Planetiles
- April 3, 2024
- MythicOwl
"Planetiles is a calming city-builder with roguelike elements, where you create natural habitats on remote planets by strategically placing tiles. Satisfy quests to earn bonuses and unlockables, while managing resources and shaping the landscape to your will. The unique tile system and variety of planets keeps each playthrough fresh and engaging."
Reviews
- Planetiles offers a unique blend of cozy gameplay and challenging strategy, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- The game's visuals and sound design are delightful, creating a charming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- It features a well-paced progression system with satisfying unlocks, allowing players to feel a sense of accomplishment as they build their planets.
- The user interface can be confusing and difficult to navigate, especially for new players, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Some players find the game lacks a compelling hook or story, making it less engaging over time.
- The initial learning curve can be steep, with minimal tutorial guidance leading to confusion about game mechanics.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Planetiles is engaging and strategically focused, featuring innovative tile placement mechanics that appeal to fans of city-building and turn-based tactics. While the serene aesthetics and sound design enhance the experience, some players noted a lack of initial guidance and a desire for more challenges. Overall, the game offers a smooth and enjoyable experience, balancing stress and relaxation effectively.
“At times stressful, though in a good way, it has a lovely art style and sound design that offset any frustration you may be feeling when you just need that one specific tile to progress. The in-game mechanics and skills are fun, and really, not enough can be said about the delightful aesthetics that look like playdough or a children's book - it's way too cute!”
“It focuses on the core mechanics of terraforming and ecosystem management, stripping away unnecessary complexities.”
“Playing the game feels really smooth, with each action and placement fitting seamlessly into the gameplay.”
“Throws you in with almost no form of tutorial into a total onslaught of mechanics and information.”
“First few minutes of gameplay were slightly confusing, with a few UI elements being obscured on a 1920x1200 screen resolution.”
“Would love to see even more challenges or gameplay modes in the future.”
- story9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is notably lacking, with players expressing that it does not provide an engaging narrative or compelling motivation to continue playing. While the gameplay involves strategic tile placement and random missions, the absence of a cohesive story or aesthetic appeal diminishes the overall experience, leaving players feeling uninvested.
“The pieces you get are random, the missions you get are random, the disasters are random, and it's not a matter of purely solving a puzzle; you need a sound strategy to try and give yourself the best chance to get a good score or complete the optional objectives.”
“Unfortunately, it kind of lacked any hook to keep me playing: there's no story, the game isn't pretty enough to enjoy just looking at, and the unlock system would only motivate me if I cared to play in the first place.”
“The game is not going to force you to make any particular facility or complete any particular mission.”
“Unless you are pushing for a top leaderboard score, the mission goals never felt obviously out of reach no matter what kind of luck I was having.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, reminiscent of playdough or a children's book, which creates a charming and child-friendly environment. The visuals are eye-catching and well-polished, complemented by an excellent sound design that enhances the overall gaming experience. Players appreciate the delightful aesthetics that contribute to both the enjoyment and immersion of the gameplay.
“Its artwork and interface are both beautiful and unique, offering a child-friendly environment that showcases the considerable polish and quality of the game.”
“Graphics are awesome, music is awesome and works great on Steam Deck!”
“Its visuals are eye-catching and its sound design is spot-on, adding to the overall enjoyment.”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its gentle and relaxing qualities, enhancing the serene atmosphere and providing an enjoyable backdrop for gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with many expressing a desire to purchase it separately due to its quality. Overall, the music complements the game's visuals effectively, contributing to a satisfying experience.
“The game's gentle pace and relaxing soundtrack create a serene atmosphere, perfect for those seeking a calming yet intellectually stimulating experience.”
“I never pay for the sake of getting it, but this music makes me want to buy and listen.”
“The music is absolutely spot on!”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game features roguelike elements that enhance its depth and make it highly addictive, offering endless replayability. Its turn-based mechanics contribute to a dynamic experience that encourages players to return for more.
“The game is very addictive, and there's endless replayability because it's more of a turn-based roguelite than a pure puzzle game.”
“A roguelike element adds an extra layer of depth and replayability.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics leads to a repetitive experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the optimization aspect of the game, particularly enjoying the challenge of score chasing, even if they are generally not fans of endless score chase mechanics.
“While I don't like endless score chase games, I love an optimization score chase.”
“The game's optimization mechanics keep me engaged and constantly striving for improvement.”
“I appreciate how the optimization features allow for personalized strategies and unique playstyles.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end hardware.”
“I constantly experience frame drops and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
“The lack of proper optimization means that even high-end systems struggle to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a serene atmosphere enhanced by its gentle pace and relaxing soundtrack, making it ideal for players looking for a calming yet intellectually engaging experience.
“The game's gentle pace and relaxing soundtrack create a serene atmosphere, perfect for those seeking a calming yet intellectually stimulating experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck without any reported issues.
“Runs great on deck.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's emotional impact, noting that it fosters a sense of perseverance and reduces the urge to quit or restart due to unfavorable outcomes. This emotional engagement enhances the overall gaming experience.
“The game made me feel less inclined to quit and restart over and over to get better RNG.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me, making their struggles feel personal.”
“I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it left a lasting impact on my perspective.”