One Lonely Outpost

About

One Lonely Outpost is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing game with romance and science fiction themes. It was developed by Freedom Games and was released on June 26, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In One Lonely Outpost, you're the first pioneer on a barren alien world, tasked with transforming it into a habitable environment for future colonists. Farm, mine, craft, and fish to sustain yourself while cataloging new species and terraforming the planet. Shape your colonist's lifestyle as you explore, build, and create a thriving community in this immersive sandbox simulation game.

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70%

Audience ScoreBased on 689 reviews

story60 positive mentions

grinding242 negative mentions

The game has a charming art style and engaging music that creates a relaxing atmosphere.
The concept of terraforming a barren planet and building a colony is unique and intriguing.
The developers are responsive to feedback and actively working on updates and improvements.

The game is currently very slow-paced, with many days feeling empty and repetitive.
There are significant bugs and issues with the user interface that hinder gameplay.
Lack of character customization and limited dialogue options for NPCs make the experience feel less immersive.

story
260 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The game's story is generally well-received for its charm and engaging narrative, with players appreciating the unique setting and character interactions. However, many reviews highlight issues with pacing, as players often find themselves waiting for story triggers or feeling that the plot lacks depth and progression. While some enjoy the blend of farming mechanics and storytelling, others express frustration over bugs and a lack of substantial content, leading to a sense of stagnation in the narrative experience.
- “I appreciate that it's not just a sandbox and that there's a plot and a direction and discrete goals to get there.”
- “The writing is well done, the plot is interesting, there's a mystery you need to solve but don't worry, the main goal is still farming.”
- “I love it, I've been playing since I got home, love the graphics, love the story... it's really a cool game.”
- “The graphics are pedestrian, the storyline is so slow that I honestly just don't care about it.”
- “So far it's been very disappointing and I did finally beat the early release story; it was not satisfying at all, just felt like a thankless and pointless task to finally get the community center built.”
- “As it stands currently, the story doesn't feel long and I'm really sad about that.”
grinding
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players enjoying the slow-paced, exploratory nature typical of farming sims, while others find it tedious and repetitive. Many appreciate the unique sci-fi twist on traditional farming mechanics, but several reviews highlight frustrations with clunky controls, lack of clear timelines for crop growth, and the overall grindiness of tasks. Overall, the game appeals to fans of the genre who are willing to endure some monotony for the sake of its innovative setting and mechanics.
- “All I could do for most of those days was tedious busy-work.”
- “It's very tedious, and boring.”
- “I'm really not sure if anything in the game is going to be fun, because every time I come back to pick it up I can barely stand playing for two days before I remember how tedious and dull everything is.”
graphics
156 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming pixel art style and vibrant visuals that evoke nostalgia, while others criticize the inconsistency and occasional roughness in textures. Some players appreciate the blend of 2D and 3D elements, though it can feel jarring at times, and there are reports of performance issues like lag and crashes. Overall, while the art style is generally well-received, it is noted that the game still requires further refinement and optimization.
- “The pixel art style, while evoking a sense of nostalgia similar to Terraria, was surprisingly delightful to me, even though pixel graphics aren't usually my preference.”
- “The graphics are colorful enough to be eye-catching, and it's satisfying watching the plants transform.”
- “I love it, I've been playing since I got home, love the graphics, love the story... it's really a cool game... also glad it supports ultra-wide monitors 21:9.”
- “The game play is very limited and the graphics are very ugly.”
- “Visuals are terrible.”
- “Game has significant issues with lag in graphics (yes, my GPU is more than enough to handle it).”
gameplay
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging farming mechanics and the unique setting of a space colony, reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley. However, criticisms focus on clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, and poorly designed mini-games that detract from the overall experience. While some find the core mechanics solid and enjoyable, others feel the game is unpolished and in need of significant improvements to enhance the gameplay loop and user experience.
- “I found its core gameplay, which involves transforming a barren alien world into a lush environment, deeply engaging.”
- “I really appreciate the way the developers have integrated a fun farming gameplay loop, with broader elements of community as you work to revive an alien planet making it habitable.”
- “There's farming, mining, exploring, and lore hunting which I love, and the mechanics are very nice and fit the world setting brilliantly (refilling water by mining ice crystals *chef's kiss*).”
- “But what really turned me off is the mini games; for me, they make the game feel dated and don't add anything to the game, rather they distract from the base gameplay mechanics that could use more love and polish.”
- “Controls are really cumbersome and make gameplay not fun.”
- “The early access is an improvement to the demo, but to be honest, the gameplay loop feels way too repetitive and the game actually ends up feeling kinda boring.”
music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and ambient qualities, perfectly complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall atmosphere. Many players appreciate the unique blend of styles and influences, noting that the soundtrack is enjoyable enough to keep at a higher volume than usual. However, some feedback suggests that while the music is generally good, there are areas for improvement, particularly regarding variety and potential repetitiveness.
- “The soundtrack alone makes the game worth it; it's so perfect for tending to your farms and hearing these cool beep boop space beats.”
- “I love the music; it makes for a chill vibe and overall you've nailed it.”
- “The art is beautiful, the in-game music is actually really good; I usually turn the music off, but in this game I haven't wanted to.”
- “The sounds and music could use a bit of work, as they are kind of just there.”
- “Now I do like how it looks to an extent; there is a desire already to shut off the music for being repetitive and rather grating.”
- “There absolutely has to be improvements in terms of small things like more music and personalization, but most importantly UI fixes, QoL changes, and bug fixes need to happen immediately for this thing to last even 4 months.”
stability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting various bugs, glitches, and crashes that can disrupt gameplay. While some players note that these issues have improved over time, the game is still considered to be in early access, and many recommend waiting for further updates before diving in. Overall, while the game shows promise, its current state may frustrate those who prefer a polished experience.
- “If you're expecting a fully fleshed out, bug-free, 700-hour experience, you may want to hold off until the game is out of early access.”
- “It's buggy as hell, has horribly clunky progression, and lacks basic quality of life features that have been considered standard in games for years at this point.”
- “Kind of stutters, randomly glitches, then crashes. For such a simple game, this probably should run like butter. It has a lot of promise, but to be brutally honest, this kind of shoddy optimization will not be settled for. Fix your game before the world ends so I can finish beating it.”
- “Aside from the buggy interface, the game is fundamentally flawed.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its artistic elements, music, and a sense of loneliness that enhances the experience, particularly as players witness the gradual transformation of a lifeless world. While some players feel that the gameplay lacks impactful moments related to atmospheric changes, the overall vibe is described as chill and comfy, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
- “The art, the music, and the overall atmosphere is great.”
- “I love the chill, comfy atmosphere of the game.”
- “I'm swapping out the planet's entire atmosphere in an instant and there's no exciting moment, no gameplay payoff, nothing.”
- “On a lifeless world, with a toxic atmosphere.”
- “Actually feeling that lonely atmosphere until the first person arrives.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
31%
50%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting severe stuttering, framerate drops, and lagging issues that hinder gameplay, particularly on newer hardware. While some stuttering issues have been patched, many users still find the overall performance lacking, especially in early access. Additionally, there are calls for better optimization regarding gameplay mechanics and controller support.
- “The overall gameplay performance is affected by framerate drops, lagging, and stuttering, which detracts from a relaxing experience, making it a significant issue at this stage in early access.”
- “The game has controller support, but it still requires some optimization to enhance the overall experience.”
- “There is a lack of min/maxing and serious money management, as the best way to make money is simply smelting stone to silicon and selling it for an endless supply of money.”
- “A complete stuttering mess on a new MSI Raider GE68.”
- “Please fix the stutters; it's a great game, but the stuttering makes it completely unplayable.”
- “The overall gameplay performance is affected by framerate drops, lagging, stuttering, and stalling when you just want a relaxing experience, which is a huge minus at this stage in early access.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a clever and engaging sense of humor, particularly evident in its quirky mechanics, such as the absurdity of rocks being the best source of income and the amusing crafting requirements for selling items. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone that enhances the experience, making even mundane tasks like reading item descriptions enjoyable. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, keeping players entertained.
- “A very clever and funny fix to the robot cat.”
- “I love that there's a little humor mixed in; it always makes reading descriptions of rocks and tomatoes far more engaging.”
- “The humor is definitely there.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is praised for its nostalgic art style reminiscent of Paper Mario, with engaging character designs and dialogue that enhance player connection. However, some players feel that the initial character design options are lacking, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, there is a strong desire for deeper character interactions, especially in comparison to other farm simulation games.
- “But the art is honestly hitting me in the nostalgia with Paper Mario vibes with the flat sprites in the 3D world, and the character designs and dialogue are *chef's kiss*. I can't wait to get to know everyone, which for me has been seriously lacking in depth in most farm sim games I've played.”
- “I also like how it was influenced by other games, character design, music, and the difference in style that the environment and the characters have.”
- “Steps out of ship... character design that players are stuck with is quite bad.”
- “But the art is honestly hitting me in the nostalgia with Paper Mario vibes with the flat sprites in the 3D world and the character designs and dialogue are *chef's kiss*... can't wait to get to know everyone which for me has been seriously lacking in depth in most farm sim games I have played.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players express frustration with the game's current replayability, particularly disliking the need to restart from scratch, which detracts from the experience of being in a "lonely outpost." However, recent updates improving controller support have enhanced overall playability, suggesting potential for better replay value in the future.
- “The updates to controller support have done a great job of making the game feel more playable.”
- “The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, keeping it fresh and engaging.”
- “I love how the different choices and paths available make me want to replay the game multiple times.”
- “I really hate the idea of replaying or restarting the game from scratch.”
- “The game tries to sell the feeling of being 'one lonely outpost', but it makes replaying feel tedious.”
- “The beginning of the game is not engaging enough to encourage replayability.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the provided text, which focuses on gameplay mechanics related to zone boundaries. Therefore, no significant emotional elements are highlighted in this context.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as feeling like a quick cash grab, leaving players disappointed with its approach.
- “It's a bummer that this feels like a quick cash grab.”