Nova Lands

Equal parts relaxing and chaotic, Nova Lands is an easy-to-love automation game with a gameplay loop that will have you hooked for hours on end.

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Nova Lands is a 2D open-world survival and automation game, where you build and expand your base using resources from various planets. As you progress, you can automate production chains with helper bots, allowing you to explore and unlock new possibilities. The game combines elements from Factorio, Forager, and Satisfactory, offering a unique and engaging experience in a cozy setting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,860 reviews

gameplay86 positive mentions

grinding156 negative mentions

Charming graphics and art style that enhances the overall experience.
Engaging automation mechanics that allow for creative production setups.
Fun and addictive gameplay loop that keeps players invested.

Late game becomes tedious with long crafting times and limited space for expansion.
Lack of depth in the tech tree and overall gameplay, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
Combat mechanics are underwhelming and feel unnecessary in the context of the game.

gameplay
263 mentions
33 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Nova Lands is characterized by a fun and engaging loop that combines exploration, resource gathering, and automation mechanics, reminiscent of games like Forager and Factorio. While the initial hours are enjoyable and filled with rewarding progression, some players find the mid to late game becomes tedious and lacks depth, with limited player choice and some mechanics feeling underdeveloped. Overall, it offers a charming experience with cute graphics and a solid foundation, though it could benefit from improved clarity in mechanics and more varied gameplay elements.
- “The first ten hours were fun exploring, learning, and understanding the mechanics of the game.”
- “The progression is exciting (unlocking new skills and 'powers' as you develop your lands), the art is cute and relaxing, it's challenging but without reaching a point of frustration, and it comes with mechanics and playstyles that are original in this genre.”
- “Very enjoyable, addictive gameplay with a well-balanced progression loop, at least until the mid-late game.”
- “Must say the last 30 hours is basically an optimization and idle wait game (which the devs clearly know based upon the sleep bonus mechanic).”
- “Little player choice in gameplay systems (e.g. island unlock order, research order, options for making credits, etc.) means everything will tend to feel the same.”
- “The core gameplay aspects are very shallow.”
grinding
164 mentions
2 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game offers enjoyable gameplay and a unique take on factory resource management, it tends to become grindy, particularly in the late game where crafting times are lengthy and progress can feel tedious. Many players appreciate the initial pacing and automation mechanics, but express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding for upgrades and resources, especially towards the end. Overall, the game is seen as a fun experience for those who enjoy grinding, but it may not satisfy players looking for a more streamlined or rewarding progression system.
- “It's a fantastic introduction to automation games as the production lines aren't too complicated and building and destroying buildings is not very tedious.”
- “The progress feels fast and not very grindy, and that made it fun from start to finish, although the very last item is quite slow to make even with a decent production line.”
- “The end game items take a bit of time even with the speed-up upgrades, which made it more tedious than fun.”
- “The game gives you a pretty poor amount of XP for just about anything, so the only thing worth your salt in XP grind is farming, which is incredibly tedious.”
- “However, the late game is incredibly tedious and boring, with very long crafting times and not much to do while you wait.”
graphics
139 mentions
42 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming pixel art style, which appeals to a younger audience and fans of laid-back gameplay. Reviewers highlight the game's smooth performance and well-polished interface, noting that the visuals enhance the overall experience without overwhelming complexity. While some mention a nostalgic simplicity reminiscent of older games, the overall aesthetic is considered a strong point, contributing to the game's enjoyable atmosphere.
- “One of the better games that's come out recently, easily has 24+ hours of content, great graphics, no performance issues even at end game when every island is packed.”
- “Nova lands expands on this with amazing pixel-art aesthetics as well as some light automation.”
- “The graphics are cute, music is nice, and the underlying principles are there.”
- “It's kind of nostalgic, but the graphics are like something from a Commodore C64; chunky little blocks of pixels.”
- “The game is okay in terms of graphics, but not so much so that it is a thrill to change the 10 pixels that are composing the head of the character.”
- “In general, it is recommended for fans of Vivyvalok, the only downside, which I have found so far - it's graphics.”
story
128 mentions
20 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as light and cute, with some interesting plot twists, but it tends to become less engaging as the game progresses. While the initial premise of crash landing on a planet is solid, many players feel that the narrative quickly loses focus, with NPCs serving primarily as upgrade vendors rather than contributing to the story. Overall, the story is considered enjoyable but somewhat underdeveloped, with a desire for more depth and clarity in later stages.
- “Love the art style and story!”
- “It has a fairly good story and cute characters with a pretty great ending.”
- “Interesting story, chill gameplay, good soundtrack.”
- “And a story that, while reasonably dense and interesting initially, becomes basically nonexistent by midgame.”
- “The story opens with you and others crash landing on this strange planet, which is a solid narrative premise... but it very quickly abandons that narrative and NPCs show zero interest in anything other than being a convenient store to sell you upgrades.”
- “The ending itself is quite underwhelming, being pretty much just a quest to throw end game materials and resources into a black hole, that once finished gives you a text box to click followed by the end credits.”
music
54 mentions
37 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its chill vibe and thematic fit, while others find it repetitive and annoying over time. Many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the overall experience, but there are calls for more variety to prevent it from becoming monotonous. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, it may not satisfy all players.
- “The music fits the theme they're going for perfectly and makes the experience just that much greater.”
- “[*] amazingly "chill" vibe, subtly amazing music, and a great library of "techy" sounds that fit the whole theme and make the world feel like the best parts of your favorite sci-fi movie.”
- “- the music and art is so calming, that regardless of my whole production line breaking over and over I've never once got angry and felt like I've failed.”
- “The music really is too much in your face.”
- “Good game but don't try to 100% the game unless you hate yourself (p.s devs, can you please change the music because it sounds like alarms are playing in the background?)”
- “The background music also gets boring / annoying quickly, although that didn't bother me that much.”
optimization
38 mentions
21 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with smooth performance and appealing graphics, though some users report performance dips in late-game scenarios, particularly when using the logistics overlay. While the game encourages strategic optimization of resources and factory setups, certain systems, like levittium processing, are noted as poorly optimized, limiting efficiency. Despite these issues, players find the gameplay engaging and the optimization mechanics integral to the experience.
- “One of the better games that's come out recently, easily has 24+ hours of content, great graphics, no performance issues even at end game when every island is packed.”
- “At first the limitations set per island annoyed me but later on I understood it is all part of the optimization process, thinking out the most optimal ways to progress and get what you need.”
- “On top of everything else, it's very well optimized and takes incredibly low storage space.”
- “Turning on the logistics overlay (pressing alt) kills performance for some reason.”
- “It's a wonder that this game, focused on automation, has such performance issues!”
- “What this effectively means is the collection of resources and ultimately the performance of your factories is limited.”
replayability
22 mentions
27 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many players expressing a desire for more procedural elements and content to enhance longevity. While it offers a fun and chill experience for a limited time, particularly for newcomers to factory simulation games, it lacks the depth and replay value found in more established titles like Factorio. There is hope among players for future updates that could improve replayability and keep them engaged beyond the initial playthrough.
- “This makes the replayability level substantially higher than it seems from the naked eye.”
- “High replay value.”
- “With refinements to island variation, resource distribution, replayability, and other areas, Nova Lands has the potential to become a truly stellar gaming experience that keeps players coming back for more.”
- “Replayability is surprisingly low for a game like this.”
- “Basically no replay value at this point, but I keep hoping the devs add things to let my hypercube factory chain have some use after finishing the story.”
- “While the title lacks in scope and replayability, the overall gameplay remains enjoyable, though it’s not lacking in room for improvement.”
stability
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly even under heavy loads, such as numerous items and active characters. However, players have noted some minor bugs and a lack of clarity in certain elements, particularly regarding post-game quests. Comparatively, it is considered less buggy than similar titles like Forager.
- “Runs great (even with huge amounts of items on the ground, robots zooming around).”
- “Mostly bug free.”
- “I will say it is slightly buggy, and there are definitely some elements that go completely unexplained.”
- “That said, I also haven't figured out how a new post-game quest is supposed to work due to that same slightly buggy sheen and lack of clear guidance.”
- “Significantly less buggy than Forager, with a neat story and characters.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be emotionally engaging and wholesome, likening it to a more cheerful version of "Forager." Despite the time investment and some gameplay frustrations, the overall sentiment reflects a positive emotional connection, leading to a sense of fulfillment upon completing all achievements.
- “This game is a wholesome son of Forager.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be inconsistent, with some players finding the pacing amusing, while others criticize the authenticity of reviews, suggesting that many may be from younger users attempting to be humorous. Overall, the comedic elements appear to be hit-or-miss among the audience.
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its impressive graphics and immersive atmosphere, contributing to an engaging overall experience.
- “The game has cool graphics and atmosphere.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be minimal, with cute designs that lack depth and personality, making them feel more like an afterthought rather than fully realized characters.
- “Thematically, it's a very cute game, and some of the character designs are also cute; however, they don't really have much personality per se.”
- “Thematically, it's a very cute game, and some of the character designs are also cute; however, they don't really have much personality per se.”