GeoDepths
- October 20, 2023
- A Little More Games
- 8h median play time
"GeoDepths" is a single-player Adventure game where you play as a surveyor for an interstellar mining company, journeying deep below the surface of a distant planet. Pilot your drill to find resources, upgrade your drills and base, and explore caves filled with mysteries and unique plant life. The game takes about 6 hours to beat, with a focus on building up your homebase and uncovering the fate of previous explorers.
Reviews
- The game offers a relaxing and cozy experience with a solid gameplay loop of mining, crafting, and base building.
- The graphics and atmosphere are charming, creating an engaging environment for exploration.
- It's impressive for a solo-developed game, showcasing a lot of love and effort put into its design.
- The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in around 6-15 hours, which may not justify the price for some.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, especially in the later stages, leading to a lack of depth.
- The story and exploration elements feel shallow, with limited interaction and not enough variety in caves and resources.
- gameplay47 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple and addictive loop focused on mining and resource gathering, which some players find enjoyable despite its repetitive nature. While the mechanics are straightforward and lack complexity, they are well-executed and provide a satisfying experience, especially for those who appreciate minimalistic gameplay without survival elements. However, some reviewers noted that the simplicity may lead to a feeling of emptiness and a lack of interaction with the environment, making the overall experience feel shallow over time.
“The gameplay loop was thoroughly satisfying - mining, upgrading, mining faster.”
“Simple, but well-executed gameplay loop.”
“Great game to scratch that mining itch and it's pretty clever about the gameplay.”
“Gameplay is as simple, boring, and repetitive as in Roblox games.”
“3 in a row games have more complex mechanics than this game.”
“I wish there was a maybe review, as this game falls into the maybe for me. It's nicely done and enjoyable for the first couple of mining expeditions you do, but eventually it just turns into 'gather x resource by driving over to it on the map' and with the radar, it makes things easier to get but also makes the content feel skin deep. Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't really interactive with the player; some people are fine with that, but I never felt personally that I was making an impact.”
- story33 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered simple and linear, with players noting it consists of minor exploration elements and is primarily delivered through scanned logs. While there are three possible endings, many reviewers found them underwhelming and the overall narrative lacking depth, often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics of mining and base building. Despite its shortcomings, the story provides a basic framework that some players enjoyed, particularly in the context of the game's exploration and crafting elements.
“The story was fine, with some minor spelling mistakes, and while the endings were kinda underwhelming, the game does look nice style-wise. I usually don't like the flat polygonal look, but this game does it well.”
“I really liked the use of exploration to build on the story, and I really hope a game comes out with those toy models from base building.”
“Nothing overly complex, a simple storyline, some excellent music, and graphics that are really pleasing to look at.”
“The story was fine (had some minor spelling mistakes), endings were kinda underwhelming but the game does look nice style-wise; I usually don't like the flat polygonal look, but this game does it well.”
“Bit disappointing you can't interact with more of the interesting stuff scattered about, only with story-relevant items.”
“The story is told via scanned logs, as is par for the course for this style of game.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as charming and endearing, with a unique art style that enhances immersion despite a low polygon count. While some players initially found the visuals lacking, many grew to appreciate their simplicity and aesthetic appeal, noting that the graphics contribute positively to the overall atmosphere. Overall, the minimalistic design is seen as both a strength and a limitation, with potential for more depth in exploration.
“Honestly, I've seen so much worse aesthetics from triple-A titles.”
“Endearing graphics and environments.”
“The graphics, while simple, are pleasing and easy on the eyes.”
“Meanwhile, the graphics might be described as 'bare-bones' judging solely by the polygon count, but this is a false first impression!”
“Only downside I would say is the poor graphics; however, some would term that as part of its charm.”
“Graphically, the low poly look could be quite endearing if the developer added more.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early and late stages, others appreciate the balance that prevents it from becoming overly burdensome. The core gameplay loop of resource gathering is seen as necessary for progression, with some players enjoying the process despite its grindy nature. Overall, the game manages to keep the grind tolerable, especially with upgrades that expedite resource collection in later stages.
“It was not too grindy; it could have added more hours to gameplay if there was more grinding for resources, but that's not always a good thing. In my opinion, it was very balanced in that aspect.”
“I enjoyed the gameplay, but others might not, as the main gameplay loop is gathering resources ('Oh, I need x to do this upgrade? I don't have any x left... gotta go mine more...'). However, it wasn't tedious or onerous; it was just a normal 'you have to do some work to get this.'”
“Surprisingly, it's not that grindy. In the later stages, where it does require mining tons of resources, there are upgrades that make it very quick, so it doesn't even really feel like a grind.”
“It's missing clear directions and some parts are grindy and tedious, but I played it for 11 hours so it's not bad.”
“The loop is basically mine, return, refine; with incremental upgrades and progression throughout the game, the late game begins to get pretty grindy, but it's tolerable and doesn't overstay its welcome before you beat the game.”
“The game loop of mining resources also became very repetitive and tedious in the long run.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for being both relaxing and mysterious, with elements of creepiness that evoke a sense of curiosity and intrigue. While it lacks combat and survival threats, players appreciate the unique ambiance reminiscent of other atmospheric titles, making it a pleasant experience despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the visuals and atmospheric design contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere is great; it's relaxing, cozy, and mysterious.”
“Even if the total experience was kind of mediocre, I still recommend it for its unique take on mining and its atmosphere, which almost gave me Subnautica vibes in the very start with fear and curiosity of the unknown.”
“Delightful and atmospheric, a pleasant 8-12 hour experience.”
“There are no threats; this is not a survival game, but the atmosphere in certain locations is pretty creepy.”
- music7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with players noting that the soundtracks enhance the overall experience and can be controlled both in the base and during gameplay. The addition of a music upgrade is particularly recommended, as it significantly enriches the atmosphere, making the soundtrack a standout feature. Many users express a desire for a soundtrack release, highlighting its quality and contribution to the game's appeal.
“Sounds flow naturally, and as mentioned, the music upgrade was a great touch.”
“One special mention for the music too - absolutely lovely music that really adds to the experience.”
“The soundtrack was a highlight.”
“Dev if you are reading this - soundtrack release please!”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game currently offers limited replayability, primarily driven by the desire to collect missing items and explore alternative endings. While players may return to complete challenges or experiment with new save files, the absence of survival elements and combat reduces its long-term engagement potential. However, ongoing development may enhance replay value in the future.
“I know I'm intending to go back and try to see if I can find the missing scan items and maybe trigger 'ending #2' and a few things like that. Maybe even try to 100% the game.”
“Nice little game, not really replayable yet, but the developer is working on that.”
“I might start a new save file just for fun.”
“I don't know how much replay value it would have. I know I'm intending to go back and try to see if I can find the missing scan items and maybe trigger 'ending #2' and a few things like that. Maybe even try to 100% the game, but after that, since there are no survival elements, I don't know what else I would do with my current save besides maybe build some new rooms just for the coolness factor, or possibly start a new save file just for fun.”
“It doesn't have replayability, combat, or narration, but that's fine.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with no significant issues reported, such as audio glitches or graphics problems. However, a minor freezing issue occurs when undocking from the drill, which disrupts the otherwise smooth gameplay experience.
“The small issue I ran into was that every time I entered the drill, the whole game freezes for a moment when I undock, which is jarring when the rest of the game is entirely smooth.”
“I experienced frequent crashes during gameplay, which made it frustrating to progress.”
“There were several instances of the game stuttering, especially during intense action sequences, which really affected my overall experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally solid for the average player; however, performance issues may arise when numerous auto-drillers are in use, leading to noticeable choppiness.
“The game runs smoothly even with a large number of auto-drillers, but performance can dip if you push it too far.”
“Optimization is key; managing your resources effectively can lead to a much smoother gameplay experience.”
“I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, allowing for a seamless experience even during intense gameplay.”
“Performance - the average player probably won't run into this, but once you have a ton of auto-drillers loaded, the game can get pretty choppy.”
“The optimization is lacking; I frequently experience frame drops during intense gameplay moments.”
“Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization leads to frustrating lag and stuttering, especially in larger battles.”