Per Aspera

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,207 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Per Aspera Game Cover
Hard science, harder simulation, and narrative innovation make Per Aspera a real gem.
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In Per Aspera, players assume the role of an artificial consciousness tasked with terraforming Mars for human colonization. Manage resources, overcome environmental challenges, and face ethical dilemmas while constructing a new world for humanity. Balance the needs of your mission with the unexpected complications that arise during Mars' transformation.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,207 reviews
story601 positive mentions
grinding113 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with great voice acting that keeps players invested.
  • Satisfying gameplay loop of terraforming Mars and watching the planet transform over time.
  • Beautiful graphics and a well-designed UI that enhances the overall experience.
  • Logistics system is poorly implemented, leading to frustrating resource management and worker AI issues.
  • Pacing can be slow, especially in the late game where players often find themselves waiting for progress.
  • Limited replayability due to a linear story and lack of meaningful choices that affect gameplay.
  • story1,511 mentions

    The story in "Per Aspera" is a central element that captivates players with its intriguing narrative about an AI tasked with terraforming Mars, exploring themes of consciousness and morality. While many players appreciate the depth and voice acting, some criticize the pacing and coherence, noting that story events can trigger out of order, disrupting immersion. Overall, the game offers a compelling blend of storytelling and gameplay, though it may require further refinement to fully realize its potential.

    • “The campaign story carries its weight too and keeps you engaged in what's happening.”
    • “The story is engaging, with fantastic voice acting.”
    • “The story is intriguing featuring some genuine twists.”
    • “The story is semi-decent but illogical.”
    • “The story just sort of stopped halfway through; there were no more reasons for drones from about halfway, but all of the research trees made me think there was more to come. Nope.”
    • “The story is incredibly limp.”
  • gameplay669 mentions

    The gameplay of "Per Aspera" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging story and terraforming mechanics but criticizing the overall execution and pacing. While some find the resource management and building aspects enjoyable, others describe the gameplay as slow, repetitive, and bogged down by clunky mechanics and bugs. Overall, the game offers a unique concept with potential, but it suffers from a lack of depth and polish in its core gameplay loop.

    • “Good game, the story is interesting and gameplay keeps you focused!”
    • “Engaging story, strong colony building gameplay, and the terraforming mechanics are awesome.”
    • “The gameplay is satisfying and this is a really easy game to just lose yourself in.”
    • “The gameplay loop unfortunately was too simple, which is echoed by many others.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty dry, but seeing the planet transform makes it rewarding.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is simple: gather resources to support more colonists to research faster to gather resources faster to expand faster to support even more colonists and so on.”
  • graphics225 mentions

    The graphics in "Per Aspera" are widely praised for their beauty and detail, effectively bringing the Martian landscape to life with a clean and modern aesthetic. While many players appreciate the immersive visuals and well-crafted UI, some note that the graphics can be CPU-intensive and that the gameplay mechanics may not fully capitalize on the stunning visuals. Overall, the game's art style and graphical execution are considered standout features, contributing to an engaging atmosphere despite some gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The graphics are gorgeous, the art style chosen for this type of game fits like a glove.”
    • “Per Aspera's graphics are beautifully designed, effectively bringing the barren Martian landscape to life.”
    • “The game's visuals are clean and detailed, with well-crafted building models and natural terrain features that accurately represent Mars' surface.”
    • “The graphics are not anything special but they are quite pretty.”
    • “Graphics are slow and klunky, especially in building placement.”
    • “Graphically the game is a stinker.”
  • atmosphere128 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is a central and immersive element, with players experiencing a satisfying transformation of Mars from a barren landscape to a thriving ecosystem through careful atmospheric management. The visuals and soundtrack enhance the sense of wonder and achievement as players witness the gradual changes in the environment, although some reviewers noted that the gameplay can become tedious in the later stages when the atmosphere becomes breathable. Overall, while the game excels in creating an engaging atmosphere, it struggles with certain design choices that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “You see Mars transform as you modify its atmosphere, going from the red, cold, dusty planet to one with oceans, forests, and birds.”
    • “It's really amazing to go into sandbox mode and be let off the leash to piece together Mars' atmosphere, biosphere, and ecosystem, and just see all those changes as the atmosphere thickens, rivers fill, and plant and animal life propagates.”
    • “The game's soundtrack is atmospheric and fitting, evoking a sense of wonder and loneliness that perfectly complements the Martian setting.”
    • “There's no atmosphere.”
    • “There is nothing to do nor react to once you have an atmosphere.”
    • “The last 8 hours of the game consist of merely waiting for the oxygen and CO2 ratios to support a breathable atmosphere.”
  • music118 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and relaxing nature, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety over extended play sessions. Some users find the soundtrack fitting and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience, while others suggest it could benefit from more diverse tracks to prevent monotony. Overall, the music is generally seen as good but not without its flaws, often serving as a pleasant backdrop rather than a standout feature.

    • “One of my favorite games ever, the soundtrack is also one of my favorites ever.”
    • “The atmosphere and ambiance: I found the visuals and music of the game extremely satisfying.”
    • “The game's soundtrack is atmospheric and fitting, evoking a sense of wonder and loneliness that perfectly complements the Martian setting.”
    • “The original music doesn't really fit the relaxed flow of the game at all.”
    • “The music switches from either being atmospheric or grating in its repetitiveness.”
    • “The music is tedious.”
  • grinding117 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game becomes increasingly tedious, particularly in the late game, where players face repetitive tasks, micromanagement, and a lack of quality-of-life features. Many users express frustration with the slow pace of progress, the need for constant resource management, and the inefficiency of worker drones, leading to a gameplay experience that feels more like a chore than an engaging challenge. While the game starts with potential and enjoyment, it ultimately suffers from a grindy and monotonous endgame.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Building towards the end gets a bit tedious; it would be nice to have a building that serves as power, hub, and maintenance all in one.”
    • “By the end, I was just building over and over and grinding to hit a target.”
    • “It suffers from the 'basebuilder curse' insofar as the game becomes more tedious and less challenging over time.”
    • “The game offers no way to automate or eliminate the micromanaging tasks that become extremely tedious over time, nor any tech options to reduce the sheer quantity of buildings that you have to maintain.”
  • replayability68 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting a lack of depth and variety in gameplay options, leading to low replay value. While some appreciate the engaging story and potential for different playthroughs, others feel that once the core mechanics are mastered, there is little incentive to revisit the game. A few users mention that future DLC or updates could enhance replayability, but currently, it seems limited for most players.

    • “Price is well worth it; I have 300 hours played and I keep coming back, so there is good replayability!”
    • “Tons of replayability depending on your current personal goal for Mars and its inhabitants.”
    • “Per Aspera offers a good degree of replayability, thanks to its randomized map generation and various difficulty settings.”
    • “The story is engaging, but the gameplay is somewhat lacking in terms of options and replayability.”
    • “Unfortunately, it doesn't really have any replayability -- generally once you have figured out that you do x, y, and z -- the difficulty levels simply affect the speed in which you reach the goal, but the path seems to always be the same.”
    • “The game has zero replayability (there are three endings, but you basically just choose what you want in the end; your decisions during the storyline don't seem to matter at all) and there's also zero challenge.”
  • optimization60 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern, particularly in the late game where performance drops drastically as the number of buildings increases, leading to frame rates as low as 20-30 FPS on high-end systems. While some improvements have been made through patches, many players still experience issues with AI logistics and resource management, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its engaging gameplay and potential, the lack of consistent optimization hampers its enjoyment, especially for those who prefer larger-scale builds.

    • “Overall, the game on release was okay - 6/10, but it's definitely improved with various expansions, and gameplay and game performance have improved immensely.”
    • “With the latest patches, they improved performance and fixed out-of-order notifications, at least from what I saw.”
    • “At its core, it's an optimization and risk management game.”
    • “The game has a lot of potential and interesting ideas, but it really isn't optimized at all.”
    • “Great game, but terrible end game performance resulting in 20-30fps on an i9-10900k @ 5ghz, 64gb ram, and a rtx 3090.”
    • “Horribly poorly optimized pathing and logistics systems plague what could otherwise be a good game.”
  • stability48 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players note that despite some updates, the game remains unpolished and often feels unfinished, leading to frustrating experiences such as AI malfunctions and inconsistent pacing. While some enjoy the core gameplay and story, the overwhelming consensus is that the game is too buggy to recommend in its current state.

    • “No bugs, no glitches, no crashes.”
    • “Bug free as far as my experience.”
    • “It is also buggy and lacks any proper community support.”
    • “The same bugs, glitches, and issues that were present a year ago are still in the game today.”
    • “Exceptionally buggy; this should not be out of development. In 70 minutes, I saw 10+ game-breaking bugs.”
  • emotional27 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its deeply engaging narrative and character connections, particularly with the AI protagonist, Ami. While some found the story to be heartfelt and inspiring, others criticized it for moments that felt out of place or overly dramatic, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these inconsistencies, the game successfully evokes strong emotional responses, particularly through its exploration of themes like humanity and purpose in the context of terraforming Mars.

    • “Absolutely amazing and emotionally deep campaign & game mechanics.”
    • “Tl;dr: buy this for the masterfully written story that immersed me into the world and made me feel so attached to the characters, especially as your player character, Ami.”
    • “Never did I expect to play a colony builder that actually gripped me emotionally, fostered a sense of cautious mystery that had me genuinely excited to explore the planet.”
    • “Since every colonization mission rocket takes about a year, that was a bummer; the campaign mode features a very boring story about an AI having an existential crisis that is quite uninteresting.”
    • “It's a pretty relaxing city builder, with a boring story tacked onto it.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from its absurdities, such as building advanced infrastructure on a barren planet while workers navigate dirt roads, highlighting the irony of a supposedly advanced AI struggling with basic logistics. Players find comedic moments in the game's quirks, like the stark contrast between the high-tech environment and the lack of basic amenities, leading to laugh-out-loud scenarios. Overall, the humor adds an enjoyable layer to the gameplay, despite the game's early errors and need for improvement.

    • “What's hilariously funny to me is that you can build ports and shipyards on a planet with no water, send rockets here, there, and everywhere, but your workers have to do everything on foot over dirt roads.”
    • “It feels like you are tossed into the Martian dirt with virtually no idea of what you are doing or how to do it, which is hilarious seeing you are supposed to be some super AI with all the knowledge of whatever packed into you.”
    • “Hilariously, even in the future it still isn't useful for long-distance transportation.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is notable for its storyline branching, which is uncommon in similar titles, and focuses primarily on the protagonist, Ami. Her internal monologue and reflections provide a compelling narrative device, offering players deep insights into her thoughts and emotional growth.

    • “Despite caring for our colony, there is some storyline branching and character development, which is not common in this type of game.”
    • “This isn't really even the main story, though; it seems to be about Ami's character development. Her internal monologue and reflections are really interesting as a storytelling device and provide insight into her thoughts.”
    • “Despite caring for our colony, the storyline branching and character development are minimal, which is not common in this type of game.”
    • “The main story seems to focus on Ami's character development, but it lacks depth, making her internal monologue and reflections feel underwhelming as a storytelling device.”
    • “Character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving little room for meaningful growth or connection with the characters.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that players feel misled by the game's advertising, which suggests a focus on varied gameplay, while in reality, the monetization heavily revolves around scenario-based battles. This discrepancy has led to dissatisfaction regarding the overall value and content of the game.

    • “First, there is a significant difference between the game advertisements in the store and the actual game content.”
    • “I wasn't overly sold on the idea, and from the advertising, it felt more like the 'battles' were purely a scenario event thing... but that's most of the game!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy Per Aspera

Play time

18hMedian play time
24hAverage play time
8-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs

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