Terraformers: First Steps on Mars

Terraformers: First Steps on Mars is a free standalone version of Terraformers, featuring an exclusive mission taking place before the main game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 308 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
It offers a unique blend of strategy and resource management, making it engaging and thought-provoking.
The demo provides a solid introduction to the mechanics, leaving players eager for the full version.

The gameplay is overly simplistic, lacking depth and complexity, which may not satisfy players looking for a robust strategy experience.
The random nature of card draws can lead to frustrating gameplay, as players may not receive the necessary resources or buildings to progress effectively.
The 30-turn limit in the demo feels too restrictive, preventing players from fully exploring the game's potential and strategies.

gameplay
29 mentions
24 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of exploration, resource management, and maintaining the happiness of your cosmic pioneers, offering a solid experience despite some areas feeling sparse. While the demo provides a limited 30-35 turns of gameplay, it introduces unique mechanics and a relaxing atmosphere, though some players feel it lacks depth and variety for extended play. Overall, the mechanics are easy to grasp, but the demo's brevity may leave players wanting more complexity and replayability in the full release.
- “Gameplay harmonizes exploration, resource management, and ensuring your cosmic pioneers' happiness.”
- “The gameplay is easy to figure out and I love that, unlike most simulation games, there is an undo button as long as you haven't ended your turn.”
- “It is a very well thought out game with solid mechanics, beautiful graphics and interesting gameplay.”
- “The planet-scale gameplay feels like a pale imitation of 'Per Aspera', and the city-scale gameplay is much more satisfying in 'Surviving Mars'.”
- “Maybe the 30 days span of gameplay is too short for seeing the bigger picture; this is just a demo after all, but that's my take on the current game.”
- “But seriously, some of the mechanics aren't even right.”
graphics
26 mentions
73 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their captivating visuals and artistic design, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful planetary landscapes and smooth performance even on older hardware. While some noted that the graphics can be simple or pixelated at times, the overall aesthetic is considered appealing and enhances the immersive experience. However, a few critiques mention that the graphics alone do not compensate for repetitive gameplay and lack of depth.
- “On Mars' red terrain, an enticing experience awaits, blending captivating visuals and immersive audio.”
- “Graphics are crafted by celestial artisans, and the sound design is a symphony of technological wonder.”
- “It is a very well thought out game with solid mechanics, beautiful graphics and interesting gameplay.”
- “Buildings need more distinct artwork representing their purpose.”
- “Planetary base graphics are a bit simple and pixelated on a bigger screen.”
- “Had the graphics been horrible, it would be a flat 0.”
story
16 mentions
19 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The story in the trial mission is engaging and modern, featuring character storylines that reflect contemporary themes. Players appreciate the balance of music that enhances the narrative experience, particularly during critical moments. However, the limited content, with only one mission available, leaves players hoping for more depth and additional missions in the full game.
- “Hope the whole game will be the same quality as this prologue mission.”
- “Good story plot.”
- “Good game and nice story.”
- “Without looking at the bona fides of Asteroid Lab/Goblinz, the character storylines are so modern Euro-socialist.”
- “Early access sure... story... I can get with it.”
- “Very good tactical game with a lot of abilities to do, but not much content and only one mission you can do; hope there will be more missions and levels.”
music
12 mentions
67 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a well-balanced soundtrack that adapts to the narrative's emotional shifts. Reviewers note that the music effectively builds tension during critical moments without becoming overwhelming, contributing to a pleasant and immersive sound setting. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and themes.
- “This demo is a peek into a pretty game with a beautiful soundtrack.”
- “In fact, the soundtrack is so impressive that my viewer--yes, I only have one--and I both remarked how the music steals the show.”
- “Music is very nice and atmospheric.”
- “When time gets close to critical points, the music becomes more contrasting and powerful, but without being overwhelming. You just know that time is running out and you're approaching an important step in the mission - it could be the end or perhaps just a new horizon.”
- “The music is well balanced, changing at the right moments in the story and not annoying, unlike in many other games of this kind.”
- “While the concept art is sweet, the background music fails to create a compelling atmosphere.”
replayability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it engaging with multiple strategies and decisions that encourage replay, others feel it lacks sufficient content for long-term immersion. Many express hope for future updates that could enhance replay value, suggesting that it may be worth playing a few times, especially if priced attractively.
- “Pretty cool overall, with the graphics and sound engagingly casual, but there is a lot of replay value as a single decision is not necessarily catastrophic and encourages you to plan effectively.”
- “Good for a demo though, definitely wishlisting and looking forward to the release, hoping for mechanics that will deepen the game and add to replayability.”
- “There's not enough content for prolonged immersion or any replay value.”
- “Good for a demo though; I definitely wishlisted it and am looking forward to the release, hoping for mechanics that will deepen the game and add to replayability.”
- “The game has loads of replay value as you try to figure out how to spread the resources and gain the support of the people.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is praised for its immersive representation of environmental elements like heat, oxygen, and oceans, offering a refreshing take on terraforming mechanics. Players appreciate the incorporation of future ecological plans and the atmospheric background music, which enhances the feeling of being on another planet, particularly Mars. Overall, the atmospheric design effectively contributes to the game's engaging and immersive experience.
- “From the incorporation of plans for future oceanic levels, seeding bacteria and shrub plants, trees and animal populations to managing the atmospheric conditions of the planet.”
- “Music is very nice and atmospheric.”
- “Also a big fan of the background music, really creates an atmosphere (like you're on Mars).”
- “The atmosphere feels nebulous and lacks clarity, making it hard to engage with the game's environment.”
- “While the game includes elements like heat and oxygen, the manipulation of the atmosphere feels underdeveloped.”
- “The background music is nice, but it doesn't fully immerse you in the atmosphere of the game.”
stability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting significant bugs, particularly related to screen size handling and freezing issues when interacting with certain elements. However, others have found the game to be polished and free of glitches, indicating a divide in user experiences.
- “Buggy in screen size handling.”
- “I read in the reviews for the main game that it was buggy, but I thought 'that's their computer, it won't happen on mine!'”
- “Found it buggy; sometimes when I click on the leader, it freezes, so I had to quit.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization strategy could have been more lucrative, with opportunities for microtransactions on better cards or resources. While the game is enjoyable as a mini-game, there is a consensus that it could benefit from a simpler, free-to-play model, particularly on mobile platforms.
- “Frankly, the devs missed out on an opportunity to make it a braindead mobile game instead, and earn ten times as much by selling better cards or more resources through microtransactions.”
- “Overall, this game is okay though it would probably work better in a simpler 2D version in a web browser or on a mobile phone (would need some free-to-play monetization though).”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to resource scarcity affecting city building. While some appreciate the game's aesthetics, the turn-based mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, although it is noted to be less tedious than similar titles like Surviving Mars.
- “Got somewhat tedious as I couldn't get enough food to build much in the cities.”
- “It is pretty, but I dislike turn-based games as they are tedious.”
- “Like Surviving Mars but less tedious.”
optimization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed experience with optimization; while some users find performance to be poor and challenging, others report smooth gameplay on older hardware without any bugs or issues, suggesting that performance may vary significantly depending on the system configuration.
- “Since I've encountered zero bugs and performance issues on my 8-year-old PC, I'm wishlisting the full version.”
- “I don't know why, but performance optimization is awful.”
- “If you are good at games leveraging resource management and pipeline optimizations, then give this a try.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly in how it cleverly highlights the absurdity of blaming others for one's own mistakes, as seen in the protagonist's justification of poor decisions by attributing them to the incompetence of a previous leader. This self-deprecating humor adds a layer of depth to the narrative and engages players in a relatable way.
- “I found it funny that during the second leader's reign, I struggled so much with decision-making that by the time the third leader came along, I justified all my bad decisions by saying the second leader was incompetent, even though I was the one making all of the bad decisions.”
- “The game's humor is spot on; I couldn't stop laughing at the absurd situations my character found themselves in.”
- “Every time I thought I had a plan, the game threw a hilarious twist that left me in stitches.”