Mines of Mars
- September 10, 2018
- Wickey Ware
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple StoreMines of Mars is a first-person, procedurally generated adventure game set on the red planet. Players mine for resources, craft and upgrade tools, and battle alien enemies while uncovering the mysteries of Mars' past. With multiple biomes, secrets, and a day/night cycle, survival requires strategy and exploration.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game has a great atmosphere with enjoyable music and humor, making it nostalgic for many players.
- The gameplay loop is satisfying when it works, with fun upgrades and challenging bosses that can be rewarding once mastered.
- For fans of 2D digging games, it offers a decent experience with a lot of potential for future updates or expansions.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and control issues, making it frustrating to play at times.
- Resource scarcity and inconsistent ore generation can lead to softlocks and hinder progression, making the game feel incomplete.
- The pacing is slow, with tedious backtracking and a lack of content that can lead to boredom during gameplay.
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its great quality and pleasant ambiance, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of a catchy soundtrack with humorous dialogues and numerous upgrades, contributing to an engaging atmosphere.
“It has great music, cool upgrades, and a lot of jokes and references.”
“Also a pleasant soundtrack.”
“Great ambient music.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and nostalgic qualities, creating a memorable experience that resonates deeply with players despite any flaws in other areas.
“I know this game has its flaws, but for the incredible atmosphere and the nostalgia it gives me, it'll always hold a special place in my heart.”
“The atmosphere is wonderful.”
“Beautifully rendered atmospheres.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Gameplay is criticized for its slow pace, with players spending a significant amount of time walking between locations for various tasks, which can feel tedious and inefficient. However, the experience is noted to be more enjoyable on PC due to better handling compared to mobile devices.
“As one could assume, the handling of the miner on the PC as opposed to a mobile device yields a much more user-friendly, efficient method of gameplay.”
“- enjoyable gameplay”
“The game is really slow, and it's kind of a pain to walk all over the surface after each mining trip. Half or more of your gameplay is spent going to and from places: walk 2 buildings from the teleport to unload your gems from cargo, walk a building over to unload your metals from cargo, walk another 2 buildings over to craft if you need to, walk another 2 buildings over to heal and refuel (which also takes forever while you sit there idle watching your health slowly fill back up), and then walk another building over just to reload your ammo.”
“As one could assume, the handling of the miner on the PC, as opposed to a mobile device, yields a much more user-friendly, efficient method of gameplay.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humorous dialogues and engaging content, contributing to an enjoyable experience despite its short length. Players appreciate the combination of decent graphics, music, and a variety of upgrades and weapons, making it a worthwhile purchase.
“The game features funny dialogues that really enhance the overall experience.”
“I loved this game! It's a bit short, but for its price, it's hands down worth it. One of the best games of the year for me, with great humor and content.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, making every moment enjoyable.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is present but generally considered weak, with some users feeling disengaged and unable to connect with the characters, leading to a lack of investment in the narrative. Comparisons to other games, like "Motherload," highlight its shortcomings.
“That should tell you how invested I became in the story because I don't even know the guy's name, lol.”
“The story is present, but not good; even Motherload had a better story.”
“That should tell you how invested I became in the story, because I don't even know the guy's name.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, often leading to distractions like mobile games while mining for materials. The process of upgrading tools feels prolonged, with limited engagement beyond basic interactions between characters.
“I had fun, but as I said, it's really slow and tedious. I found myself pulling out my phone to play games while I held down to finally find the ores I needed.”
“While this game has content, it doesn't feel substantial at all. You'll spend most of your time just grinding and looking for materials to upgrade to the next pickaxe, and beyond that, there's not really much else other than the occasional conversation between the miner and his boss.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, frequently freezing and preventing players from moving, saving, or accessing menus, which can lead to substantial progress loss due to the lack of autosave functionality. Additionally, players report bugs and a lack of clear instructions, further complicating the experience.
“It freezes in a way that you can't move, exit, save, or open any kind of menu very often. You just have to close the game and hope the last time you saved registered because there's no autosave at all, so you lose tons of progress really easily.”
“Buggy with no instructions on controls, unable to mine in the first area.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered decent, complementing the game's engaging music and humorous dialogues. Players appreciate the variety of upgrades and weapons available, enhancing the overall visual experience.
“The graphics are decent, complementing the engaging gameplay with vibrant colors and detailed environments.”
“The visuals are impressive, enhancing the overall experience with stunning artwork and smooth animations.”
“The graphics, combined with the music and funny dialogues, create an immersive atmosphere that keeps you entertained.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users feel that the emotional impact of the game is hindered by its slow pacing, suggesting that a faster tempo could enhance the overall emotional experience.
