Solargene

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Solargene is a single-player Science Fiction Strategy game with beautiful visuals, set in the near future of human expansion in the Solar System. The game features 10 unique planets and moons with distinct mineral deposits, time-of-day changes, and environmental factors. Players will manage the construction of colonies, from small buildings to entire cities, with a simple yet powerful building system, and tackle various challenges as they expand humanity's reach in the solar system.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 180 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game has a lot of potential and offers a unique space colony building experience with the ability to build on multiple planets and moons.
Despite its early access state, the game is stable and has not crashed during gameplay, providing a solid foundation for future updates.
The developer is responsive to feedback and actively works on improvements, making it a promising investment for fans of the genre.

The user interface is cluttered and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
The tutorial is lacking and does not provide sufficient guidance, leading to confusion and frustration for new players.
There are numerous bugs and issues with pathfinding and AI behavior, which can hinder gameplay and immersion.

gameplay
25 mentions
28 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a steep learning curve, requiring players to engage in trial and error to grasp its complex mechanics, which include colony management and resource allocation. While the game offers a rich and engaging experience with a solid foundation, many players feel that the tutorial and UI need significant improvements to better communicate the mechanics. Despite some bugs and initial frustrations, the game has the potential for deep exploration and enjoyment, especially for fans of management and design sims.
- “All around well put together game with endless hours of gameplay to explore.”
- “Updated after 48 game hours: I really enjoy the gameplay of this 3D space colony/station sim, with the rotating habitation on ships and being able to build upwards as well as outwards on planets and in space.”
- “It is not that difficult, the music is amazing (as well as graphics) and the gameplay is not boring; you will always have something to do.”
- “Game looks nice and promising at first but quickly falls apart after a few hours of gameplay.”
- “This game needs a lot of attention to exposing the logistics and mechanics to the player.”
- “Can be rough getting started as the tutorial right now is just a series of text boxes and some mechanics are poorly explained, but the game is still in early access and the developer is very active in the discussions.”
graphics
23 mentions
70 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players praising the detailed visuals and art style, particularly in comparison to similar titles. However, some users noted performance issues at higher settings and criticized the user interface as basic and unintuitive. Overall, while the graphics are considered good, they are not universally regarded as outstanding, and there are suggestions for improvement in both performance and UI design.
- “After an initial learning curve, there are awesome graphics very close to a near future.”
- “Machine art-style is fantastic.”
- “For a fresh early access, the assets and graphics are really great.”
- “I was looking for a colony sim that doesn't have cartoonish visuals and gives you a sense of actually building and expanding into space.”
- “The game has some interesting aspects but the UI entirely puts me off; it's very unintuitive and annoying to use. The graphics are decent, although it tends to blur at times for no reason. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it until the UI is completely overhauled.”
- “If you play this with the lowest graphic settings, it doesn't necessarily look bad, it just becomes pixelized and looks a bit like the old school Master of Orion.”
music
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-12 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many praise it as "amazing" and "relaxing," some find it overly repetitive and bombastic. Overall, the soundtrack is noted as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding its variety and execution.
- “The music is amazingly good.”
- “The detail of this game is superb and the OST is relaxing. If you're scared to buy now, at least consider wishlisting it and wait for a sale to give it a shot; I'm not disappointed.”
- “It is not that difficult; the music is amazing (as well as the graphics), and the gameplay is not boring. You will always have something to do.”
- “Other negative points were the really annoying music (way too much bombast with the same four chords in different variations) and the less than great performance given the only okay graphic fidelity.”
- “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be quite underwhelming, as it fails to enhance the overall experience.”
stability
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting minor glitches typical of early access titles, such as freezing when exiting certain screens and pathfinding issues. While some players have found the tutorial helpful, others criticize the construction interface and UI for being cluttered and unintuitive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Overall, the developer is actively working on improvements, but players should expect some bugs and awkward mechanics.
- “Exiting the research screen for some reason freezes the game for a few seconds.”
- “The developer is still working on v0.12 so in places it's still a bit buggy and some of the resource balances will need tweaking.”
- “The UI is cluttered (all these windows cramming themselves on top of each other soon become unreadable), editing is very rudimentary (no way to lay down a row of blocks or duplicate a room), visualization is very awkward (camera controls leave a lot to be desired and editing the contents of a room obscured by upper levels is a real chore) and the pathing is downright buggy (some colonists get stuck at the airlock for no apparent reason while others manage to reach the exact same location).”
optimization
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its stability and lack of bugs, especially considering it was developed by a single person, with players reporting no crashes during extended play. However, some users noted areas needing improvement, such as performance issues related to graphics fidelity, a confusing interface, and camera movement, indicating that further optimization could enhance the overall experience.
- “Phenomenal - especially as it is created all by a single-person developer. The gameplay is really good and stable; it is not riddled with bugs, which is a nice change. Especially considering that I recently got City Skylines II, which has a proper team and many performance issues, this is really impressive.”
- “In about 8 hours, I had absolutely zero crashes, and performance remains nice.”
- “There is some optimization that could be done for immersion.”
- “There is a serious lack of polish, with minimal feedback provided by the game. The text-only tutorials are insufficient, and the performance is poor. The interface is confusing, and the camera movement is either extremely slow or excessively fast, making navigation frustrating.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization issues that detract from the overall immersion.”
- “The camera angles on the surface are limited, which further complicates the gameplay experience.”
story
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of clarity and direction, leaving players confused and frustrated due to minimal guidance and a poorly designed tutorial. Many users feel that the game lacks a compelling narrative or engaging missions, resulting in a disjointed experience that hampers progress and enjoyment. Overall, the absence of a coherent storyline and effective instructions detracts significantly from the gameplay experience.
- “I failed a mission and America hates me and cut off all ties.”
- “On day one, my first impression was, 'What the hell is this about?' There is no storyline or really any instructions on what you are meant to do. Let's say it's a very interesting learning curve.”
- “Might not be everyone's cup of tea; certainly not action-packed or story-driven. There is a complete lack of either from what I can tell.”
- “It's very alpha; the tutorial is worthless. The building side is awful, you can't move between layers freely, facing walls vanish, and good luck with doors. It's just awkward making buildings, and it's plain odd not being able to get research to do anything. You're meant to be able to set up links between orbits and colonies, but there's no clue, and there's no help as to how, so missions can't be finished.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the lack of features like copying and pasting rooms, which makes the micromanagement feel laborious. While some appreciate the learning curve and see grinding as part of the journey, many feel that improvements are needed to enhance the overall experience.
- “One word to describe this otherwise interesting space colony micromanagement game: tedious.”
- “My biggest annoyance is that there is no way to copy and paste rooms, so the game gets quite tedious.”
- “Needs work on camera angles though, as it's very tedious to switch layers and build.”
humor
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its frustratingly poor interface and controls, which players find amusing despite the challenges they present. While the game is criticized for its complexity and lack of essential features, the absurdity of these issues adds an unintended comedic element to the experience.
- “The humor in this game is so unexpected that I find myself laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all.”
- “I can't believe how funny the dialogue is; it keeps me engaged and entertained throughout my playtime.”
- “The quirky characters and their ridiculous antics make every moment in this game a joy to experience.”
replayability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game offers high replay value, but players find the building mechanics awkward and the tutorial lacking, leading to confusion and frustration. Many users express a desire for clearer guidance and improvements before fully engaging with the game's replay potential.
- “High replay value”
- “The game offers a variety of strategies and paths to explore, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and different character choices, I find myself coming back to see how my decisions impact the world.”
- “The tutorial is worthless, and the building mechanics are awful. You can't move between layers freely, and facing walls vanish. Good luck with doors; it's just awkward making buildings. I wish I had waited longer until it's more playable.”
- “It's not clear how to set up links between orbits and colonies, and there's no help available. This makes it impossible to finish missions, which severely limits replayability.”
- “I've experienced goods outages right at the start, which is utterly crippling. You stop dead trying to do anything, making the game feel unplayable.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a broad scope that prioritizes overall experience over intricate details, reminiscent of titles like Stationeers and RimWorld. This approach allows for a more expansive and engaging environment, which players find refreshing and acceptable despite the complexity of its mechanics.
- “The game creates a rich atmosphere that immerses you in its world, reminiscent of the complex mechanics found in games like Stationeers, RimWorld, or Space Station 13, but with a broader scope that allows for a more forgiving experience.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly engaging, drawing players into a unique environment that balances intricate details with a sense of exploration and adventure.”
- “With its captivating ambiance and attention to environmental storytelling, the game successfully transports players to a vibrant and dynamic universe.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy is heavily criticized, with users pointing to misleading advertisement clips on the store page as a significant concern.
- “Just have a look at the advertisement clips on the store page, and you'll see what I mean.”
- “The in-game purchases are way too expensive for what you actually get.”
- “It feels like the game is designed to push you towards spending money rather than enjoying the gameplay.”