Solar Settlers
- July 21, 2017
- BrainGoodGames
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamSolar Settlers is a turn-based strategy game where you lead a group of settlers to colonize new planets. Manage resources, build structures, and make tactical decisions to overcome challenges and ensure the survival of your colony. With procedurally generated levels, each playthrough offers a unique experience in space exploration and colony building.
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Reviews
- Solar Settlers offers a perfect balance of simplicity and depth, making it easy to learn but challenging to master.
- The game features a variety of races and unlockable cards, providing significant replay value and keeping gameplay fresh.
- Each session is quick, lasting around 10-15 minutes, making it ideal for casual play and breaks.
- The graphics are minimalistic and may not appeal to everyone, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive after a while, as the mechanics can feel same-y from game to game.
- The difficulty scaling can sometimes feel unbalanced, with some players experiencing a lack of challenge at higher ranks.
- gameplay156 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Solar Settlers" is praised for its depth and variety, featuring unique mechanics for each of the seven unlockable races that encourage strategic thinking and replayability. While some players find the core mechanics simple and occasionally repetitive, the game's engaging decision-making and progression system keep it fresh and addictive. Overall, it offers a satisfying blend of accessibility and complexity, making it a standout title despite its minimal graphics.
“Solar Settlers is a fantastic, addicting gem with unique gameplay.”
“Gameplay-wise, however, this is one of the most fun games I've ever played, and I truly feel it's one of the hidden gems of Steam.”
“The mechanics are simple but there's quite a bit of depth.”
“The UI, controls, gameplay, depth, and replay value aren't carrying this title either - in the sense that many indie games are carried by one or two things that they excel at.”
“That being said, the graphics are super simple and a lot of the gameplay is fairly repetitive.”
“Mechanics are alright but the game is boring.”
- graphics70 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are minimalistic and simplistic, often described as functional but lacking in artistic detail, with many reviewers noting the absence of artwork on cards and static visuals. While the user interface is clear and easy to navigate, the overall aesthetic is considered bare-bones, which may detract from the experience for some players. However, many agree that the gameplay mechanics and depth compensate for the lack of graphical flair, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize gameplay over visuals.
“This is a fun little game - don't let the looks deceive you - the graphics are perfect for what it is and the UI is perfect for what it is.”
“The graphics are simple and well done, the concept well implemented and the replayability high, since each game the 'board' is randomized and of course the cards vary.”
“A smooth, minimalist aesthetic, and thoughtful design and balancing makes it a pleasure to play.”
“But there's no getting around the fact this game requires a lot of imagination out of the player; its graphics are very minimal.”
“Might make for a good physical card game but way too abstract to be enjoyable as a video game, with the extremely bare-bones, static visuals.”
“There's very little graphics to speak of; it's really just a grid with some cards that don't even come with interesting art, just simple stats.”
- replayability34 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, attributed to its diverse races, randomized boards, and various weekly challenges that keep gameplay fresh. While some reviews note a lack of depth compared to pricier titles, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to offer quick, engaging sessions with distinct strategies, making it enjoyable for repeated play.
“Another excellent braingoodgames game and probably the one with the greatest amount of content and replay value, with several races all functioning quite differently from each other.”
“The weekly challenges and the daily quests also add to the replayability, and the game is still updated with more content.”
“The increasing challenge and complexity, the RNG aspect, the unlocks, and even the short game length make for a massive amount of replayability here, and lots of enjoyment.”
“Good game but short and doesn't hold a lot of replay value.”
“Perhaps not as much depth as you'd expect from a more expensive title but definitely worth the price, and there are different races and weekly challenges to add some extra replay value.”
“The graphics are simple and well done, the concept well implemented and the replayability high, since each game the 'board' is randomized and of course the cards vary.”
- music22 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being pleasant and relaxing, with a chill sci-fi soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some reviewers note that the music adds a nice touch, they feel it doesn't significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered excellent, though a few players miss more variety and depth in the musical composition.
“Easy to recommend for tabletop and strategy game enthusiasts, this is quick to pick up and play but provides plenty of decisions for you to make while listening to a suitably chill sci-fi soundtrack.”
“The music is lovely (though I usually listen to the radio) and the graphics are simple but beautiful.”
“Excellent soundtrack.”
“The art and graphics are pretty clean, and the music is fine, but none of that really adds much flavor to the game.”
“Music is relaxing.”
- story18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and lacks depth, primarily revolving around the concept of colonizing space with only brief text to provide context. While daily quests and weekly challenges enhance replayability, many players feel the absence of a dedicated story mode or campaign detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a weak point, with a score of 2/10 reflecting its simplicity and limited engagement.
“The story is pretty simple: mankind has made it off Earth and we are settling other worlds.”
“Not too simple, but very deep and just a blast to play through missions.”
“The game tries to offset this by adjusting the difficulty level as you play and adding unlockable content that you have to earn with repeated plays, which helps but personally I'd rather have a story.”
“Story: 2/10 - there's some brief text about how you're colonizing an unexplored section of space before your time/money runs out to justify the turn count you have to reach your goals by, as well as some text at the end about the results of how you did, which adds some nice flavor, but that's quite literally all there is.”
“The very limited graphics, for instance, or the near total lack of any sort of story or lore.”
“My only negative comment about the game is that it could use some kind of story mode or campaign to keep me playing.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find the progression excessively grindy and tedious, others appreciate that the core gameplay remains enjoyable and engaging enough to make the grinding feel less burdensome. The use of cards as gameplay constraint randomizers helps keep the experience fresh, but the overall grind can lead to boredom for some players before they fully complete the game.
“Unfortunately, I got bored with it before I really 'finished' it, due to the excessively grindy nature of progression.”
“Which is the harder task, as I spent 7 hours straight grinding after getting it.”
“There's a lot of grinding that goes into all of these unlocks, but fortunately the game itself is so fun and addicting that it doesn't take long at all to unlock everyone.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features five distinct races that provide ample content for strategic optimization, and players report that it runs smoothly overall.
“With 5 different races that play distinctly, there's enough content for a good amount of gameplay and practicing strategic optimization.”
“Runs smoothly.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that while the game has potential, it lacks a stronger atmosphere that could elevate it to the status of a true indie gem. Enhancing the atmospheric elements could significantly improve the overall experience.
“However, I feel that there could have been a bit more atmosphere to turn it into a real indie gem.”
