Plan B: Terraform
- February 15, 2023
- Gaddy Games
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Plan B: Terraform," players manage a space colony on a desolate alien planet, utilizing terraforming devices to create a sustainable environment. Balance resources, research upgrades, and address the needs of your colonists to ensure the colony's survival and growth. The game offers a blend of strategy and simulation, challenging players to adapt to the evolving conditions of the extraterrestrial world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fun resource management game with a unique blend of city building and terraforming mechanics.
- Relaxing gameplay that allows players to build and watch their cities grow organically.
- Great visuals and music that enhance the overall experience.
- Resource nodes deplete too quickly, leading to constant micromanagement and the need to relocate extractors.
- Water mechanics can be frustrating, as it can flood cities and disrupt production without warning.
- Lacks depth in late-game content and features, making it feel repetitive after a certain point.
- gameplay298 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its simple yet addictive mechanics, focusing on resource extraction, logistics, and city management, which many players find satisfying and engaging. While the game offers a solid foundation with intuitive controls and a charming aesthetic, some mechanics can be punishing, and the overall depth feels limited, especially in its current early access state. Players appreciate the potential for future updates to enhance gameplay complexity and address existing issues, particularly with the terraforming and resource management systems.
“Extremely satisfying gameplay, I love that all the buildings you manufacture are permanent.”
“The logistic mechanics work hand in hand with the narrative of restoring a planet to a lively state.”
“Really enjoyable resource management game - intuitive, responsive UI with flexible gameplay that allows experimentation and rewards trial and error.”
“Some of the mechanics can be punishing (cities must be at 100% supply or the resources are completely wasted, and below 50% means your city shrinks which is no fun).”
“At this point, I would prefer if the game weren't centered around terraformation at all because the lack of actual gameplay only makes it feel even shallower than it already is.”
“Factory builders generally have mechanics to automate a lot of the chores in this process, this game doesn't and that makes it tiresome to play.”
- graphics144 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming and cute art style, which is described as colorful and visually appealing, contributing to a relaxing gameplay experience. While some players noted performance issues and a lack of advanced graphical settings, the overall aesthetic is considered simple yet effective, enhancing the enjoyment of the game's mechanics. Many reviewers appreciate the balance between visual appeal and gameplay, making it accessible for both newcomers and veterans alike.
“The artwork is stunning, and the mechanics are smooth and intuitive, making it easy for both newcomers and veterans to enjoy.”
“Visuals and style are calming and pretty, honestly the most relaxing game of this type I've ever played.”
“The graphics are charming and the gameplay satisfying, if a little frustrating at times.”
“Plus, the graphics gave me a headache and made me dizzy (don't know why, though).”
“I did start to have performance issues graphics-wise; I'm playing on a GTX 980 and was getting a lot of stuttering and screen tearing.”
“Most notably, if I tab over to another window while waiting for factories to produce, when I tab back the game's graphics become hilariously garbled.”
- music134 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its relaxing and charming qualities, enhancing the overall ambiance and gameplay experience. While many players enjoy the soothing soundtrack, some have noted that it can become repetitive over time, leading to a desire for more varied tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's casual and enjoyable atmosphere.
“The soundtrack is amazing and matches the feel of the game perfectly.”
“Once you get that sustainably automated, the technology to refine resources and supply cities grows alongside you while a hauntingly nostalgic soundtrack etches itself into your subconscious to play on repeat even when you aren’t in the game.”
“Soundtrack is relaxing as hell, 10/10 - I keep whistling to the background music for hours.”
“Music gets a bit repetitive, but if you're like me, you will eventually just turn the music off and throw YouTube or a movie on your second monitor and just chill.”
“Needs more different music - the soundtrack becomes very repetitive after a few hours.”
“Its background music gets a little tiresome, but then I just turn down the volume.”
- optimization88 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate its performance in early stages and the absence of major bugs, significant issues arise in late-game scenarios, particularly with frame rates and stuttering as populations grow. Users express hope for future improvements, especially regarding graphics and resource management, but acknowledge that the game is still enjoyable despite these performance challenges. Early access status suggests that further optimizations are expected as development continues.
“Game is well optimized given the amount of stuff going on, and the dev is active on Discord should you run into any issue.”
“If you are a perfectionist on effectiveness and optimization like me, then you will love this game!”
“That game is so polished and optimized that nothing beats it right now.”
“There is a big problem with performance; even with the latest upgrade, the game feels like a slideshow when you try to speed up the time in late game.”
“Better optimization but still laggy once you get over 4 to 5 million population.”
“The performance is not optimized to handle this.”
- grinding56 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can quickly become tedious, particularly in the mid to late game, where repetitive tasks and micromanagement overshadow progression. Players express frustration with the manual rebuilding of mining sites and the lack of quality-of-life features, such as blueprints or mass placement options, which could alleviate the monotony. While some find enjoyment in the game's potential, many agree that the current grind detracts from the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“There are some issues with grinding, particularly in mid-game when it's just more of the same at a bigger scale, not so much progression per se.”
“I think Plan B: Terraform has enormous potential, but right now it's very tedious in the mid to late game and doesn't offer a lot of nuance or strategy where the actual terraforming is concerned, nor does it explain the overall plan or how city growth factors into that.”
“The game very quickly becomes very tedious and repetitive, even though the first impressions are good.”
- atmosphere46 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere effectively captures the essence of colonizing a new planet, drawing comparisons to titles like "Banished." Players appreciate the immersive experience of terraforming, with satisfying mechanics for managing greenhouse gases and creating a livable environment, though some desire deeper terraforming features and more engaging objectives. The music and pacing contribute to a chill yet engaging atmosphere, making it an addictive experience overall.
“It also captures the atmosphere of colonizing a different planet in space quite well.”
“The music is nice and atmospheric - it is satisfying to watch your cities sprawl when you fulfill their needs.”
“A lovely little game, nice atmosphere, really addictive, pacing is good (not too chill, not too hectic), difficulty curve is good, some slight early access glitches but nothing serious, already well worth the asking price.”
“Terraforming-wise, it's pretty bare bones at this point, as you can't add algae to the lakes and seas to oxygenate the atmosphere or kick off soil production via terrestrial lichen, mosses, and lithic algae (yes, algae can live in rocks) + glacial algae.”
“Interestingly, one of the game objectives is to deliberately release as many greenhouse gases as possible into the atmosphere, to bring the temperature up to tolerable levels.”
“The terraforming aspects involve putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with dedicated buildings — buildings that have other purposes don’t create greenhouse gases, which keeps the greenhouse gas level simple to control.”
- story26 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game currently lacks a substantial story, with only a brief introduction provided before players dive into gameplay. Reviewers note that there is no overarching narrative or threat to motivate players, making the experience feel somewhat aimless. As it is still in early access, many hope for a more developed story in future updates.
“It starts out really smoothly as you solve various problems to achieve your missions.”
“⚠️ For your information, the game might be too short because it's still in early access, so you might want to wait until the game has a long story to beat it like Subnautica. ⚠️”
“Unlike similar automation games, there is no story or looming threat that drives you to actually play the game.”
“The entire background story is introduced literally in 3 sentences, and then you get straight to the game.”
“Also, there is no real story yet.”
- stability22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report it as polished and largely bug-free, especially for an early access title, some still encounter occasional glitches and performance issues. Most users express optimism about ongoing development, noting that the game is playable and enjoyable despite these minor setbacks. The game runs particularly well on platforms like the Steam Deck, further enhancing its appeal.
“Very clean, polished, and bug free. I was pleasantly surprised with how playable this game is despite just coming to early access.”
“Bug free and stable for a brand new early access release.”
“Dayuuuuum, this game is smooth! Well done devs! The game is very polished already, no bugs, no glitches (except very minor clipping).”
“It can occasionally be a bit buggy, so I'm really hoping the development carries on.”
“This has the makings of a beautiful contemplative chill resource management planet sim, but right now it's still a bit too buggy to play.”
“I think this is normal, but I expected more of a graceful degradation by lowering game speed instead of stuttering and freezes.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with many reviewers noting that while the gameplay is well-executed, the scope is narrow and lacks depth for long-term engagement. Some players appreciate the addition of features like infinite resources, which enhance playability, but the consensus is that the game offers only a few dozen hours of fun before it feels repetitive.
“Love this game and the fact they added infinite resources. I'm glad the dev team is actively making this game more playable and better for the community.”
“Simple, stripped down to the fundamentals, with good replayability in the same session and multiple seeds.”
“The scope of the game isn't very broad and it's not very replayable, but what is there is very well done, so it's a good few dozen hours of fun at least depending on how good you are at this genre of games.”
“My only complaint is lack of replayability.”
“At the moment the game doesn't have much in the late game and has almost 0 replayability.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be notable, particularly due to amusing glitches like garbled graphics when switching windows. Overall, the game is described as funny and rich in content, especially for an early access title.
“Funny game with a big amount of content for early access.”
“Most notably, if I tab over to another window while waiting for factories to produce, when I tab back, the game's graphics become hilariously garbled.”
