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Planet Crafter is a single player open world simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Miju Games and was released on March 23, 2022. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Planet Crafter" is a survival and simulation game where you transform a hostile alien planet into a habitable environment. Gather resources, manage life support systems, and terraform the planet through various means such as temperature control and atmospheric composition. Overcome challenges like dangerous fauna and space missions to progress towards making the planet suitable for human life.

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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 35,845 reviews
gameplay1.2k positive mentions
grinding1.4k negative mentions

  • The graphics are vibrant and colorful, enhancing the terraforming experience and creating a charming atmosphere.
  • The gameplay loop is addictive, offering a satisfying balance of exploration, resource gathering, and base building, with a unique focus on terraforming.
  • The atmosphere is immersive and calming, with players enjoying the rewarding transformation of a barren planet into a thriving ecosystem.
  • The graphics are considered simplistic and occasionally dated, with calls for further optimization and refinement.
  • The early gameplay can feel tedious and slow-paced, with some mechanics becoming repetitive over time.
  • The story is minimal and lacks depth, often feeling like an afterthought, which detracts from the overall engagement of the game.
  • gameplay
    3,428 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Planet Crafter" is characterized by a satisfying loop of exploration, resource gathering, and base building, reminiscent of titles like Subnautica but with a unique focus on terraforming. Players enjoy the gradual transformation of the environment as they progress, although some find the mechanics repetitive and the early game slow-paced. Overall, the game offers a relaxing experience with intuitive mechanics, though it still requires polish and additional content to enhance long-term engagement.

    • “The gameplay loop is incredibly addictive, with a perfect balance of exploration, progression, and creative freedom.”
    • “The core gameplay loop revolves around transforming an inhospitable environment into a thriving ecosystem at your own pace.”
    • “The unique terraforming mechanics and tranquil exploration make it a standout title worth trying.”
    • “The gameplay feels boring as well.”
    • “To sum it up, the early gameplay loop stayed too tedious for too long, even by survival/craft standards.”
    • “At every turn, and at every unlock it felt like the devs identified what would make something a fun mechanic, and then tweaked it to be not fun.”
  • story
    2,780 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Planet Crafter" is generally described as minimal and often feels like an afterthought, with many players comparing it unfavorably to "Subnautica." While there are elements of environmental storytelling and scattered messages that hint at a larger narrative, the overall plot lacks depth and engagement, leading to a sense of repetitiveness in gameplay. Many reviewers express hope for future updates to expand the story and improve its integration with the game's mechanics, as the current narrative framework is seen as a foundation with potential for growth.

    • “It does take some commitment, but the way the story unfolds, and the planet gradually changes is so satisfying!”
    • “I do enjoy this bit of environmental storytelling of wrecks and the various audio logs you can find around.”
    • “The story is surprisingly in depth and the landscapes are beautiful.”
    • “The story is completely avoidable; I completed the game without building the messages screen.”
    • “The story is very weak with no character progression, no answers to pieces of information given such as you being an incarcerated prisoner, what Sentinel Corp as a company is, or what the rest of the world is like in this far future.”
    • “The story is almost non-existent; it's more of an easter egg.”
  • graphics
    2,092 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Planet Crafter" receive mixed feedback from players, with many appreciating the vibrant and colorful visuals that enhance the terraforming experience. While some users note that the graphics are simplistic and occasionally dated, they often emphasize that the game's engaging gameplay and satisfying progression compensate for these shortcomings. Overall, the visuals are considered charming and effective for the game's atmosphere, though there are calls for further optimization and refinement as it continues to develop.

    • “The graphics and gameplay suit the space environment; the way you explore through different stunning biomes is perfect.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, and the progression of seeing an entire planet that was mostly uninhabitable start to change is a satisfying visual, just knowing that you're the one doing it.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, with landscapes that range from barren deserts to lush, verdant valleys as you terraform the planet.”
    • “The graphics are not very high quality, but that is okay.”
    • “Graphics are meh.”
    • “The graphics are a bit dated, but the sheer size of the game in terms of being able to terraform multiple planets is great.”
  • grinding
    1,459 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "Planet Crafter" has received mixed feedback from players. Many find the early game tedious due to resource gathering and limited inventory space, while others appreciate the gradual progression and sense of accomplishment as the planet transforms. Late-game content tends to become excessively grindy, with players often feeling overwhelmed by the repetitive tasks required to unlock new technologies and achieve goals. Overall, while the game offers a satisfying loop of exploration and crafting, it can feel monotonous and tedious at times, especially for those who prefer a more streamlined experience.

    • “The crafting progression feels just right: no tedious grinding for endless resources, everything develops in a natural, organic way.”
    • “The progression is smooth and rewarding; no grindy BS, just satisfying 'aha!' moments as your base evolves from a rusty pod to a sprawling ecosystem hub.”
    • “There's very little waiting for your next materials, pretty much no grinding, and so much to build and do.”
    • “The gameplay loop is enjoyable for those who like to pick things up and squirrel them away; however, it is tedious and slow-paced.”
    • “This game just felt so very grindy, with not much payoff other than seeing the environment slowly change with each needed machine or upgrade. I finally said, 'you know, I'm bored of running to grab more iron, just so the progress bar will move a little faster,' and I moved on to another game.”
    • “The main terraforming loop was incredibly fun at first, but then slowly started to become repetitive and grindy, and I kept looking for ways to skip ahead using higher tiers of machinery or materials rather than enjoying the journey.”
  • atmosphere
    744 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Planet Crafter" is widely praised for its immersive and evolving nature, as players witness the transformation of a barren planet into a lush, habitable environment. The game's calming visuals, serene soundtrack, and satisfying progression mechanics create a relaxing experience, allowing players to enjoy the gradual changes in the atmosphere, such as the emergence of blue skies, water, and plant life. However, some players note inconsistencies in the game's scientific accuracy and express a desire for more dynamic challenges as the atmosphere becomes breathable, leading to a shift in gameplay focus.

    • “The atmosphere is beautiful and calming, the world design is creative, and the sense of progression is extremely well-paced.”
    • “Watching an empty, hostile planet slowly turn into a living world with water, plants, and atmosphere is genuinely rewarding and feels meaningful.”
    • “The immersive atmosphere, combined with stunning visual effects and a dynamic weather system, keeps players engaged as they witness their efforts visibly altering the planet's ecosystem.”
    • “The atmosphere stops visually thickening, despite you pumping in somewhere about 1,000,000 times the gas you were at the start of the game into the atmosphere.”
    • “Similarly, its weird habit of changing the saturation of the atmosphere depending on the biome and making this unrealistically dark on occasion leaves you feeling sick and eye strained.”
    • “Once you reach the breathable atmosphere stage, the game changes drastically.”
  • music
    720 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a mixed response from players, with many praising its relaxing and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. However, several reviews noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, with a desire for more variety and additional tracks to match the evolving gameplay. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, there is a consensus that it could benefit from further development and expansion.

    • “The music is soothing, and the sound effects are chilling in the best ways possible.”
    • “The soundtrack is beautiful and perfectly complements the feeling of solitude and discovery.”
    • “The music is one of the game's most subtle forms of genius, because just when you're starting to think it's good but lonesome and a little repetitive, it starts to tug at your heartstrings with rising, hopeful tunes that are introduced bit-by-bit as you progress along your terraforming journey.”
    • “The only downside to this game is the soundtrack in the game could be better but otherwise great game!”
    • “Music exists, but that’s about it - it doesn’t add much to the experience.”
    • “The music is decent but repetitive.”
  • stability
    546 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting a variety of bugs and glitches, including visual issues, terrain clipping, and occasional crashes. While some users found these glitches to be humorous or manageable, others experienced significant frustration, particularly with game freezes and loss of progress. Overall, the game is seen as needing further optimization and polish, but many players still find it enjoyable despite its current state.

    • “The game runs great on Linux and starts up quickly, making it easy to play in short segments and pause and come back to as needed.”
    • “This game is a real gem; it runs great and is more polished and complete in early access than a lot of fully released AAA games.”
    • “It works great, graphics are great, and the game runs very stable, with no lag, freezes, or crashes.”
    • “The game is so buggy it's barely able to play; the game crashed so many times.”
    • “It's easy to get stuck in walls or terrain, and the game has a lot of glitches that can ruin the experience.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess; I had to reboot my computer every time I wanted to play again because the game hard freezes the whole PC.”
  • optimization
    429 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios where frame rates can drop dramatically due to the accumulation of in-game elements. While some users report smooth performance on lower-end systems and commend the developers for ongoing improvements, others express frustration over graphical glitches, stuttering, and a lack of customizable settings to enhance performance. Overall, while the game shows potential, it still requires substantial optimization work to address these concerns.

    • “It's very well optimized on the engine side though; I can drop hundreds of random things on the floor and my frames don't dip.”
    • “The game runs smoothly, and it’s incredibly satisfying to see your world evolve.”
    • “For being an early access game, it runs smoothly and the crafting is very satisfying.”
    • “The game is not optimized for performance; it's like they didn't try at all.”
    • “Until you run into the onslaught of bugs, graphical glitches, and just god-awful optimization.”
    • “The only problem with it is that it's in dire need of optimization work - not that the game performs badly, but that LOD quality is too variable, with jarring pop-in and low-detail models that look nothing like high-detail, and areas with no LOD at all.”
  • replayability
    340 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers enjoyable experiences and hours of gameplay, it suffers from a lack of procedural generation and limited map variety, which can lead to repetitive playthroughs. Some players appreciate the ability to customize settings and explore different strategies, while others feel that once the map is fully explored, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly. Overall, the potential for replayability exists, especially with future updates and DLC, but current limitations may deter some players from multiple playthroughs.

    • “This game has a replayability that will keep it relevant for a long time.”
    • “The addition of the ability to go planet to planet has added a lot to this game and added some replay value it really needed.”
    • “The game is very fun and replayable, although there are a few minor bugs that can make the experience a bit more uncomfortable.”
    • “The worst offense this game commits beyond being so static in its terraforming (leaving absolutely zero replayability on the table) is that the pinhole flashlight makes you feel nauseous and claustrophobic when exploring debris because of how dark the rest of the screen is.”
    • “The very straightforward goal of just terraforming the planet makes for very poor replayability, with the only thing worth replaying the game for at all being base building, for which you have to progress pretty far in the game.”
    • “The game is not very replayable as there's only one map and it's not so much fun anymore once you know it (as well as what's going to happen, what is going to matter, etc.).”
  • humor
    133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the quirky glitches, amusing physics, and lighthearted moments that arise during gameplay. Many reviews mention the comedic potential of bugs and unexpected interactions, such as hilarious vehicle mechanics and the absurdity of certain game elements, which contribute to an overall fun and entertaining experience. Additionally, the game's environmental storytelling and character interactions often elicit laughter, making it a delightful choice for those seeking a humorous gaming experience.

    • “His hilarious time side stepping the mission intrigued me enough to check it out myself, and I was not disappointed.”
    • “Funny animals make me happy.”
    • “The game has bugs, but half the fun was laughing at weird physics or scaring ourselves trying to figure out how anything worked.”
  • emotional
    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players frequently express deep emotional connections to "The Planet Crafter," highlighting the joy and satisfaction derived from transforming barren landscapes into vibrant ecosystems. The game's mechanics evoke feelings of pride and attachment, as players witness their efforts lead to significant environmental changes, often resulting in moments of joy, nostalgia, and even tears. However, some critiques point to a lack of narrative depth and emotional stakes, suggesting that while the gameplay is rewarding, it may not fully engage players on a narrative level.

    • “It’s surprisingly emotional seeing the place transform because you made it happen.”
    • “There's something so heartwarming about restoring/seeding life to a barren planet or moon.”
    • “After hours of hard work, seeing rain on a once barren planet for the first time is an amazing emotional moment.”
  • monetization
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and aggressive advertising, which they see as a refreshing change from typical AAA titles. However, concerns have been raised about the potential for the downloadable content (DLC) to become a cash grab, as some players feel that the expansions do not significantly enhance the game and may detract from its overall value. Overall, while the developers are praised for their commitment to updates and improvements, there is a lingering apprehension about the future direction of monetization.

    • “There are no microtransactions here.”
    • “✔️ No microtransactions, no casino.”
    • “No in-game purchases.”
    • “Horrible monetization method.”
    • “According to reviews, the DLC appears to be a simple cash grab, as the planet is barren and is the same thing as the first planet.”
    • “Not to mention the disgustingly predatory monetization practices intertwined.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers emphasize that while graphics and character design are visually appealing, the true essence of character development lies in a well-structured narrative flow, which many games fail to deliver.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly connect with their characters and see them evolve throughout the story.”
    • “I love how the choices I make impact my character's growth and relationships, making every decision feel meaningful.”
    • “The backstories and personal arcs of each character are so well crafted that I found myself emotionally invested in their journeys.”
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35h Median play time
77h Average play time
15-82h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 390 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Planet Crafter is a open world simulation game with science fiction theme.

Planet Crafter is available on PC, Windows, Xbox and PlayStation.

On average players spend around 77 hours playing Planet Crafter.

Planet Crafter was released on March 23, 2022.

Planet Crafter was developed by Miju Games.

Planet Crafter has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Planet Crafter is a single player game.

Similar games include The Planet Crafter, The Planet Crafter: Prologue, ASTRONEER, Give Me Basic [Early Pack], Eden Crafters and others.