Mines of Mars

About

Mines of Mars is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Wickey Ware and was released on September 10, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

Some suspected that Mars once harbored life. There was a reason that it wasn't ever found. Mines of Mars is a procedural atmospheric RPG mining game. It is also a story based adventure game with dark secrets, great weapons, tons of different items, and a gorgeous world to explore. The world of MoM is procedurally created, so that every time you play it, it will be a little different. There are to…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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58%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

atmosphere6 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game offers a captivating and atmospheric sci-fi exploration experience with a mysterious Martian setting and engaging narrative.
The graphics and sound design are praised for their quality, with beautiful 2D visuals, immersive lighting, and a fitting atmospheric soundtrack.
Gameplay features such as mining, upgrades, crafting, and boss fights provide a satisfying progression loop that fans of digging and grind-style games enjoy.

The PC port suffers from control issues and bugs, including problematic aiming, crashing, lack of autosave, and occasional softlocks due to resource scarcity.
Gameplay can feel slow and repetitive with excessive backtracking, limited inventory space, and a grinding loop that some players find tedious and frustrating.
The game is perceived as incomplete or lacking content by some, with limited variety in terrain, enemy behavior bugs, and an unfinished or weak story that impacts player engagement.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Gameplay in Mines of Mars combines exploration, mining, and combat with an atmospheric narrative, but suffers from repetitive and slow pacing due to excessive backtracking and limited enemy variety. While engaging for casual play, the gameplay lacks depth and new mechanics, making some parts feel dull and tedious.
- “Gameplay in Mines of Mars is a blend of exploration, mining, and combat.”
- “Mines of Mars is a compelling and atmospheric game that offers a rich blend of exploration, storytelling, and gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “The game is really slow and it's kind of a pain to walk all over the surface after each mining trip. More than half of your gameplay is going to/from places: walking multiple buildings to unload gems, metals, craft, heal, refuel, and reload ammo. Healing and refueling take forever while you sit idle watching your health slowly fill back up.”
- “Gameplay is a little dull and repetitive, but I was okay with what's there as a game to play while watching videos.”
- “You will be running back and forth a lot, probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the gameplay is just this.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The story of Mines of Mars offers an engaging sci-fi mystery set on a red-hued planet, though some find it lacks depth and originality compared to similar games. While it provides a basic narrative presence with humorous touches, it may not strongly invest players or stand out as a memorable aspect of the game.
- “Mines of Mars takes players on a thrilling journey to a mysterious, red-hued planet.”
- “The story is captivating, with a blend of science fiction and mystery that keeps you engaged.”
- “Mines of Mars is a compelling and atmospheric game that offers a rich blend of exploration, storytelling, and gameplay.”
- “The story is... there, not good, but there, Motherload had better story to it.”
- “There didn't seem to be any new mechanics introduced, there was basically 1 enemy type (its size just changes), and the tiny bit of plot there was made no sense...”
- “That should tell you how invested I became in the story because I don't even know the guy's name lol.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The atmosphere in Mines of Mars is widely praised for its eerie, mysterious, and immersive qualities, enhanced by detailed textures, atmospheric lighting, and exceptional sound design. This creates a compelling sense of isolation and depth that deeply enriches the overall experience, making the game memorable and nostalgically resonant for players.
- “The sense of isolation and the unknown perfectly complement the eerie and enigmatic atmosphere of Mars.”
- “The detailed textures and atmospheric lighting create a sense of depth and immersion.”
- “The sound design in Mines of Mars is exceptional, with an atmospheric soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's mysterious and eerie environment.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The graphics in Mines of Mars are generally praised for their stunning, beautifully crafted 2D environments that vividly depict the Martian landscape. While some find the visuals decent and fitting with the game's relaxing music and humor, others feel the graphics are somewhat lazy and repetitive due to limited budget or talent. Overall, the presentation contributes positively though it may lack complexity for some players.
- “The graphics in Mines of Mars are stunning, with beautifully crafted 2D environments that bring the Martian landscape to life.”
- “The captivating narrative, stunning visuals, and engaging mechanics make it a standout title in the genre.”
- “The graphics are nicely crafted, sound is decent, the music is very fitting and relaxing, the story is probably not that special but at least it is there and the whole game is spiced with that amusing humor.”
- “It's still lazy and it's the same old copout developers use when they lack the budget/talent to arrange proper graphics.”
- “Grinding is boring where I just hold right and shift tab and look at the Steam community artworks while my iron pickaxe picks 14 times at the iron ore.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in Mines of Mars is widely praised for its atmospheric and fitting soundtrack that enhances the game's eerie and mysterious environment. Players find the ambient music relaxing and immersive, contributing significantly to the overall experience. The sound design, including ambient sounds and humorous elements, is considered exceptional and well-crafted.
- “The sound design in Mines of Mars is exceptional, with an atmospheric soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's mysterious and eerie environment.”
- “The ambient sounds and music create an immersive experience, enhancing the feeling of exploration and discovery.”
- “The music is very fitting and relaxing, adding to the overall engaging and amusing atmosphere of the game.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is slow, repetitive, and often tedious, requiring significant patience as players mine resources with little engaging interaction. Many find it monotonous, with gameplay largely revolving around continuous resource gathering to progress, which may detract from enjoyment for those who dislike extended grinding.
- “I had fun, but as I said, it's really slow and tedious. I found myself pulling out my phone to play other games while holding down to finally find the ores I needed.”
- “Grinding is boring when I just hold right and Shift+Tab, looking at the Steam community artworks while my iron pickaxe hits the iron ore 14 times.”
- “While this one has content, it doesn't really feel like much at all. You'll spend most of your time just grinding and looking for materials to upgrade to the next pickaxe, etc. Beyond that, there's not much other than occasional conversations between the miner and the person he works for.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its amusing and funny humor, which adds charm and enjoyment to the overall experience. Players appreciate the witty dialogues and lighthearted tone that enhance the game's content.
- “Funny dialogues add a lot to the game's charm.”
- “Good humor and content; truly a gem.”
- “The whole game is spiced with amusing humor.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from frequent freezes that prevent movement, saving, or menu access, forcing players to restart and potentially lose significant progress due to lack of autosave. Additionally, bugs such as unkillable enemies blocking progression and missing control instructions further impact the game's stability and playability.
- “It freezes in the way you can't move, exit, save, or open any kind of menu very often, and 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.”
- “Plant enemies are buggy and unkillable while blocking the only path onward.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is primarily ad-based, but users find it affordable and worthwhile to pay for an ad-free experience on mobile.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel the game's emotional impact is hindered by slow pacing, suggesting that a faster tempo could enhance the overall experience.