Planets Under Attack

A fast-paced strategy game for adrenaline junkies wanting instant gratification for their victories, and no time invested in their soul crushing losses. It serves as a litmus test for those new to the strategy genre and wanting a game without complicated gameplay to make their brain explode.

71%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

replayability, monetization

69% User Score Based on 517 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Planets Under Attack is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Targem Games and was released on September 27, 2012. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Planets under Attack offers a surprising depth of gameplay, while its intuitive controls allow even casual gamers to pick it up and feel comfortable immediately. In addition to the addicting gameplay, Planets under Attack is an obvious labor of love.

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Play Modes

+13

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 517 reviews

gameplay23 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

Easy to learn with a surprisingly deep and addictive strategic gameplay loop involving planet conquest, upgrading, and resource management.
Charming cartoon-style graphics and sound effects that contribute to a fun and engaging atmosphere.
Multiplayer modes including local and online PVP add replay value and provide chaotic, enjoyable matches with friends.

Difficulty spikes harshly around mid-campaign, making levels nearly impossible even on easy and causing frustration due to perceived AI cheating and few viable strategies.
Limited control over units and clunky mechanics like holding mouse buttons to send ships reduce micromanagement and player agency.
False advertising regarding co-op mode; multiplayer is competitive only with no option to team up against AI, leading to player disappointment.

gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The gameplay is largely described as simple, intuitive, and addictive, with a core mechanic focused on conquering and upgrading planets that offers a surprising amount of depth despite its minimalist design. While some appreciate the balance between challenge and accessibility, others find it repetitive, lacking variety, and occasionally frustrating due to controls or difficulty spikes. Overall, it appeals to players seeking a straightforward strategy experience mixed with unique twists and social dynamics, though it may disappoint those expecting complex mechanics, narrative depth, or diverse gameplay systems.
- “Addictive 'one more try' gameplay.”
- “Unlocking technologies actually changes gameplay.”
- “With easy to understand gameplay mechanics, varying stages with their own unique layout of planets and a well balancing between speed of decision making and tactics, it has easy-to-grasp, focused concept which brings a lot of satisfaction from playing.”
- “However, players expecting broader gameplay systems, competitive modes, narrative progression, or general-audience community activities may feel out of place.”
- “The game mechanics are oversimplified and become dull on the second level.”
- “The core gameplay loop is a repetitive drag and drop of ships on unclaimed systems.”
story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
83%
5%
The game's story is minimal and often criticized for being shallow, repetitive, and poorly balanced in difficulty, leading to frustration and locked content unless harder challenges are completed. While some players appreciate the basic narrative and mission setup as a backdrop for improving skills, many find the campaign tedious and unengaging compared to the multiplayer experience. Overall, the story serves more as a functional framework than a compelling or deep narrative element.
- “Its foundation lies in player expression, interpersonal interaction, and the creation of a shared digital space where community behavior defines the experience more than any developer-authored story.”
- “Social hubs—a mix of lounges, party venues, scenic locations, or hidden corners—serve as stages for emergent storytelling, spontaneous role-play, or casual conversation.”
- “The story is about an entrepreneur who goes looking for riches in an uncharted area of space while being hounded by intergalactic debt collectors.”
- “There is no story or contiguous campaign to make the gameplay meaningful.”
- “However, after hours of playing, I wasn't able to continue the story.”
- “Next mission was locked and the only way to unlock it was to finish levels on the hard difficulty.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
53%
6%
The game features charming, cartoon-style graphics with sharp visuals and a unique art style that blends well with its casual strategy gameplay. While some reviewers find the graphics beautiful, polished, and fitting the tone, others see them as dull, outdated, or repetitive, though generally they contribute positively to the game's accessible and fun atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are appreciated for their clean, colorful, and somewhat retro aesthetic that complements the gameplay despite occasional criticisms.
- “Planets under attack is a surprisingly addictive lite strategy game with a charming cartoon art style that's easy to pick up — you're commanding swarms of ships to capture planets, upgrade them, and overwhelm your enemies in a satisfying loop.”
- “Which is accompanied by stunning cartoon like graphics, bringing a full package of awesome together.”
- “From the ships to the planets, everything has an essence of its own, with a memorable soundtrack and comical sound effects breathing life into the visuals.”
- “The game feels outdated with dull graphics, frustrating controls, and uninspired gameplay that makes it hard to enjoy today.”
- “"Cheap" is the only good thing of this game, but not worth it because the poor graphics are bad company for raw numbers and a suspiciously ultra-speedy calculator AI.”
- “There is a lack of change in scenery as there are layout choices but the overall visuals never deviate from what is seen on face value.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
The music in the game is generally praised for being enjoyable, soothing, and upbeat, with a memorable and charming soundtrack that complements the visuals well. However, several reviewers note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, which may reduce its appeal during extended play. Overall, the sound and music enhance the game's atmosphere despite some repetition.
- “There is very soothing yet enjoyable background music in the game while you are playing, adding to the overall gameplay and improving it.”
- “From the ships to the planets, everything has an essence of its own, with a memorable soundtrack and comical sound effects breathing life into the visuals.”
- “All character voices are beautifully spoken as I know them, and the music isn't annoying for me - 10/10.”
- “My only complaint is the soundtrack is decent but a bit repetitive.”
- “While I do enjoy this game's personality, visuals, and soundtrack, the gameplay is weird and unbalanced. The execution is overly simple and formulaic, making it tiring and repetitive. They could have expanded the gameplay and balanced the AI to improve the experience.”
- “Decent music.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game offers strong replayability, especially for players who enjoy high scores, multiple difficulty levels, and multiplayer modes. While only two playable races are available, the inclusion of numerous achievements, challenges, and unlockables further enhances long-term engagement. Overall, the multiplayer experience significantly boosts the game's replay value.
- “With 3 levels of difficulty, I see some good replay value ahead.”
- “The multiplayer gives the game a lot of replay value, making it a bargain for only 10 euro.”
- “Tons of achievements, challenges, and unlockables to keep your replayability up.”
- “Wish there were more playable races; having only 2 limits replayability.”
- “Replay value depends mostly on beating high scores, which may not appeal to everyone.”
- “Although the campaign missions are fun, the multiplayer offers much better and unlimited replay value, highlighting the campaign's limited replayability.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is generally well-received, featuring amusing alien designs and humorous faction dialogues before and after battles. Players find the concept entertaining and enjoy the lighthearted, strategic gameplay. Overall, the humor adds a fun and engaging element to the experience.
- “The factions all communicate with each other before and sometimes after a fight; in most cases, the conversations are quite humorous and funny.”
- “7/10 it is a fun game to play, with beautiful graphics and humor.”
- “Funny little game with a lot of strategy.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive club-like vibe, enhanced by audio, lighting, and visual effects that complement its sensual, nightlife theme. Players also appreciate the friendly and engaging environment created by these elements.
- “Audio, lighting, and visual effects contribute to a club-like atmosphere, reinforcing the game’s sensual, nightlife-driven identity.”
- “The physics are amazing and the atmosphere is great and friendly.”
- “The first thing I noticed is the atmosphere.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Monetization in the game primarily focuses on cosmetic upgrades and avatar enhancements that often require real-world payments. While some players appreciate the game’s clear vision and style, others criticize misleading advertising, particularly regarding cooperative features that are not actually available.
- “But like many social simulators, monetization centers on cosmetic enhancements and avatar upgrades, meaning the most eye-catching personalizations tend to require real-world payment.”
- “Piece of a terrible company that claims this game is co-op but doesn't fulfill their advertising.”
- “Despite advertising it as such and asserting that it offers this capability, the game does not at this provide it.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates solid and optimized performance, particularly on Linux with Proton, delivering a mostly smooth and stable experience.
- “Solid performance on Linux with Proton.”
- “Optimized.”
- “Performance has been mostly fine.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a grindy progression that is easy but repetitive, leading to a tedious and frustrating experience for many players.
- “Game is absolutely tedious and annoying to deal with, making the grinding aspect a frustrating experience.”
- “Grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, lacking any engaging elements.”
- “The grind is repetitive and dull, which significantly detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the story is considered boring by some, certain characters evoke strong reactions, with at least one player expressing a surprising emotional response of crying.
- “Oh, and it has a boring story too, if you are into that.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the character designs, finding them visually appealing, but there is limited feedback on the depth of character development itself.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs that disrupt gameplay even within a short playtime.
- “It's too buggy to play even for 5 minutes.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Planets Under Attack Review
A fast-paced strategy game for adrenaline junkies wanting instant gratification for their victories, and no time invested in their soul crushing losses. It serves as a litmus test for those new to the strategy genre and wanting a game without complicated gameplay to make their brain explode.
Psu.com
80%

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45h Median play time

40h Average play time

30-50h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Planets Under Attack is a real-time strategy game with science fiction theme.

Planets Under Attack is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac OS, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 40 hours playing Planets Under Attack.

Planets Under Attack was released on September 27, 2012.

Planets Under Attack was developed by Targem Games.

Planets Under Attack has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Planets Under Attack for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Planets Under Attack is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Ironclad Tactics, Infested Planet, Iron Marines, Aeon Command, Tooth and Tail and others.

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