The Crust
- December 31, 2023
- VEOM Studio
- 35h median play time
Get on Steam"The Crust" is a single-player game with an intriguing story and outstanding game mechanics that allow you to mine lunar resources, automate production, and explore the moon's secrets. However, be prepared for grinding, poor optimization, and numerous bugs. The game also offers resource trading with Earth, colonist management, and research advancements.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that combines factory building with resource management and exploration.
- Frequent updates from developers addressing bugs and improving game mechanics.
- Strong atmosphere with good graphics and an immersive soundtrack.
- Numerous bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress.
- Poor AI behavior from drones, leading to inefficient task completion and frustration.
- Unbalanced progression and unclear objectives, making it easy to get soft-locked in the story.
- story392 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as intriguing and engaging, featuring a unique premise of survival and rebuilding on the moon after a catastrophic event. However, many players criticize the execution, noting issues with confusing mission structures, tight time constraints, and a lack of emotional depth in character backstories, which detracts from the overall experience. While the narrative has potential and is enhanced by good voice acting and cutscenes, it often feels unbalanced and buggy, leading to frustration during gameplay.
“A story that involves basically a corporate agent (you) stranded on the moon by a devastating impact event and rebuilding from there using drones and automated manufacturing... cool right?”
“The story is interesting and works really well, with a good mix of factory build and colony management.”
“The game has a story that is basically an over-glorified tutorial that makes you repeat yourself; the atmosphere feels clunky and not very well thought out, as well as not letting you feel like a pioneer but rather a person put in charge of an over-explored moon, and you're just there to pick up the scraps people leave behind with annoying hauling missions.”
“The story mode is mostly voice acted with the odd cutscene here and there, a fun little story mode with an overarching threat to motivate you to keep optimizing/producing.”
“The story has you making critical choices without any info on what the various options are going to mean, with missions that are downright impossible to complete without save/load.”
- gameplay176 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is described as engaging and complex, with a strong emphasis on strategic planning and resource management, reminiscent of popular titles in the genre. However, many players note that it suffers from bugs, incomplete mechanics, and balancing issues, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, the core gameplay loop is considered enjoyable, with potential for improvement as the game continues to develop.
“The gameplay mechanics are robust, with a strong focus on strategic planning.”
“The gameplay is engaging and fun, especially for fans of city builders and colony sims.”
“The gameplay loop is very addictive and compelling.”
“QOL needs major work, balance is completely out-of-kilter, many of the key mechanics don't work, there are bugs galore.”
“The gameplay can slow down as you advance over time.”
“Game needs a lot of QOL improvements and has really so many stupid mechanic decisions that either someone is really inexperienced in this genre of games or lazy, or again was forced to push the game too fast.”
- music86 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as one of the best in space-based games, creating a sense of isolation and ambition that complements the gameplay. However, some users noted issues with copyright claims for streamers and a desire for more variety in the tracks available.
“The visuals, combined with the ambient soundtrack, perfectly capture the sense of isolation and ambition on the moon.”
“One of the best parts about this game, however, is the absolutely stellar soundtracks.”
“The music in this game is worth playing it for; it sets the tone and pace nicely and the sound quality speaks to the quality of the rest of the game.”
“I turned off the in-game music and play my own.”
“Very good game if you like resource management has its annoyances like not being very clear on how to do things. One more thing is there are a grand total of 4 music tracks, so be prepared to hear the same stuff going round and round like a broken record. Hope they add more in the future as this is one reason I keep putting it down as it gets annoying.”
“The music for the game is kinda meh as it almost sounds like the same music from Surviving Mars, which is fine because it's not bad but doesn't really fit the atmosphere/vibe of the game 100%.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are not groundbreaking, they are clean, detailed, and visually appealing, effectively capturing the game's atmosphere. Some users appreciate the smooth animations and aesthetic design, particularly in specific gameplay elements like solar panels and conveyor belts. However, there are also criticisms regarding performance issues on lower-end PCs and a lack of detail in certain areas, suggesting that while the graphics are generally good, they may not meet the expectations of all players.
“The visuals, combined with the ambient soundtrack, perfectly capture the sense of isolation and ambition on the moon.”
“The graphics are solid, providing a clear and visually appealing experience.”
“The graphics are really impressive and make you feel like you're actually there.”
“Do not try to play it on lower-end PCs; the graphics are just terrible.”
“Graphically, the game lacks a lot of detail.”
“Graphics from the early 2000s and a very short discovery tree.”
- stability59 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game is currently experiencing significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users, particularly affecting gameplay mechanics and performance. While some players acknowledge the potential and fun aspects of the game, many advise against purchasing it in its current early access state due to the frequency and severity of the bugs. Overall, the consensus is that while the game shows promise, it remains too unstable for a smooth gaming experience.
“So much content already, and while not entirely bug-free, I've yet to encounter one that breaks the game in any way.”
“That said, it is an EA game, is not bug-free, and is not complete... I believe many of the negative comments are related to higher than EA expectations.”
“This game is too buggy at the moment, do not spend money on it.”
“However the main issue is that, despite frequent patches, it remains a buggy mess, even for an early access game.”
“It is too buggy, laggy and unpolished at this point.”
- optimization46 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and stability, particularly on high-end systems, many others experience significant lag and performance issues, especially in mid to late game scenarios. Frequent updates from the developers aim to address these concerns, but players note that the game still feels unoptimized, with missing quality of life features and bugs impacting the experience. As it stands, the game shows promise but requires further optimization to fully meet player expectations.
“The automation and factory optimization is super neat, and the tech tree is fun to progress through.”
“However, the game runs smoothly and I haven't encountered major bugs.”
“But the developer hits up every week a performance patch, bug fixes and improvements to make the game stable and fun to play.”
“For me, the only drawbacks I would expect in the full version would be more campaigns/scenario types plus optimizing the overall game performance (especially it's shameful that a pretty okay video intro is actually the most lagging part).”
“The endgame performance is also not good; my frames started to drop and I have a high-end machine.”
“At this stage, it is very unoptimized, with some work yet to be done (especially bugs and colonist management, and late game optimization).”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is currently limited due to a lack of variety and issues with core mechanics, leading some players to rate it very low. However, recent updates have improved playability, and while the sandbox mode offers some randomized elements, many feel that the experience remains largely repetitive. Some players believe that with further development, the game could enhance its replay value, particularly as they explore optimization strategies.
“Replayability certainly exists since the map randomizes the node locations in every new game on sandbox and I think campaign.”
“This may not be apparent on your first playthrough, but it encourages replayability as you try to optimize your approach.”
“But the game is in a much more playable state since my last update and I have thus gone from not recommended to recommended.”
“So this drops the replay value to 1...maybe 0.”
“I don't think that this has any replayability in it.”
“Sandbox play is identical to the tutorial campaign, so there is no replayability.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively complemented by a brilliant soundtrack that enhances the setting. However, some players feel that the narrative and gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience, making it feel less pioneering and more like a repetitive task. Despite mixed feelings about certain elements, many reviewers ultimately appreciate the atmospheric design and its ability to evoke strong emotions.
“The atmosphere is immersive.”
“Mostly, I really love the atmosphere of this game - it gives off lonely, haunting vibes, which are perfect for the setting.”
“The sound and music perfectly complement the game's atmosphere.”
“The game has a story that is basically an over-glorified tutorial that makes you repeat yourself. The atmosphere feels clunky and not very well thought out, as well as not letting you feel like a pioneer, but rather a person put in charge of an over-explored moon, and you're just there to pick up the scraps people leave behind with annoying hauling missions.”
“In short, this game has similar mechanics to Dyson Sphere Program with less scale, with the atmosphere of Per Aspera.”
“Whether it's the pure instrumental tracks, the audio snippets from real-world missions (I'm pretty sure the infamous, 'Houston, we have a problem' from the Apollo 13 mission is there), or the tracks with vocals, they all help set the atmosphere.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly during mid-game where repetitive tasks like filling large containers and managing production inputs/outputs become overwhelming. The lack of features such as a blueprint system for building and connecting structures further exacerbates the grind, making the overall experience feel laborious and in need of improvement. While early game pacing is enjoyable, the mid-game grind detracts significantly from the gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Some of the big contracts with large amounts of heavy resources get super tedious when you need to fill like 6 large containers for it and then fill them in short order.”
“Still early days, so early game pacing is great, mid game is grindy and needs a lot of work, and end game doesn't exist yet.”
“No copy/paste or blueprinting is holding the base building back, gets very tedious manually hooking up wires and building after the first time.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its overdramatic music and amusing bugs, such as ice machines operating without power, which players find entertaining given its early access status. Additionally, the achievement "now the fun begins" after the tutorial adds a layer of irony, though some players express frustration with certain character dialogues. Overall, while opinions on the humor vary, many find it genuinely funny and engaging.
“The music in this game is hilariously overdramatic, as a handful of drones move bricks around the moon.”
“How funny that after finishing the tutorial, you get the achievement 'Now the Fun Begins.'”
“This is an early access game, so bugs are to be expected - some of them are quite funny, like the ice machines working when there is no power, but hey - early access says it in the title!”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for more emotionally engaging storylines that delve into themes of race, survival, and nationalism, rather than the typical corporate conflicts. They feel that the current narratives are too generic and lack the depth needed to truly engage players on an emotional level. Additionally, the pacing of gameplay detracts from emotional investment, as much time is spent waiting rather than actively participating in the story.
“I prefer a more exaggerated and nationalistic storyline that is emotionally engaging, rather than a bland, generic mega corporation versus mega corporation narrative.”
“The story could be more emotionally engaging for the player, rather than just a basic 'Amazon vs Microsoft' type of generic mega corporation conflict.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its honest approach to monetization, featuring no deceptive microtransactions, which enhances the overall player experience.
“An honest game with no BS microtransactions.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel exploitative.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without pushing for additional purchases.”
“The game is riddled with aggressive monetization tactics that ruin the experience.”
“I feel like I can't enjoy the game without being bombarded by constant prompts to spend money.”
“The pay-to-win elements are frustrating and make it hard to compete without shelling out cash.”
