Tharsis

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,201 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • replayability
Tharsis Game Cover
A turn based strategy that actually employs strategy, Tharsis is a rougelike you’ll want to keep coming back to.
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Tharsis is a turn-based space strategy game. With dice and cannibalism. It puts you in control of humanity's first manned mission to Mars, just as it's struck by a micrometeoroid storm. You must guide your crew through disasters, food shortages, and the unforgiving nature of space - all while maintaining your sanity amidst cryptic signals and warnings from Mars. Defy the odds, make the difficult d…

  • iPad
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  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
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  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Wii
  • Wii U
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,201 reviews
story68 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • Tharsis offers a unique blend of strategy and chance, making each playthrough engaging and challenging.
  • The game has a strong atmosphere with great visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the experience.
  • Once players understand the mechanics and develop strategies, they can achieve consistent wins, making the game rewarding.
  • The game is heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating moments where players feel their decisions have little impact on the outcome.
  • Many players find the difficulty level to be excessively punishing, with some claiming it feels impossible to win.
  • The game lacks sufficient content and replayability, as the core gameplay can become repetitive after a few runs.
  • story311 mentions

    The story in "Tharsis" is often described as basic and lacking depth, with many players feeling it serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the potential for player-driven storytelling through missions, the repetitive nature of the plot and the reliance on random events detract from its overall impact. Many reviewers express a desire for a more developed storyline and greater variety in missions to enhance replayability and engagement.

    • “The story is interesting enough the first time through and it gives you enough replayability in the game (across various difficulties) and characters to unlock to make the purchase price worth it.”
    • “The art and music really help each module feel like a story, and the longer you've kept them alive the more attached you get to your crew.”
    • “Tharsis brilliantly translates the mechanics of a solo board game into digital format and does so with a highly original storyline, tone, and execution.”
    • “The story is kind of thin, but the mechanics are excellent.”
    • “The main game at first appears to feature something of a story, but it ends up being just a shallow bit of window-dressing.”
    • “The story is very predictable - I knew what will happen in the ending halfway through the game when I saw the transmission from Mars.”
  • gameplay296 mentions

    The gameplay of Tharsis is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics centered around dice rolling and resource management, reminiscent of a digital board game. While many players appreciate the strategic depth and tension created by the randomness of dice outcomes, others find the gameplay overly punishing and reliant on luck, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of strategy and chance, but its balance and content may leave some players wanting more.

    • “The gameplay is fun and strategic, simple enough to draw you in but with enough depth and nuance that you can second guess your choices for hours.”
    • “Tharsis promises a highly challenging rogue-like experience with simple dice mechanics that should lead to interesting choices to make faced with simply too much to do and not enough resources.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are quite diverse.”
    • “The gameplay is borderline unplayable, as after about two hours of gameplay, you realize there's just no way to win.”
    • “Unfortunately, while the gameplay mechanic did keep the tension high, the quirky plot left much to be desired.”
    • “However, the RNG and broken game mechanics which flood this game makes it almost unplayable.”
  • replayability115 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it highly replayable due to its randomization, unlockable characters, and varied strategies, while others feel it lacks depth and becomes repetitive after a few playthroughs. Many reviews highlight that the game can be enjoyable for a limited time, but ultimately, its replay value may not justify the price for all players. Overall, the experience seems to depend significantly on individual preferences and play styles.

    • “The replay value is probably the best part of this game.”
    • “There is loads of replay value in the main game and there are also a dozen or so missions that again have plenty of replay value; I would estimate that I will get a good 30+ hours of play out of this program and probably a lot more than that.”
    • “It's very short (I've played 13 hours and I have beaten the game 2 times already) but its replayability is good.”
    • “However, there's not that much replay value, and the storyline is downright dumb.”
    • “The unfortunate part is that once the game is beaten, it loses a fair amount of replay value.”
    • “Short game, ultimately too easy on easy, and not enough replayability to keep you interested for more than an hour or two.”
  • graphics87 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal and fitting style, contributing to a strong atmosphere and immersive experience. However, there are notable issues, including bugs that affect performance on newer processors and a disconnect between the quality of astronaut portraits and the rest of the visuals. While many reviews highlight the game's polished visuals and artistic direction, some also mention that the graphics are not revolutionary and could benefit from optimization.

    • “The visuals are gorgeous, and I just love the way they represented the ship and dice roles.”
    • “The graphics and art style are excellent.”
    • “Great atmosphere, good visuals and soundtrack.”
    • “The game does not work with newer processors; it crashes almost immediately due to a bug in the graphics engine.”
    • “The only downside is that the game is full of minor graphic bugs and the game is short (10 turns).”
    • “There are lots of graphic issues on Mac (switch off bloom in graphic options if you do not want to see white screens instead of your ship and be prepared that some textures on the ship will be black squares).”
  • music85 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its outstanding quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack, often described as catchy and atmospheric, effectively complements the gameplay, although some players noted it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a significant highlight, contributing to the game's immersive experience.

    • “Outstanding soundtrack by Weval!”
    • “The soundtrack is a banger, and I just love the art.”
    • “Great atmosphere, good visuals, and soundtrack.”
    • “Sadly, the music is a little annoying and doesn't fit the whole gameplay.”
    • “Being a person who is irritated by repetitive music, I play many video games with the music turned off.”
    • “The music is so cheerily discordant with the constant threat of mass death.”
  • atmosphere34 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and tense sci-fi setting, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack and strong visual design. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of audio and visuals that create a heavy, brooding ambiance, making players feel the weight of survival in a lonely, hostile environment. Overall, the atmosphere is described as addictive and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The audio is well worth a special mention: the atmospheric soundtrack is good, and the voiceover acting is also commendable - which is a rarity in games.”
    • “However, there is at least a decent attempt to create atmosphere and tension, to transport you to a lonely spaceship in the middle of nowhere where you can experience the constant war of attrition against failing systems and failing health.”
    • “That combined with the music, and the way they present their story leads to an atmosphere that is thick, heavy, brooding, and tense.”
    • “[Tharsis prides itself on being tough but fair, easy to learn but hard to master. It’ll likely take you a long time to survive all ten turns, but you’ll have a great time getting there solving increasingly complex challenges. Juggling so many different fires at once is stressful and tense, and the atmosphere of the opening cutscene makes the game feel like a survival horror.]”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and macabre elements, often eliciting laughter from players even in the face of failure and challenging odds. Players appreciate the clever, ironic labels and commentary that accompany their experiences, which enhance the replayability and add a unique charm to the gameplay. However, some find the humor can be overshadowed by the game's harsh mechanics, leading to frustration rather than amusement for those who struggle with its difficulty.

    • “It's harsh, unforgiving, gorgeous, and darkly humorous.”
    • “The dice are going to go badly and horrible things are going to happen and then you're going to laugh about it and start again because it is all kind of funny, or you're going to flip out and rage about it in which case this game is definitely not for you.”
    • “Your crew starts to make hilariously incredibad life choices once they go over the edge, complete with colorful commentary.”
    • “I wanted to like this game; I really did, but the odds are so stacked against you that it's not funny.”
    • “The attempts at humor feel forced and often fall flat, making the experience more frustrating than entertaining.”
    • “I found the jokes to be outdated and lacking in creativity, which made the game feel dull rather than amusing.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with some users reporting severe bugs and glitches that render it unplayable, while others experience minimal issues. Notably, recent patches have exacerbated problems for some players, including cursor freezes and unskippable voiceovers. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by stability issues, particularly on older hardware, despite a few users having a relatively smooth experience.

    • “This game is missing a lot of 'quality of life' features and is just plain buggy.”
    • “Latest patch made it extremely buggy.”
    • “So bug-ridden it is unplayable on iMac 27 from 2013!”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly for many and features polished visuals, some users report it could benefit from further graphics optimization, particularly for Mac users. The gameplay focuses on optimization tasks, which may appeal to some but not to everyone.

    • “For me, it is quite enjoyable - I like optimization tasks, but this game is not for everybody.”
    • “Counting odds, prediction, and optimization leads to victory.”
    • “The game could do with some graphics optimization.”
    • “All I can say is if you own a Mac, wait until this game is optimized to run on the Mac.”
    • “This is a game about risk management and optimization.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, with many expressing frustration over the repetitive tasks required to unlock hidden characters and classes. While some appreciate the strategic elements, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding feeling boring and detracting from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “Unlocking the hidden characters is kind of tedious.”
    • “It feels very boring, like grinding...”
    • “There are a few classes to unlock, but all of their requirements are pretty grindy, which doesn't make them fun to unlock like the ships in FTL.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional response to the game, feeling a sense of achievement and greatness, while others criticize it for being overly difficult and lacking in emotional depth, resulting in a failure to forge meaningful connections.

    • “This game made me feel like I had done something great.”
    • “Heh... and you thought Dark Souls made you want to cry...”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the lead designer excels in ship design, the character development is notably lacking, suggesting a disconnect between the designer's inspirations and the execution of character depth and growth.

    • “It's interesting that the lead designer goes on ad nauseum about his design inspirations, because he succeeded in ship design, and failed horribly in character design.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game.”
    • “I was hoping for a deep narrative, but the character arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
4-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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