advertising game.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its whimsical characters, such as lovable little people with amusing egg-shaped houses, and the comedic situations they find themselves in, like hilariously crying for help when it rains. Players find the overall experience to be both entertaining and funny, making terraforming a surprisingly humorous endeavor.

    • “Terraforming has never been this hilarious.”
    • “Fuzzy Lumpkins: [laughing] Look at 'em run!”
    • “Characters: Very lovable little people with funny egg-shaped houses on stilts, crying out for help whenever times get tough (i.e., they get wet).”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its lack of depth and narrative complexity, though it features an engaging story and visually appealing character design that draws inspiration from tribal and indigenous cultures. While the character dynamics are convincing, the overall development may leave players wanting more.

    • “Good story, interesting character design, respectful and heavily inspired by tribal and indigenous cultures around the world.”
    • “The dynamic effects are convincing and the character design is interesting.”
    • “There is a lack of depth in character development and narrative.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
    • “I was disappointed by the shallow backstories and predictable character arcs.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players report that the game's music and challenges evoke a relaxed, almost euphoric state, enhancing the emotional experience. The sense of freedom in completing levels contributes to a personal and fulfilling journey, allowing for individual expression and creativity.

    • “The music and challenges made me feel as though I was semi-stoned half the time, in a really relaxed and chilled-out state.”
    • “The best part was how it made me feel I had freedom in how I wanted to complete each level instead of there being only one good way to do it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
7hMain story
12hCompletionist
6-13hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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