SimplePlanes
- December 17, 2015
- Jundroo, LLC
- 58h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"SimplePlanes" is a sandbox-style construction simulation game that allows players to build and fly their own aircraft. With realistic physics and an intuitive building system, players can design planes that range from simple gliders to complex military jets. The game also features a variety of challenges and missions to complete, as well as online sharing capabilities for custom-built planes.
iPad
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Mac OS
PC
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Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
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Reviews
- graphics337 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered simplistic and somewhat dated, often described as "meh" or reminiscent of older titles, yet they are functional and run smoothly on lower-end PCs. While some players appreciate the clean aesthetic and low-poly style, others express a desire for more modern visuals, especially given the game's potential for creativity and complex designs. Overall, the gameplay and physics are often deemed more important than the graphics, which many players find acceptable for the game's sandbox nature.
“The graphics are amazing, the interface is clear and easy to use, and the game is fun.”
“I love the amazing graphics and smooth gameplay; I highly recommend this for people that are into sandbox games.”
“Great game, has amazing graphics and music, plus the physics and the way that all of the features work is so close to the real thing!”
“The graphics are not AAA, but it surely makes up for it in gameplay and replayability.”
“The graphics are basic, but the laws of physics are not.”
“Only downside for me is the graphics; they are starting to look quite aged around Krakabola and Wright, but that's fair enough given the age of those islands.”
- gameplay318 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is characterized by a mix of fun and frustration, with many players praising its intuitive building mechanics and realistic physics, while also criticizing the flight controls and interface design. The sandbox environment allows for creative experimentation, but some find the building process tedious and the overall gameplay can become repetitive. Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique experience for those interested in aerospace mechanics and building simulations.
“Few games can teach complex mechanics so easily.”
“Amazing gameplay and easy building mechanisms that are fun and entertaining.”
“The mechanics and the physics of this game are absolutely amazing.”
“A terrible interface design that will frustrate you more than the actual half-assed flying mechanics.”
“The gameplay is limited, boredom sets in quickly, and the physics engine acts like it's on drugs.”
“I've spent 4 hours on this game now, and got pretty much nowhere as the building mechanic is just so incredibly frustrating.”
- story214 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of a cohesive narrative or campaign, with many players noting that it primarily functions as a sandbox experience focused on building and testing vehicles. While there are various missions available, they are often seen as limited and repetitive, leading to a sense of boredom over time. Players express a desire for more engaging missions and a structured storyline to enhance the overall experience.
“From racing and dogfighting to cargo delivery and rescue missions, there's always something new and exciting to try.”
“Very complex story arc, I love it.”
“I do feel like the game might have benefited from some kind of campaign with a story and some more varied maps.”
“There is not a full campaign story and it is also a game of patience when making planes or any other vehicle.”
“If that's not enough for you and you want missions and goals, don't get this game - you'll get bored very quickly.”
“I have spent 80% of my game time building and tweaking my planes, 19% of the time testing the planes, and 1% of the time actually playing missions or completing challenges.”
- music91 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as relaxing and fitting for the gameplay, creating a chill atmosphere that enhances the experience. However, some players find it bland or repetitive, suggesting that it can become annoying over time, leading many to recommend turning it off in favor of personal playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it may not appeal to everyone, and there are calls for more variety.
“The chill music combined with the pleasant atmosphere of flying around is almost therapeutic.”
“Great (if a bit dated) soundtrack that really fits the game (but can be turned off if you don't like it or want to listen to your own instead).”
“Other than that, the game is still quite great, and even with its limited scope, size, graphics, controls, avionics, and physics, it's very fun. There's nothing quite like taking off from a carrier in an F-14 at sunrise with the stock music in the background.”
“I feel sorry to post a 'not recommended' but if you want to play this game please make sure you turn off the in-game music and play your favorite songs.”
“The music is bland as hell, which, again, is probably to be expected because something more dynamic might not match the tone of what you're trying to do - dynamic combat music probably isn't going to go well if you're just trying to build a passenger jet, for instance.”
“I recommend that you turn the game's music off and make your own playlists to play in the background that fit whatever you're trying to accomplish.”
- humor88 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding joy in the absurdity of their aircraft designs and the often hilarious outcomes of their creations, such as crashes and glitches. Many reviews highlight the entertaining physics and the challenge of building functional planes, which leads to amusing failures and unexpected results. Overall, the game is described as a fun and lighthearted experience that encourages creativity and laughter.
“Reasons are: smooth for lower-end PCs and relatively good graphics for higher-end PCs, good physics, entertaining, funny achievements, hilarious glitches, and overall a beast of making planes. Oh, and I almost forgot, planes can be simple, but also absolutely complex and giant.”
“It is a really fun game to pass the time and sometimes it's funny seeing planes explode.”
“Step 5: laugh as your horrible design crashes in hilarious ways.”
- stability74 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many users reporting significant bugs, particularly in the building editor and control systems, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players find the glitches amusing and part of the fun, others note that these issues can detract from the overall experience, especially with freezing menus and inconsistent controls. Despite these problems, the game runs well on lower-end PCs and has seen improvements over time, suggesting ongoing developer support.
“Runs great even on Intel HD graphics.”
“Runs great on low-end computers.”
“Game is very buggy; plane controls invert for no reason mid-flight.”
“The game is good; however, the editor is way too buggy, to be honest.”
“Way too buggy; tried to make a jet numerous times, only for the mirror function to not work properly, then half of the plane just deconstructs and falls apart as soon as I launch in the game.”
- optimization40 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on mid to high-end hardware, users report significant performance drops and stuttering with higher part counts and on older systems. Many players find it enjoyable and accessible on lower-end PCs, but there are calls for better optimization, particularly for older hardware and keyboard controls. The game performs well in general, but some users experienced issues with load times and temperature management on laptops.
“Great sandbox, fun gameplay, and it runs smoothly enough.”
“The game is very nice and it runs smoothly on my potato PC, so you don't have to worry about buying an RTX 3000.”
“It is much less demanding in terms of performance than something like KSP, and it's enjoyable.”
“The only issue I had is the game feels poorly optimized for older hardware (Intel i3 2nd gen & Intel HD 3000) and laptop temperature rises quickly as if I was playing War Thunder without fans on.”
“Many of these super-detailed planes do fly right, but even some of those are made with so many parts that they increase load times drastically and cause some light stuttering on my system which far exceeds the recommended specs for this game - I dread to think what they'd do to the low-end systems that this game's clearly meant to work on.”
“Higher part counts can lead to lower performance, and everyone has to find their own 'part cap' through trial and error.”
- grinding38 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players feeling that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort to create and modify aircraft. Users report frustration with clunky controls, complicated building mechanics, and a lack of intuitive design options, leading to a consensus that enjoyment of the game hinges on a tolerance for repetitive tasks. Overall, while the game has potential and a supportive community, the grinding involved in the construction process detracts significantly from the experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Do you love simulation that is not tedious?”
“The capabilities of the game are cool, but the building mechanics are infuriatingly tedious and time consuming to use.”
“I cannot recommend this game unless you enjoy doing tedious things.”
“It's disgustingly tedious.”
- replayability36 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, largely due to its sandbox nature, community mods, and the ability to download user-created content, offering players endless opportunities for creativity and fun. However, some users express concerns about potential boredom over time and suggest that additional game modes or multiplayer features could enhance the experience further. Overall, while many find the game infinitely replayable, others feel it lacks depth in certain areas.
“Really fun, controls are solid, and endless replayability thanks to mods and community creations.”
“With the ability to download planes from the website, the replayability of this game is almost endless.”
“This game is incredibly versatile and has many, many hours of replay value.”
“It's good, but I feel that this deserves a more full gaming experience, some new game mode that adds replayability.”
“Replayability: 0”
“This is not a sim game, so don't expect any challenge or replay value from flying around this bland archipelago.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as both relaxing and therapeutic, enhanced by chill music and a focus on in-atmosphere flight, reminiscent of a more atmospheric version of Kerbal Space Program. While some users note issues with the physics engine, the overall experience is characterized by a sense of experimentation, action, and exploration, making it a fun and nostalgic engineering simulator. Despite its limitations, the game successfully creates a wacky and enjoyable environment for building and flying various vehicles.
“The chill music combined with the pleasant atmosphere of flying around is almost therapeutic.”
“While the game could do well with some tweaks to the physics engine, more in-depth tutorials, and the opportunity to monitor and teach about how physics works, SimplePlanes is still a beautifully presented game with an atmosphere of experimentation, action, and exploration.”
“Other than that, the game is still quite great, and even with its limited scope, size, graphics, controls, avionics, and physics, it's very fun. Not to mention, it has a very chill and relaxing atmosphere, and there's nothing quite like taking off from a carrier in an F-14 at sunrise with the stock music in the background, or just listening to 'Danger Zone.'”
“Great game, but the atmosphere physics are pretty terrible.”
“We call this the lower atmosphere.”
“Every time you crash a car, you go flying into the upper atmosphere.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively due to its low price point and absence of hidden fees or microtransactions, making it a good value for players. However, recent updates have introduced more ads, which some users feel detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, there are concerns about misleading advertising regarding game features, leading to disappointment regarding content and functionality.
“With a low price point and no hidden fees or microtransactions, it's a great value for anyone looking for a fun and engaging gaming experience.”
“It was a good game, but with more recent updates that broke how the workshop was used and with all the ads now, it's slightly less enjoyable.”
“It's a great game, but it gets boring almost immediately because the game doesn't really have that much content compared to what they are advertising.”
“Don't get fooled by the advertisements on the store; this game is basically just Lego. Trying to do anything else with it is actively forcing it to do something it feels like it was never meant to do.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, often feeling a mix of frustration and deep connection, leading to tears and a desire to replay the experience. The emotional journey is highlighted as a significant aspect, contributing to its high praise and overall enjoyment.
“10/10 would cry again”
“Made me feel like a dumbass for 4 hours but very good game”
