"Sol 0: Mars Colonization" is a real-time strategy game where players manage a crew to establish a self-sustaining colony on Mars. Overcome challenges such as managing resources, maintaining habitats, and ensuring crew survival, while furthering scientific research and exploring the Martian landscape. The game features a dynamic weather system, day/night cycles, and procedurally generated terrain for a unique experience.
The game offers a unique and engaging Mars colonization experience, allowing players to manage resources and build a colony.
Despite its bugs, the game has a charming aesthetic and a solid foundation for a fun simulation experience.
The low price point makes it an attractive option for casual players looking for a time-filler.
The game suffers from numerous bugs, particularly with AI pathfinding and unit automation, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage resources and buildings effectively.
The game lacks depth and replayability, with limited content and a steep learning curve that may deter casual players.
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
62%
16%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a linear structure and a "punishment mechanic system" that frustrates players, leading to a sense of tedium and lack of achievement. While some find the mechanics easy to learn and the challenges engaging, many criticize the game for its bugs, simplistic design, and unpolished mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Despite its potential for enjoyable colony-building simulation, the gameplay often feels repetitive and unfinished, leaving players wanting more depth and variability.
“Great game with interesting ideas and engaging gameplay.”
“The gameplay is quite simple; make sure you have food and water supply, build your base, and keep your oxygen and power supply at the required levels.”
“Sol 0 is a great colony building simulation with enjoyable yet challenging gameplay and plenty of locations to keep you busy.”
“The gameplay is quite simple; make sure you have food and water supply, build your base, and keep your oxygen/power supply to what is required.”
“I really want to like this game, but unfortunately, the mechanics applied to the game make it far more tedious than engaging.”
“What killed this game for me and made it a thumbs down was the fact that the basics/needs/support mechanics force the player to revisit over and over again the worst-designed and least-fun parts of the game.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and clean, with some users appreciating the art style while others find them below average or reminiscent of older titles. While the visuals are functional and do not hinder gameplay, there are complaints about clunky animations and a lack of depth in graphical options. Overall, the graphics are considered decent but not spectacular, with some players noting that they feel somewhat outdated or basic.
“The graphics are simple and clean, but I didn't see any issues during gameplay.”
“The graphics are good, and my integrated graphics card handles everything just fine.”
“The overall appearance of the game is solid; it’s all high quality and the graphics don’t cause any issues with actually playing the game.”
“When I first started playing this game, it was sketchy and very limited graphically.”
“The game lacks the animation, sound, and graphics to make it feel more alive.”
“Below average graphics quality.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
90%
6%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for lacking depth, as it functions primarily as a scenario simulator without a cohesive narrative. Players express a desire for a more structured campaign with interconnected missions and goals that enhance the storytelling experience, rather than the current setup which feels disjointed and devoid of a compelling plot. While the mechanics of managing a Mars colonization mission are appreciated, the absence of a rich storyline detracts from the overall engagement for those seeking a narrative-driven experience.
“Really puts a perspective on what humans will have to face on a Martian conquest mission.”
“Or linked maps so you have a campaign with different winning conditions that are linked together by a story.”
“It's purely a scenario simulator, so don't expect any kind of story.”
“There is no story to be told.”
“To have goals and story throughout the games.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to a clunky interface and the need for constant micromanagement. Many express frustration with slow navigation, resource management issues, and pathing glitches that hinder progress, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging experience. Despite the potential for control and strategy, the overall mechanics contribute to a frustrating grind that detracts from enjoyment.
“Too much micromanagement required for simple tasks; the interface is tedious to work with (i.e. scrolling map is extremely slow and frustrating, resources view resets back to the default after each launch, you can't queue buildings).”
“I really want to like this game, but unfortunately, the mechanics applied to the game make it far more tedious than engaging.”
“So many pathing errors and glitches in building management that can wipe out a settlement or just make progression tedious trying to work around these problems.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
4%
91%
The game is plagued by significant stability issues, particularly in the Linux version, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, resource mining, and pathfinding for characters and vehicles. Players report losing progress after restarts and encountering glitches that hinder building management, making the game feel unplayable at times. While the user interface is praised for its smoothness, the overall experience is marred by the game's persistent bugs and lack of polish.
“I find the user interface first class, easy to use, and smooth with no glitches or crashes to report.”
“The game is way too buggy (at least in the Linux version).”
“I wanted to like this game, but it's too buggy to really be playable at this point.”
“So many pathing errors and glitches in building management that can wipe out a settlement or just make progression tedious trying to work around these problems.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as low, with many players noting that after a few sessions, the experience becomes repetitive and lacks incentive to return. While some find it enjoyable and see potential for replay value, persistent bugs and limited content significantly detract from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that without improvements, replayability remains a major concern.
“Overall a lot of fun, and I can see tons of replay value already.”
“Very cool idea implemented very well, but oddly once you've gone through it once it's not terribly replayable.”
“Overall, I think it's a decent game for the price, but replayability could be the problem once you've done all that you can in your square of allotted space.”
“The replay value of the game is quite low; after maybe two or three games, I can see myself not playing it again.”
“Very cool idea implemented very well, but oddly, once you've gone through it once, it's not terribly replayable.”
“A generic Martian colonization game that provides very little replay value.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players noting that the soundtrack and sound effects complement the gameplay effectively. While some describe the music as reminiscent of cheesy EDM and evoke a nostalgic 90s vibe, others appreciate its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere, despite the overall graphics and gameplay being considered mediocre.
“This is a game I sit down with while listening to some jazz music to relax after work for an hour or two.”
“The soundtrack and sound effects are good and fit well with the game.”
“Dying colonists sound like breaking machinery, cryotanks sound like a battalion of infantry marching around inside, and the soundtrack has a section that will, on first hearing it, make you panic and wonder what's happening until you realize it's just part of the ambient track.”
“Nothing about the game is spectacular; the graphics, the cheesy EDM space music, the quality of the science fiction—it's all very so-so, but the dev is clearly an amazing chef to have made such a good dish out of these meager ingredients.”
“The music and graphics make it feel like an old 90's building game.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The atmosphere in the game is intricately tied to the survival and evolution of life forms, emphasizing the importance of magnetic fields in protecting planets from solar particles. Players experience a dynamic environment where the development and loss of atmospheres and water significantly impact gameplay, creating a sense of urgency and realism. The narrative highlights the fragility of these ecosystems, drawing players into a compelling and immersive world.
“Both planets developed atmospheres and oceans. We know for a fact that on at least one of them, life evolved from this organic soupy goodness, life which eventually advanced to the point where it learned to play computer games and read reviews. Isn't evolution grand!”
“Without this magnetic force field, those dangerous particles from the sun will start to blow away a planet's atmosphere. If you're a life form that's gotten into the habit of breathing, then this is going to be a pretty big deal for you.”
“Our little brother started to die; its atmosphere slowly blew away, lost to space. Its water evaporated away with it, and what little was left froze into the ground.”
“Like a ruptured hallway in the near vacuum of Mars' atmosphere.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users noting that performance can be inconsistent and not always smooth. This suggests that while some players may experience satisfactory performance, others may encounter issues that affect their gameplay experience.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional response to the game, particularly feeling heartbreak when their astronauts die despite having the necessary resources for survival, which is exacerbated by frustrating bugs and pathing issues. This combination of emotional investment and technical flaws significantly impacts the overall experience.
“It was heartbreaking to see my astronauts die when they had all the resources to save themselves, but the game pathing didn't let that happen.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by light-hearted and playful observations, such as a player's amusing comparison of a ship's design to a white dildo. While the game is still in early access and has some glitches, the comedic elements provide a fun distraction.
“It's in early access with a few glitches, but nothing that will make you jump from a high building. I have one funny point: when you go to launch ship number two, is it just me or does the picture look like a white dildo? :D LOL”