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Mars Horizon

Playing Mars Horizon, I realised just how flimsy my moral framework is.
Mars Horizon Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, replayability
82% User Score Based on 1,629 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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Mars Horizon Game Cover

About

Mars Horizon is a single player strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Auroch Digital and was released on June 20, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In Mars Horizon, become a space agency and develop your own space program to reach Mars before other agencies. Build and launch rockets, construct facilities, research technology, and manage resources and personnel. Experience a thrilling narrative with randomly generated events that add challenge and excitement to your mission.

Genres & Tags
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Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
Mars Horizon screenshot
+10
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82%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,629 reviews
story113 positive mentions
grinding92 negative mentions
  • Engaging space agency management with a focus on historical milestones and events.
  • Fun mini-games during missions that add a layer of strategy and resource management.
  • Beautiful graphics and a well-designed user interface that enhances the overall experience.
  • Repetitive gameplay, especially with the mini-games, which can become tedious over time.
  • AI competitors can feel unbalanced, often achieving milestones faster than the player despite careful planning.
  • Limited replayability as the game follows a linear progression with little variation between playthroughs.
  • story
    1,201 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of "Mars Horizon" is largely centered around the player's journey as the director of a space agency, competing against others to achieve significant milestones in space exploration, culminating in a manned mission to Mars. While the game incorporates historical missions and real-world space agencies, the narrative is often overshadowed by repetitive mission mechanics and mini-games that can detract from immersion. Players can experience a sense of progression and achievement, but the lack of a deeper, engaging storyline and the grind of similar mission tasks may leave some feeling unsatisfied.

    • “The narrative events and the whole space-race theme are well done, the strong links to real missions and agencies make for some satisfying moments.”
    • “Your goal essentially is to be the first space agency to land humans on Mars, starting with very little funding firing off high altitude test rockets, to satellites, humans in space, the first EVAs, moon landings, probes to the inner and outer planets including the long, long, long mission to Pluto and the very, very hot missions to Mercury and Venus.”
    • “The game manages to combine compelling gameplay with historical accuracy, beautiful stylized graphics, immersive mission cinematics, and a challenging (but balanced) experience.”
    • “The mini-games to move missions along became very repetitive and frequently felt more of a chore than something enjoyable which added to the game.”
    • “The core puzzle imagines space missions as selecting a series of actions that convert resources into other resources, trying to ensure you have enough by the end of the mission.”
    • “The mini-game used to determine if a mission is successful is repetitive after the third launch and just isn't fun.”
  • gameplay
    226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Mars Horizon" is characterized by a simple management and puzzle mechanic that quickly becomes repetitive, with many players noting a lack of variety and depth as they progress. While the game features a well-structured tutorial and engaging mini-games that initially add interest, the core gameplay loop of managing missions and resources can feel tedious over time. Despite its charming presentation and educational elements, many reviewers express that the gameplay lacks the complexity and excitement found in similar titles like "Kerbal Space Program."

    • “The game comes with a well-judged tutorial, and gameplay involves managing research, trying to base build efficiently, and choosing the best launch vehicles and payloads for missions.”
    • “Gameplay is easy and quick to get into, and completing significant spaceflight milestones as you work toward the ultimate goal, a crewed landing on Mars, is both challenging and rewarding.”
    • “Overall, Mars Horizon excellently balances all its moving parts to make a smoothly polished experience out of fairly minimalistic gameplay, and does it all while perfectly executing its space race themes.”
    • “The gameplay becomes rather repetitive, and I struggled to finish the run I was in due to it.”
    • “The gameplay loop gets repetitive after a while, especially in the mid- to endgame.”
    • “There is no variety in gameplay; there is no progress. After 6 hours of gameplay, you do exactly the same thing you did in the beginning.”
  • graphics
    128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful and charming art style, immersive animations, and historical accuracy, while others criticize the simplistic, cartoonish visuals and occasional graphical bugs. Some players appreciate the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware, but there are calls for more variety and detail in the graphics, especially during key moments like rocket launches. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered adequate and pleasant, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking a more realistic or detailed visual experience.

    • “Beautiful graphics and animations combined with historic milestones, events, and rockets make this a great game.”
    • “The game manages to combine compelling gameplay with historical accuracy, beautiful stylized graphics, immersive mission cinematics, and a challenging (but balanced) experience.”
    • “I really like the art style of this game!”
    • “In all, a basic game; if you can get by the terrible, and I mean terrible graphics, like 1980's Tandy terrible, there are some gems hidden in it.”
    • “The graphics hurt my soul for $20.”
    • “The visuals are disappointing; it’s not a free point of view, so you always see the launches from the same angles and there are weird scene cuts at launch.”
  • grinding
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the repetitive nature of the minigames and mission setups to be tedious and detracting from the overall experience. While the initial gameplay is engaging, it often devolves into a grind, particularly in the mid to late game, where players feel compelled to repeat similar tasks for minimal rewards. Despite some enjoyment in the early stages, the consensus is that the game becomes overly grindy and repetitive, leading to frustration and diminished immersion.

    • “Very satisfying gameplay, and not too tedious for those with little time.”
    • “Each aspect of the game has enough complexity and choices to make things interesting and not tedious, without being burdened by being too complex or bogged down in minutiae.”
    • “It seems to get grindy after a while and not that many special things happen.”
    • “The game, which initially felt like a fun activity, became a repetitive and tedious chore, comparable to copying and pasting in an Excel spreadsheet.”
    • “The mini-game gets very grindy; it's kind of annoying and detracts from the rest of the game elements quite significantly.”
  • replayability
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting a lack of significant replay value due to repetitive gameplay and limited variations in scenarios. While some customization options and different agency choices offer potential for replay, many reviews indicate that the experience feels linear and ultimately leaves little incentive to replay after the initial playthrough. A few players found enjoyment in achievement hunting or experimenting with different strategies, but the consensus leans towards a generally low replayability rating.

    • “There seems to be loads of replayability through choosing different agencies or even playing the same agency with different choices, so I can easily see myself spending 100+ hours on this game.”
    • “With five different agencies plus the option to create your own with various options and a branching tech tree, the game has lots of replayability.”
    • “Combined with the ability to play as five real-world space agencies (with the option to customize your own), Mars Horizon offers a ton of replay value, and an educational experience to both space exploration enthusiasts and newcomers alike.”
    • “Replayability is nonexistent.”
    • “The game can get repetitive in the late game phase, and I can see the replayability being low. Maybe if you are an achievement hunter, you could go for first place on the other projects you lost the last time around.”
    • “Not a bad game at all, but after trying to go through again as a different space agency, I found that the replay value is non-existent. There is no reason for me to play another agency as I can play them the exact same as the previous game, and it loses all its fun.”
  • music
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric and fitting qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it underwhelming or even torturous, suggesting it be muted in favor of personal playlists. Overall, many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the game's themes, though there are notable criticisms regarding its quality and variety. The sound design is generally considered good, with some players enjoying the relaxing and immersive aspects of the music.

    • “A very addicting game with an amazing soundtrack.”
    • “The art style is charming, the music and sound design is top-tier, and the gameplay itself is fun and engaging.”
    • “It's good fun and also very immersive thanks to the spacey-victorious soundtrack and the light-touch and clear art style.”
    • “The soundtrack is torture; better mute it and play something of your choice.”
    • “Sound design is subpar; the music should be turned off.”
    • “The only shortfalls for me are the sometimes depressing or ominous music, the apparent lack of mod support, and the oddly low-quality 3D assets in cutscenes.”
  • optimization
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is generally well-received, with players noting a smooth performance free of glitches or bugs, contributing to an enjoyable experience. While the optimization aspect leans towards a puzzle-like challenge, it emphasizes decision-making over strict resource management, allowing for a fun gameplay loop that rewards strategic planning. Overall, the game strikes a good balance between performance and engaging mechanics, making it a worthwhile experience for players.

    • “If you take the time to think about it, you will never fail them, and usually get the performance bonus.”
    • “Well optimized, a nice gameplay loop and...partial historical accuracy.”
    • “Missions will fail more often, and you are less likely to get the performance bonus.”
    • “Using the tech tree is quite similar; it's just a matter of picking research topics that are compatible - read the text on each box - no grand plan, nothing you do will affect your rocket's performance down the road.”
    • “It's mainly an optimization puzzle.”
  • humor
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of lightheartedness and irony, particularly through the comedic mishaps of rocket explosions and the absurdity of space exploration. Players find the game amusing, with its funny mechanics and engaging puzzles, making it enjoyable despite some frustrations. Overall, it offers a charming and humorous experience for fans of space-themed gameplay.

    • “Rocket explosions are funny the first time, heartbreaking the third time your 'reliable' booster becomes modern art.”
    • “Otherwise, a very funny and simple game about space exploration.”
    • “Funny, well-balanced game for space lovers.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a progression from basic aerospace missions to complex space travel, enhanced by engaging resource management mini-games. While the graphics are described as simple yet appealing and the music adds to the ambiance, some players feel that the overall atmosphere could be improved, particularly due to questionable artistic choices in the depiction of re-entry capsules. A blend of the game's current atmosphere with a broader scope could elevate the experience significantly.

    • “The graphics are simple, yet pretty, and the music is super atmospheric.”
    • “It just needs a bit more atmosphere to bring it alive.”
    • “If there were an alternative that merged the atmosphere of Baris with the scope of 'Mars Horizon', it would be a much larger success.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional experience of the game to be a mix of humor and heartbreak, particularly when witnessing the failures of their rockets. The thrill of competition and the nostalgia of the space race evoke strong feelings, making the gameplay both satisfying and poignant. Overall, it effectively captures the emotional highs and lows associated with space exploration.

    • “It's not perfect, but if you like to be reminded of how emotional the space race makes you, and stop stressing about whether KSP2 will be any good at all, this is a fine way to get that done.”
    • “It is very satisfying to see the failure of another agency, and heartbreaking to lose a craft that was about to beat another agency.”
    • “Rocket explosions are funny the first time, but heartbreaking the third time your 'reliable' booster becomes modern art.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    User experiences with stability vary significantly; while some report frequent glitches even on high-performance systems, others have encountered no bugs or performance issues at all. Overall, the stability of the game appears inconsistent, with some players experiencing frustrating technical problems while others enjoy a smooth experience.

    • “I have found myself getting annoyed with the all-too-frequent glitches, even when you have a really good system (90+%).”
    • “Launch glitches are better, though I am sure the one failure was just because of the Steam achievement!”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers note a lack of character development in the game, expressing that the absence of experience accumulation diminishes the potential for deeper simulation and emotional investment, particularly in high-stakes scenarios.

    • “However, they don't accumulate experience, and there's no character development, which I think would make for an even deeper simulation (and for more desperate situations when your carefully developed crack crew's capsule burns on re-entry because you got your math wrong).”
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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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13h Median play time
20h Average play time
8-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 24 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Mars Horizon is a strategy game with science fiction theme.

Mars Horizon is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 20 hours playing Mars Horizon.

Mars Horizon was released on June 20, 2020.

Mars Horizon was developed by Auroch Digital.

Mars Horizon has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Mars Horizon is a single player game.

Similar games include Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager, EarthX, Terraformers, Surviving Mars, Spellcaster University and others.