Planet S

About

Planet S is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Glimmerlight Games and was released on October 28, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

Planet S is a real-time strategy game where your goal is to colonize multiple planets in a solar system to advance your civilization, build a city and supply it to grow your faction.

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,592 reviews

gameplay25 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

The game is free and surprisingly fun, offering a unique blend of city-building and strategy elements.
It runs smoothly on low-end PCs, making it accessible to a wide range of players.
The multiplayer aspect adds a layer of enjoyment, allowing players to compete or cooperate with friends.

The tutorial is lacking, leaving players confused about key mechanics and how to progress.
There are frequent crashes and bugs, particularly when trying to load saves or during multiplayer sessions.
The AI can be overly aggressive, making it difficult for new players to enjoy the game without being overwhelmed.

gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The gameplay of this indie city-building game is praised for its engaging mechanics and addictive loop, offering a mix of casual and strategic elements that can be both relaxing and challenging. Players appreciate the depth of resource management and the sandbox feel, although some note that the learning curve can be steep due to limited tutorials. Overall, the game is considered a hidden gem with a rewarding progression system, despite some minor flaws in interface and complexity.
- “Genuinely one of the best hidden gems I've found; it can be both relaxing and stressful, but either way, it's an amazing and fun indie game for any city-building lovers looking for a relaxed, free game. Its music is calming, the gameplay is casual yet fun. I give it a strong 8/10.”
- “Endless possibilities, smooth gameplay, difficulty control, everything... I just love it.”
- “This game really is exceptional; it's got a captivating gameplay loop with a good sense of progression.”
- “It roughly introduces you to how some of the mechanics work but leaves out a lot.”
- “Also overall gameplay, despite there not being much to do, is full of noob traps, choices which are clearly wrong but they appear as such only after being taken.”
- “Yeah, sure, you'd expect it to be free in its unfinished state, and the gameplay is nothing to write home about at the moment.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the low-poly art style and cute visuals, while others find them basic and in need of refinement. Despite occasional graphical bugs and performance issues, many users enjoy the aesthetic and consider it fitting for the game's relaxing gameplay. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the graphics are deemed charming and suitable for a free-to-play title.
- “The graphics are good, and for the low-low price of nothing, it's a steal.”
- “Beautiful visuals, smooth FPS.”
- “Great graphics.”
- “My only issue is the choices the dev took with the art style of the game.”
- “It's nothing objectively bad, but the aesthetic here is just completely unsuited for a space game.”
- “Its not going to blow you away in terms of graphics or models.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The music in the game is generally described as calming and relaxing, enhancing the overall experience, especially in multiplayer settings. However, some players note that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness, particularly during solo play. Despite this, many appreciate the soundtrack as a pleasant backdrop that complements the casual gameplay.
- “Very relaxing game and music also.”
- “Genuinely one of the best hidden gems I've found, can be both relaxing and stressful but either way it's an amazing and fun indie game for any city build lovers looking for a relaxed, free game. Its music is calming, the gameplay is casual yet fun; I give it a strong 8/10.”
- “The soundtrack is peaceful and relaxing music, which for a change I didn't actually mute after the first hour!”
- “1st, it's better with friends, solo can and will get boring fast since there's not much engaging, you wait for resources while listening to the same 3 sound tracks.”
- “The same music plays over and over.”
- “The soundtrack is peaceful/relaxing music which for a change I didn't actually mute after the first hour!”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
7%
85%
Reviews indicate that while the gameplay can be enjoyable initially, it often becomes tedious and grind-heavy as players progress. Many users find the interface confusing and the repetitive tasks, such as managing resources and navigating complex menus, detract from the overall experience. Although some appreciate the casual building elements, the lack of depth and the necessity for extensive grinding can make the game feel like a chore over time.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The concept is decent and it has some mild value as a casual building game; but it's lacking in depth and once you understand the interface (which isn't well explained, for example how to set up a trade system is needlessly tedious); there's just not much else to do once you're beyond the learning curve.”
- “Laying down farms is tedious and feels like busy work since it has little benefit other than just putting down a bigger building.”
- “It's fun for an afternoon until it gets excessively tedious.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
10%
60%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing it as a misleading advertisement that requires a $6 DLC purchase to access the full campaign, while others praise a different game for being completely free with no in-game purchases or ads, highlighting its quality and regular updates. Overall, the sentiment reflects frustration over deceptive monetization practices in some titles, contrasted with appreciation for genuinely free games that offer substantial content without additional costs.
- “It has good graphics, lots of gameplay, and updates regularly while having no price tag and no in-game purchases.”
- “Hard to downvote a free game with no microtransactions.”
- “Genuinely 9-10/10, incredible game, free, no ads, microtransactions, or even skins.”
- “We must instead review this for what it is... an advertisement.”
- “In order to actually play the game, you need to shell out a whopping $6 USD to buy the DLC for it, which unlocks the campaign.”
- “The developer deliberately and wilfully set out to mislead gamers by dumping an incomplete advertisement, a non-free product, onto Steam, with the expectation it would lead to sales.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The stability of the game has received mixed feedback, with users reporting various bugs, particularly related to trade routes and multiplayer functionality. Many players experience freezing issues that require them to close the game or restart their computers, leading to concerns about overheating. While some users find the game enjoyable and acknowledge its early access status, the stability problems significantly impact the overall experience.
- “Don't pay attention to the system requirements because they are wrong; I have an Intel Iris Xe graphics in my laptop, and it runs great with ultra graphics.”
- “Maybe I'm just too stupid or the trade routes are buggy... couldn't find anything online on the topic, not gonna play anymore unless this gets fixed :/”
- “Tries to place something, the game freezes and has to be closed.”
- “I want to know why the game after 5 to 10 minutes of playing just freezes and my computer begins to overheat. This never happens in other games that I play; I have played games that are harder to run than this, and still this is the only game that causes my PC to start chugging hard.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The reviews indicate a lack of a compelling story, with players suggesting that the game could benefit from a more engaging narrative or tutorial to enhance player immersion. While some appreciate the casual gameplay, they note that the minimal story and small map detract from the overall experience.
- “In Anno, you can spend time on quests and interacting with NPCs.”
- “This is a story of travel in the solar system, the memory is also super small, can be used as a casual small game to play.”
- “☑ no story”
- “Cool game.. needs better tutorial though.. and missions too...”
- “And maybe you can make some scenario to get people hooked up in the tutorial, a small story to get people engaged.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both fun and entertaining, especially when playing with friends. Many reviews highlight the game's comedic elements, making it enjoyable whether solo or in a group setting. Overall, the humor adds a significant layer of enjoyment to the gameplay experience.
- “Very fun and funny game.”
- “Fun little strategy game that is super funny and enjoyable, whether playing alone or with friends.”
- “You can also play with your friends (up to 4 in the same game) - it's really funny, you should try that!”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, with a chilled-out intro that effectively draws players in. Users appreciate the ability to take their time and enjoy the environment, making it a perfect choice for those looking to unwind without the pressure of fast-paced gameplay. The presence of unique elements, like an invisible pirate ship, adds an intriguing layer to the overall experience.
- “The chilled out intro is nice - the atmospherics draw you in.”
- “I'm enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the game; I don't have to rush to do stuff. I can sit back and wait for resources to build up, making it a great game for combating boredom when I'm too tired for my high-action games.”
- “There was a pirate ship in my planet's atmosphere that nobody else could see, and it would attack anything next to it.”
- “Not waiting for the ships to go under the atmosphere to kill it.”
- “There was a pirate ship in my planet's atmosphere that nobody else could see and would attack anything next to it.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users praising its price-to-performance ratio, while others report significant issues, including frequent FPS drops when managing larger builds. Overall, there is a consensus that the game could benefit from improved optimization to enhance performance.
- “Great game with excellent price to performance.”
- “The graphics are good, but there could be better optimization; I experience FPS drops every 3-5 minutes when I build more than 30 buildings.”
- “Poorly optimized, broken game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's simple mechanics limit its replay value, though some players find it highly replayable. Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed.
- “Seems very replayable.”
- “The simple nature of the game doesn't really lend itself to much replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of diverse gameplay mechanics makes it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”