Minicology

About

Minicology is a survival, crafting, and exploration game set in a procedurally-generated universe of tiny planets. Players must gather resources, grow crops, and automate processes to build bases, defend against invasions, and terraform worlds. Creative solutions are encouraged as players construct self-sufficient bases and navigate challenges in this miniature universe. The demo progress automatically transfers to the full game, with locked recipes and settings becoming available upon save load.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

music3 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and a delightful character movement that adds humor to the gameplay.
The crafting and automation systems are engaging, allowing for complex interactions and rewarding progression.
Boss battles are well-designed and challenging, and the game offers a variety of activities including base-building, exploration, and combat.

The user interface is clunky and can make navigation and crafting cumbersome, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Some players experience motion sickness due to the circular world design and character movement mechanics.
There are reports of bugs related to specific resolutions, and overall, the game feels unfinished in terms of controls and balance.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay features a simple yet engaging cooking system that encourages players to experiment with food combinations for buffs, reminiscent of Terraria. While some mechanics are solid, many players find them clunky, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers a decent amount of content, particularly for those who enjoy the cooking aspect.
- “I love the cooking system; it is simple but entertaining. Finding good combinations of foods to get the best situational buffs without wasting extra nutrition is something that gave me at least 5 hours of gameplay - and I've yet to move far from my tiny tutorial planet base.”
- “It's very close to Terraria in gameplay.”
- “Not sure if this can even be one of those 'I see promise and maybe one day this will be good' because the base mechanics just feel bad.”
- “Mechanically, a very solid game, though a bit clunky in a huge number of ways.”
- “I don't think it makes the gameplay better, but it doesn't detract from it much either.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
25%
The music in the game is characterized by a charming and stylish original soundtrack that complements the vibrant world design. While it starts off loud and cutesy, it maintains a frantic pace, creating a surprisingly relaxing atmosphere amidst the chaos. Overall, the combination of the soundtrack and sound effects enhances the game's delightful art style and encourages exploration.
- “It's Terraria, except cutesy, but frantic-paced (with a weirdly relaxing soundtrack despite how everything is exploding around you all of the time).”
- “Lovely art style and sound effects/music.”
- “The OST and world design are so charming and stylish, and I love all the little creatures you can discover and cultivate.”
- “Music is loud when first launching.”
- “It's Terraria, except cutesy, but frantic paced (with a weirdly relaxing soundtrack despite how everything is exploding around you all of the time).”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics are described as punchy and fun, featuring a cute art style that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique automation and planet system, complemented by lovely sound effects and music.
- “The art style is cute, and the automation plus the planet system are all really unique.”
- “Lovely art style and sound effects/music.”
- “The graphics are punchy, fun, and before I knew it, I lost a couple of hours of my life!”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The initial release of the game was plagued by bugs, and while the developer is actively working to resolve these issues, players still report stability problems, including freezing after extended playtime.
- “The first release was buggy and there's still bugs to sort out, but the developer is doing their best to iron things out.”
- “Freezes after 3 hours”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from the character's amusing wobbly movements, which consistently elicit smiles and laughter. This comedic element adds a lighthearted charm to the overall experience.
- “The character's movement is so funny, I can't help but smile watching him go around on his wobbly legs.”
- “The character's movement is so funny, I can't help but smile watching him go around on his wobbly legs.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, as players often complete quests on various planets and then have little reason to return, leading to a sense of disconnection from the narrative.
- “The story feels disjointed, with planets serving as mere quest hubs that you visit once and then forget.”
- “There is a lack of depth in the narrative, making it hard to feel invested in the characters or the world.”
- “The plot fails to engage, as it relies heavily on fetch quests that don't contribute to a meaningful storyline.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often describing it as repetitive and lacking excitement.
- “The gameplay is also grindy and boring.”
- “The game feels excessively grindy and lacks excitement.”
- “The grinding aspect makes the experience tedious and unengaging.”