Primal Planet

About

Primal Planet is a single player action game. It was developed by Seethingswarm and was released on July 28, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

PERFECT FOR STEAM DECK! About the GamePrimal Planet is a solo developed metroidvania that combines survival and crafting elements with a pixel-perfect aesthetic and an action-packed story, and it's all taking place on a lush planet filled with dinosaurs. Uncover the StoryEmbark on a thrilling journey as you follow the gripping tale of a cave dweller fighting to protect his family. Survive a b…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 339 reviews

gameplay37 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

Beautiful and richly detailed pixel art with expressive animations and a cohesive prehistoric world design.
Engaging exploration with dynamic ecosystems where dinosaurs and creatures interact in believable ways, enhancing immersion.
Fun and accessible metroidvania gameplay incorporating crafting, leveling, and a companion dinosaur, suitable for solo or local co-op play.

Map system is limited and unintuitive, lacking detailed views of other areas, waypoint markers, and useful fast travel options causing frustrating backtracking.
Combat is relatively simple and can feel repetitive or unbalanced, with some hitbox issues and lack of challenging boss encounters.
Progression can be grindy at times due to scaling costs of skill upgrades and uneven pacing, with some difficulty spikes especially in underwater sections and occasional unclear objectives.

gameplay
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The gameplay offers a fun and engaging blend of metroidvania, survival, and crafting mechanics, highlighted by smooth movement, solid controls, and a charming pixel art style. While the core loop of exploration, combat, and resource gathering is enjoyable and accessible, some find the progression somewhat repetitive or shallow, with occasional pacing and mechanic inconsistencies. Overall, it provides a well-executed, heartfelt experience that appeals especially to fans of genre mashups and unique companion-driven gameplay.
- “It's got a lot of unique ideas that work with the genre mixed with conventional gameplay.”
- “Primary gameplay is fun with hunting creatures alongside your little dino buddy, and a variety of different dinosaurs bring quite a few interesting environments to life.”
- “The inclusion of a dinosaur companion adds both mechanical and emotional depth, offering assistance in combat and traversal while reinforcing the game’s themes of companionship and coexistence.”
- “While there is a lot that tries to expand the normal gameplay of hunt and bash including crafting and leveling skills, none of it really felt like it helped improve things.”
- “Gameplay is short (~10 hours for 100% completion) and rather bland.”
- “Finally, some of the gameplay doesn’t really feel like it was playtested very well.”
story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The story is simple, primarily told through silent, visual storytelling without dialogue, and effectively conveys emotional and personal themes, especially family bonds. While not plot-heavy or deeply complex, it provides meaningful context and motivation that enhance immersion and complement the gameplay. Some players found the narrative subtle yet touching, though a few noted it could feel short or have an abrupt ending.
- “The story is compelling in its simplicity, maybe especially as a husband and father.”
- “Primal planet, developed by SeethingSwarm and published by Pretty Soon, is a strikingly personal and atmospheric metroidvania that blends prehistoric survival, exploration, and emotional storytelling into a cohesive and memorable experience.”
- “The silent storytelling is genius — every movement and interaction feels intentional, evoking empathy without a single word.”
- “There will be very little details on direction, quest progression and how to finish the game.”
- “Story eh nothing particular either with direct narrative (of which it has none, no dialogue) or environmental storytelling.”
- “I suppose this would be my one gripe with the game: at the end, if like me, you're so focused on just freeing your daughter, you can easily miss the final story beat.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
22%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric, fitting, and often majestic qualities that enhance the immersive experience, blending ambient soundscapes with dynamic, context-sensitive themes. While mostly regarded as excellent and a standout feature alongside the art, a few users found the dynamic transitions jarring or the soundtrack occasionally average. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight, complementing the visuals and gameplay effectively.
- “The controls are sufficient but not tight, the graphics are incredibly charming, the music is way better than it has any right to be, and the gameplay loop doesn't rely on grinding, but definitely rewards it through upgrades.”
- “Complementing this is a soundtrack that blends ambient soundscapes with melodic themes, reinforcing mood without overpowering the experience.”
- “The music and soundtracks were super notch including the dinosaur sounds to the jungle theme songs which put a perfect touch for an amazing adventure.”
- “I find the music very average, and after a certain event at the beginning of the game, the cheerful music resumes as if nothing had happened, which broke the immersion.”
- “The dynamic music is poorly done and changes too often, which makes everything messy.”
- “The only detail I don't like about the game is that using the map cuts the music abruptly, which became kind of annoying after some time.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
26%
7%
The game's graphics feature charming and beautifully detailed pixel art that brings its unique prehistoric setting to life with impressive animation and a cozy, immersive atmosphere. While some find the pixelation a bit pronounced, the overall aesthetic is widely praised for its majesty, visual storytelling, and captivating art style that perfectly complements the gameplay. The visuals, paired with fitting lighting and environments, contribute significantly to the game's emotional and artistic appeal.
- “The graphics are some of the prettiest pixel art I've seen in recent memory, the gameplay is very solid, with a fun leveling up system, the soundtrack is really good and fits the vibe of the game well, and I really liked the characters and story!”
- “The art style is great, it's not doing anything that hasn't been seen before, at this point pixel art has been iterated on so much in the indie space that it's almost a given that pixel art games are capable of impressive art direction and animation, but this is a great example of it, with the dinosaurs and environments looking the part and animated well.”
- “However, the beauty of its graphics and the smoothness of its controls make it more than a worthy addition to any metroidvania lover's library.”
- “Graphics are a bit too pixelated for my taste, but I can easily live with that due to the total package.”
- “There is something in this product — the mesozoic-era aesthetic, the simple pixel art, the seemingly non-tedious exploration with some potential.”
- “Graphics: retro”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Primal Planet delivers a heartfelt and emotionally resonant experience through its wordless storytelling, focusing on themes of companionship, family, and survival. The bond with the dinosaur companion and the tender depiction of family relationships create a unique emotional core that deeply engages players. While not story-heavy or plot-driven, the game's atmospheric design and subtle narrative invite players to connect personally and warmly with the journey.
- “Primal Planet, developed by SeethingSwarm and published by Pretty Soon, is a strikingly personal and atmospheric metroidvania that blends prehistoric survival, exploration, and emotional storytelling into a cohesive and memorable experience.”
- “The inclusion of a dinosaur companion adds both mechanical and emotional depth, offering assistance in combat and traversal while reinforcing the game’s themes of companionship and coexistence.”
- “The game does a good job of making you care about your family by demonstrating tender and wholesome moments amongst the family members that show how much they love each other, effectively allowing you to empathize with the father and his ordeal.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Grinding in the game is notably monotonous and becomes especially prominent toward the end, with many skills requiring extensive XP farming and tedious backtracking to collect necessary items for progression. While the gameplay loop doesn't heavily rely on grinding, upgrades and 100% completion demand significant time investment, which some find frustrating due to slow progression and scarce fast travel options. However, exploration offers enough materials to avoid resource grind, and the charming art style somewhat mitigates the repetitiveness.
- “The XP needed per skill level scales fast and hard, to the point that anything above level 4-5 would take hours of grinding, as some skills cap out at level 14; thankfully, you don't need more than that in any skill to get 100% completion.”
- “Unfortunately, exploration feels criminally unrewarding and progression is very grindy since most skills require more than one point to upgrade; combined with a bad map and confusing in-game directions, this made me quit playing.”
- “It's become extremely tedious, so I will not be finishing this achievement in particular, which is a shame because I have all the others.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and rich pixel art, complemented by a highly atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the prehistoric setting. Dynamic elements like dinosaur behavior, a day/night cycle, and weather effects deepen the sense of exploration and survival, creating a memorable and emotionally engaging experience. Overall, it stands out as a thoughtfully crafted and visually striking metroidvania with a strong emphasis on mood and discovery.
- “What I love most is how immersive it is: beautiful pixel art and a surprisingly great score build atmosphere, the dinosaurs fight each other and can be distracted by food, there’s even a day/night cycle and weather system to really sell the whole setting.”
- “The art direction is beautiful, the pixel work is rich and full of character, and the music is incredibly atmospheric.”
- “Primal Planet, developed by SeethingSwarm and published by Pretty Soon, is a strikingly personal and atmospheric metroidvania that blends prehistoric survival, exploration, and emotional storytelling into a cohesive and memorable experience.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users experiencing significant bugs that hinder play, while others report smooth performance, particularly on the Steam Deck and its OLED version. Fixes are anticipated to improve overall stability.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “It also runs great on my OLED Steam Deck, perfect for couch sessions.”
- “I'm not gonna lie, this game is a buggy mess.”
- “I shall change my review once the fixes have been implemented since I have no interest in playing a buggy game currently.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and occasional, with a few funny Easter eggs that provide moments of amusement. However, it may not be consistently engaging enough to maintain everyone's interest.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game's optimization is poor, with performance issues worsening rather than improving during gameplay.
- “I started playing and fought through the opening hoping that the poor performance would subside, but it intensified.”