Planet Nomads

Planet Nomads is a sci-fi sandbox game that allows you to build and manipulate structures in a procedurally generated alien world. Survive by gathering resources, crafting tools, and creating technology to protect yourself from the planet's dangerous wildlife. Experience a blend of survival, engineering, and exploration as you navigate through different biomes and uncover the mysteries of the planet.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 901 reviews

story28 positive mentions

optimization20 negative mentions

The game has a solid building system that allows for creative vehicle and base designs.
The graphics and environment are visually appealing, providing a beautiful world to explore.
The developers are responsive to community feedback and regularly update the game.

The game suffers from performance issues, including low frame rates and lag, especially during vehicle operation.
There is a lack of content and variety in gameplay, leading to repetitive experiences.
The absence of multiplayer and a more engaging storyline limits the game's long-term appeal.

story
178 mentions
16 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as underdeveloped and lacking depth, with many players feeling it was tacked on rather than integral to the gameplay. While some find the premise intriguing, the execution is criticized for being generic and not engaging enough to sustain interest, often overshadowed by the more robust building and crafting mechanics. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as minimal, with players expressing a desire for a more fleshed-out storyline and meaningful objectives.
- “The story is something to do with your ship of thousands of scientists crash landing on this planet, killing everyone but you.”
- “The story is told in a way that is reminiscent of Subnautica, in logs that are found at crash sites and by scanning alien tech and structures.”
- “There is a kind of overarching storyline, there is good reason to build multiple bases as well as mobile units, and there's good reason to do lots of exploring.”
- “There is a semblance of a story, but it feels like it was shoehorned in after the fact and doesn't really add a whole lot to the game.”
- “The story is very light, but in most of these games this isn't so important at all.”
- “The story feels like they just rushed it with repetitive content and little to no voice acting just to get it out of early access.”
graphics
146 mentions
47 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the vibrant colors and detailed environments that create an immersive experience. However, several users criticize the low poly models and optimization issues, noting that the visuals can feel outdated or inconsistent, especially when compared to the original trailers. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, there are significant concerns regarding performance and the need for further updates to enhance visual quality.
- “The game's graphics and sound design are also impressive, with detailed environments and immersive sound effects that make the game's world feel alive.”
- “The graphics are beyond breathtaking, the sound quality and background noise is completely immersive and epic in its emotional grip on the player while traversing the planet, harvesting resources, toiling endlessly with block placement and design and surviving all the perils the planet has to offer.”
- “Graphics are stunning, immersion is great, I only hope the devs will continue updating it as it is already beating the competition... totally recommended!!!!”
- “The biggest problem I have with this game is the visuals; they seem to lean towards a realistic look in their textures, but with the low poly models they’re using for the scenery, it feels like something out of a game from the early 2000s.”
- “The graphics are an okay level, nothing extraordinary; the sound design is poor, especially the combat sound.”
- “Keep in mind that graphic settings were already dumbed down to only medium settings (150+ fps) throughout my gameplay, and with those settings, the scenery is absolutely atrocious and the draw distance around your ship/rover is only the very immediate 50-100m vicinity.”
gameplay
137 mentions
27 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is characterized by a mix of intriguing mechanics and significant issues, including bugs and a lack of intuitive controls, which can frustrate players. While the vehicle building and crafting systems offer depth and potential for creativity, many users feel that the overall experience is hampered by incomplete features, a lack of direction, and performance problems. Despite these drawbacks, some players appreciate the casual, sandbox nature of the game and find enjoyment in the building mechanics once they overcome the initial learning curve.
- “A light sandbox, not too complicated, good for just chilling and casual gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is functional, and vehicle building has surprising depth and interactivity.”
- “Finding the perfect balance between the power, weight, features, and design of the vehicles, coming up with new inventions and never-ending improvements of the existing ones, all that while exploring and taking care of food and resources, made me sink in hours and hours of immersive gameplay.”
- “There are broken and incomplete gameplay elements involved in this product.”
- “The game claims it is a released version, while in fact it's just a demo of some basic mechanics.”
- “The vehicle mechanics are still buggy and have not improved at all.”
optimization
75 mentions
9 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues such as stuttering, lag, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. Despite some users experiencing decent performance, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, lacking essential features and requiring significant improvements to its physics calculations and rendering. Many players express hope for future updates to address these optimization concerns, but currently, the game's performance remains a major drawback.
- “The performance is surprisingly good for an early access game and plenty of settings in the options to make the game work on my computer.”
- “Optimization still hasn't happened and the game is just as unplayable... even at the 'low' graphics setting.”
- “The game has room for a lot more features, polishing, and optimization which I'm certain the creators know.”
- “Love the game but sadly the stuttering and lag with larger ships/vehicles really ruins it.”
- “I have a high performance computer and I still, after all this time and turning it way down, have constant lag and crashes to desktop.”
- “Memory leaks, poor thread optimization, and performance problems render this title unplayable on a 9900k with 2080ti.”
stability
74 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay despite these issues, many express frustration over vehicle mechanics, terrain rendering problems, and frequent freezes, particularly during autosaves. Overall, the game feels unfinished and in need of substantial fixes to improve stability and performance.
- “This game runs great and as it should.”
- “It runs great; the story mode helps you learn.”
- “The physics are glitchy and vehicles and structures can catapult into the air when dismantling or fall through the floor and vanish into the earth. The winch, which is a really needed tool as vehicles flip over easily, also glitches out and rarely works properly.”
- “The game starts off smooth, but after being in it for 15-20 hours, the UI glitches, random death can occur, falling through your ships/vehicles may happen, and the game will simply crash.”
- “It's great until you start getting somewhere, then it just becomes buggy and laggy.”
grinding
54 mentions
6 % positive mentions
-4 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant focus on grinding in the game, particularly in the early hours, where players often find themselves engaged in repetitive tasks to gather resources and build structures. While some players appreciate the grind as a relaxing aspect of gameplay, many criticize it for being tedious and lacking meaningful engagement, with a desire for better balance between grinding and other game elements like combat and exploration. Overall, the grinding experience varies widely among players, with some finding it enjoyable and others deeming it excessive and detrimental to the overall experience.
- “You can actually explore in this game, because every second is not spent grinding.”
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding, as it allows for meaningful progression.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are balanced, making it enjoyable rather than tedious.”
- “The first 5-8 hours are nothing but boring grinding and running up-and-down for new part receipts.”
- “I don't mind grinding or a few hours of crafting, but when there is really no rhyme or reason to it other than to mine and craft some more, then what do you really do?”
- “In any case, this game is tedious and clunky, and it takes forever to build a base.”
music
22 mentions
41 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as peaceful and immersive, enhancing the overall atmosphere and complementing the serene environments. While many players appreciate the soundtrack and some even purchased it as DLC, there are criticisms regarding repetitive tracks, particularly in specific scenarios like combat or animal encounters. Overall, the music contributes positively to the gaming experience, though some players wish for more variety and the ability to use their own music.
- “The music is peaceful and relaxing, and fits the game's calm demeanor rather well.”
- “I like the soundtrack a lot and even purchased it as DLC.”
- “Planet Nomads is immersive because of the beautiful environments, top-notch soundtrack, and the ease of play.”
- “I can't count the monolith area as music because it's not, and it's an irritating sound.”
- “Also, the music loop that plays when you aggro an animal drones on and on, and you'll quickly want to turn it off.”
- “And the music gets repetitive after a while.”
atmosphere
11 mentions
73 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant visuals, diverse and beautifully designed flora and fauna, and immersive sound design that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique charm of the world, which encourages exploration and offers a captivating blend of crafting and adventure elements. The atmospheric ambiance, complemented by a fitting soundtrack, contributes to a sense of solitude and wonder that keeps players engaged for hours.
- “The fauna and flora is diverse and beautifully drawn (and deadly!) For me, the best reward is exploring the atmospheric, beautiful planet (nice soundtrack, too!) I stayed in the game for hours on my first playthrough.”
- “Sound design coupled with music forms a very atmospheric ambience.”
- “The world is atmospheric and has its own unique charm.”
- “It took me some time to delve into the crafting atmosphere as I am more of an RPG player.”
- “Taking off from the surface, flying directly into space and being able to enter another planet's atmosphere and land on that planet.”
- “Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe the balance, maybe the solitude - it just feels right.”
humor
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky bugs and the creative possibilities it offers players, leading to amusing situations, such as unexpected character respawns and the playful manipulation of game physics. Players find joy in experimenting with the game's mechanics, often resulting in humorous outcomes that enhance their overall experience. Overall, the combination of funny glitches and the freedom to creatively interact with the environment contributes to a lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere.
- “I just think it’s funny that a planet with lots of plants and animals doesn’t have fish.”
- “The game never crashed on me, but it has a funny bug... once you start using transporters, when you restart the game, your character re-spawns at the last transporter you used.”
- “It is enough to stay in one place and try to find funny ways to abuse blocks for purposes they are not intended to.”
replayability
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for players who enjoy experimenting with building and resource management. While some users appreciate the ability to tweak planet settings and explore different gameplay styles, others feel that the limited content, such as few animal species and monotonous biomes, detracts from long-term engagement. Ultimately, the game's replay value is seen as mixed, with potential for creativity but constrained by its basic state and lack of variety.
- “There is a good sense of progression and a bunch of replayability if you enjoy building things and beating the game in different ways.”
- “Good replayability thanks to the ability to tweak the planet settings: after the first playthrough, I started a second planet: much bigger, mostly ocean, scattered islands with dramatic mountains and deep valleys, and the gameplay got a new twist and inspired further experiments with waterborne vehicles and bases.”
- “I have played many survival and crafting games, and I have to say this game is quite well designed and nicely balanced. I have been hooked for 3 days now, and I see lots of replay value potential!”
- “In regards to replayability - when I finished the story and was teleported back to my end base on the planet, I suddenly felt that there's nothing more left.”
- “There are only six animal species on the planet, not many levels of gear to progress to, the biomes and terrain get to be pretty monotonous... but the real replay value is in the variety of ways you can build and manage your resources; can I build a chopper without leaving spawn?”
- “I still can't recommend the game, as it only has little content and not much replay value :(”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotional experiences with the game, highlighting its breathtaking graphics and immersive sound that enhance the emotional journey. However, the loneliness of solo play can be draining, leading to feelings of frustration and isolation, particularly when faced with gameplay challenges. Despite these issues, many still find a deep emotional connection to the game, appreciating its beauty and the effort required to navigate its world.
- “The graphics are beyond breathtaking, the sound quality and background noise is completely immersive and epic in its emotional grip on the player while traversing the planet, harvesting resources, toiling endlessly with block placement and design, and surviving all the perils the planet has to offer.”
- “I wanted to like it... I played it a lot... but without other people to play, explore, and work together, the game is emotionally draining at best and depressingly lonely at worst.”
- “So, once again I'm more than happy to give it a very heartfelt thumbs up.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game lacks deep and rich storytelling, resulting in minimal character development, which may disappoint players seeking a more immersive narrative experience.