Per Aspera

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,189 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

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,189 reviews
story848 positive mentions
grinding159 negative mentions
  • Excellent, addictive gameplay with a captivating story.
  • Visually stunning with a well-designed UI and immersive sound.
  • Unique perspective of playing as an AI managing the terraforming process.
  • Tedious logistics and worker AI that often leads to inefficiencies.
  • Slow pacing, especially in the late game, requiring long wait times for progress.
  • Limited replayability with a lack of meaningful choices affecting gameplay outcomes.
  • story2,137 mentions

    The story in "Per Aspera" is a central element that combines a compelling narrative with the mechanics of a colony-building simulation. Players take on the role of an AI tasked with terraforming Mars, navigating moral choices and engaging in a plot filled with twists and philosophical themes about consciousness and existence. While the voice acting and world-building are praised, some players note issues with pacing, dialogue delivery, and the linearity of choices, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these critiques, many find the story engaging enough to keep them invested throughout the gameplay.

    • “The story is engaging, with fantastic voice acting.”
    • “The story is surprisingly good for a sim game, enjoyed it.”
    • “The story is captivating, especially in the first half of the game.”
    • “The story has parts which are absurdly nonsensical.”
    • “The story is a sad joke... you are so much better off just using it for the initial tutorial, then starting a new sandbox playthrough.”
    • “The story itself is fine, but the way the story is told is bad.”
  • gameplay936 mentions

    The gameplay of "Per Aspera" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the initial mechanics and story are engaging, the experience tends to become tedious and repetitive as the game progresses. Users have highlighted issues such as poorly explained mechanics, a lack of depth in gameplay options, and a slow pace that can lead to frustration, particularly in the mid to late game. Despite its beautiful visuals and intriguing narrative, many feel that the core gameplay loop lacks the complexity and challenge expected from a city-building and terraforming simulator.

    • “The core mechanics of colony development are sound, and the story itself is one of the rare good stories where telling it through the video game enhances it even further.”
    • “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 quickly becomes stale and repetitive.”
    • “The gameplay is tedious and some of the building strategy amounts more to puzzle solving than actual building.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is extremely slow.”
  • graphics305 mentions

    The graphics in "Per Aspera" are generally praised for their beauty and attention to detail, effectively bringing the Martian landscape to life with a clean and modern aesthetic. While some users note that the visuals are not groundbreaking, they appreciate the game's artistic style and the immersive experience it provides, particularly during terraforming sequences. However, there are mixed feelings about the functionality of the graphics, with some players finding issues with readability and performance, especially in later stages of gameplay.

    • “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 nothing to be excited about, but they're functional, just as the HUD is.”
    • “Graphics are very mediocre but work well enough with this type of game.”
    • “Graphically, the game is a stinker.”
  • atmosphere174 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive visuals and soundtrack, effectively capturing the essence of terraforming Mars. Players appreciate the gradual transformation of the planet, from a barren landscape to a vibrant ecosystem, although some find the pacing slow and the late-game management tedious. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the experience, despite some critiques regarding gameplay mechanics and realism.

    • “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.”
    • “The almost nonexistent Martian atmosphere is carbon dioxide, daily temperatures are -140 degrees, and minuscule gravity means none of this 'terraforming' will ever work.”
    • “There's no atmosphere.”
    • “You won't start open-air farming or unlock new drones that take advantage of the denser atmosphere and waterways.”
  • grinding164 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding the gameplay tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game. Reviewers noted that the lack of automation and quality-of-life features exacerbates the grind, making resource management and expansion feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge. While the early game may be enjoyable, the overall consensus is that the game becomes increasingly dull and frustrating as players progress, often leading to a sense of burnout.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game becomes tedious at some point and it sucks out the fun you might have had otherwise.”
    • “The gameplay is tedious and some of the building strategy amounts more to puzzle solving than actual building.”
    • “The game has a fun story and enjoyable early game, but as your base grows it becomes more and more tedious, especially the food supply line, and the last third of the game is just putting the game on 16x and waiting for it to end.”
  • music163 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric and relaxing qualities, which complement the visuals and gameplay. However, a common criticism is its repetitiveness, leading some to turn it off after extended play sessions. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as enjoyable and fitting, it could benefit from more variety to maintain engagement over longer periods.

    • “One of my favorite games ever, the soundtrack is also one of my favorites ever.”
    • “The music is fairly calming and relaxed, which makes for a nice experience.”
    • “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 gets repetitive very fast, and the UI sounds going 'blop' and 'blup' are incredibly annoying.”
    • “The soundtrack is also extremely repetitive, which I shouldn't have noticed having only played the game for 4 hours.”
  • replayability98 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a significant point of contention among players, with many citing it as low or nonexistent due to limited gameplay options, fixed storylines, and simplistic mechanics. While some players appreciate the engaging story and potential for multiple endings, the consensus leans towards a lack of depth that diminishes the desire to replay. A few users noted that randomized elements or additional content could enhance replayability, but as it stands, many recommend the game primarily for a single playthrough or at a discounted price.

    • “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.”
    • “Limited replayability; logistics is not well designed, the combat is extremely shallow, meteors are a constant nuisance, and the game does not give you any indication that they have destroyed a building.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization94 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly in the late game where frame rates can drop drastically as colony size increases. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly on lower settings and with fewer buildings, others highlighted the need for better AI management and logistics systems to enhance efficiency. Overall, while there have been improvements with patches, the consensus is that the game still requires further optimization to handle larger-scale gameplay effectively.

    • “Overall, the game on release was okay - 6/10, but it's definitely improved with various expansions and gameplay, and game performance has improved immensely.”
    • “One kudos for the optimization of the game - I played at a steady 120fps with a 2080 RTX throughout, and 32:9 is supported natively.”
    • “I can appreciate what the game is trying to do, using the tried and true model of logistics and optimization.”
    • “The game has a lot of potential and interesting ideas, but it really isn't optimized at all.”
    • “My only real complaint is that it has a serious optimization issue that causes FPS to steadily drop as you progress and build up your colony.”
    • “Performance in late game (1200+ buildings) is abysmal.”
  • stability62 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users have experienced game-breaking errors, particularly as their colonies grow, leading to frustration and, in some cases, uninstallation. While some appreciate the story and core mechanics, the overall consensus is that the game remains too buggy and unpolished for a full recommendation.

    • “Runs great on ge-proton7-31.”
    • “+ no bugs, no glitches, no crashes.”
    • “Bug free as far as my experience.”
    • “Conclusion: uninstalled and tagged as 'buggy mess'.”
    • “The game itself has an interesting story and decent base building but is very buggy.”
    • “Exceptionally buggy; this should not be out of development. In 70 minutes, I saw 10+ game-breaking bugs.”
  • emotional36 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its deeply engaging narrative and character development, particularly through the protagonist, Ami, which resonates strongly with players. While many praise the heartfelt storytelling and immersive experience, some critiques point to moments where the emotional tone feels forced or out of place, detracting from the overall impact. Despite these inconsistencies, the game successfully evokes a range of emotions, from pride and attachment to frustration, making it a unique experience in the city-building genre.

    • “Absolutely amazing and emotionally deep campaign & game mechanics.”
    • “I have never had a moment in which a game's story made me so proud of what I had accomplished that I cried, but it happened this time.”
    • “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 uninteresting.”
    • “It's a pretty relaxing city builder, with a boring story tacked onto it.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in the absurdities of gameplay mechanics, such as building ports on a waterless planet and the irony of advanced technology failing to provide efficient transportation. While some moments elicit genuine laughter, the overall experience is marred by tediousness and technical issues, leading to a sense of frustration rather than consistent enjoyment. Despite these flaws, the game's quirky elements and the AI's antics offer some entertaining moments that players appreciate.

    • “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.”
    • “A very funny moment at the end of the game when the camera was scrolling across the surface.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over the disparity between advertised content and actual gameplay. Many recommend avoiding purchases, suggesting that the quality does not justify the cost.

    • “Save your money, don't buy this trash. All the products made by the dev team are of the same low-quality cash grab.”
    • “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 a pure scenario event thing... but that's most of the game!”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is notable for its storyline branching and depth, which is uncommon in similar titles. Players appreciate the excellent voice acting and the focus on the protagonist Ami's internal monologue, providing valuable insights into her thoughts and enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

    • “Despite caring for our colony, there is some storyline branching and character development, which is not common in this type of game.”
    • “Among this game's many fine points, including an excellent UI and story/character development not often found in these types of games, the excellent voice acting stands out as a particular highlight.”
    • “This isn't really even the main story, though, which seems to be about Ami's character development. Her internal monologue and reflections are really interesting as a storytelling device and allow you to gain 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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy Per Aspera

Play time

18hMedian play time
21hAverage play time
6-23hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 55 analyzed playthroughs

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