The Crust

About

The Crust is a single player survival strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by VEOM Studio and was released on July 15, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+34

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,632 reviews

story106 positive mentions

stability94 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with a unique blend of factory building and colony management elements.
Active development with frequent updates and responsiveness from the developers.
Visually appealing with a good soundtrack and interesting story elements.

Numerous bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress.
Poorly balanced missions and contracts that can lead to frustration and soft locks.
Confusing UI and mechanics that can make it difficult for players to understand how to progress.

story
570 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
79%
2%
The game's story is a mix of engaging hard sci-fi elements and worldbuilding, featuring multiple plotlines and time-sensitive missions that can be both intriguing and frustrating. While many players appreciate the narrative depth and voice acting, they also note significant issues with mission balance, resource management, and bugs that can hinder progress, leading to a sense of being overwhelmed or stuck. Overall, the story shows promise but requires further refinement and stability to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Its early access, but 17 hours in I am really impressed with the game, the gameplay, and the storyline.”
- “Story is good hard sci-fi with a lot of worldbuilding.”
- “You can tell there is a lot of heart in this game, and I think there are gameplay and storytelling elements that are unique and interesting.”
- “The story is boring and makes no sense.”
- “The biggest issue that I had was the story mode.”
- “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.”
gameplay
262 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
6%
The gameplay of this early access title is characterized by a solid core loop involving building, resource management, and exploration, set against a unique lunar backdrop. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and atmospheric design, they also note significant issues such as bugs, poorly explained mechanics, and a lack of balance that can disrupt the overall experience. Despite these challenges, the game shows promise and offers a satisfying experience for fans of the genre, though it requires further refinement and polish.
- “The game has the kind of hard sci-fi elements I love, and the gameplay truly feels incredibly solid compared to the giants in the factory builder genre.”
- “Good visuals, good soundtrack, a surprising amount of voice acting, and an excellent basic gameplay loop with three levels (underground, surface of the crater, and a lunar map).”
- “The gameplay is engaging and fun, especially for fans of city builders and colony sims.”
- “Several of the game mechanics are flawed or incomplete.”
- “Game is not balanced and its milestones are unrealistic making gameplay not fun.”
- “The gameplay isn't the issue; the unfinished state is.”
music
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers stating that the soundtrack alone justifies the game's price. However, some users have noted issues with copyright claims for streamers and a limited number of tracks, which can lead to repetitiveness. Overall, the soundtrack is described as brilliant, immersive, and a significant highlight of the gaming experience.
- “I have to say, 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.”
- “The soundtrack is brilliant and creates the right atmosphere.”
- “Absolutely mesmerizing soundtracks.”
- “Very good game if you like resource management; it 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. I hope they add more in the future, as this is one reason I keep putting it down as it gets annoying.”
- “Well, the music kinda sucks.”
- “Game looks fun; however, from the moment I bought the game, installed it, and clicked play, the game had no music nor sound at all for me.”
graphics
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the solid visuals and appealing aesthetics, particularly in the design of machines and environmental elements. However, some users criticize the graphics for lacking detail and feeling outdated, with reports of performance issues and bugs affecting gameplay. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered decent and visually appealing, they do not stand out as groundbreaking or "epic."
- “I love this game and I've spent a lot of time on it; the graphics are beautiful, and the concept and storyline of the game are very well put together.”
- “The graphics are solid, providing a clear and visually appealing experience.”
- “Everything is clear, the graphics are crisp, and it seems to snap into position very smoothly.”
- “Graphically, the game lacks a lot of detail.”
- “Graphics from early 2000s and very short discovery tree.”
- “It seems that the primary focus has been on aesthetics and marketing, with many sponsored YouTube videos, but the overall quality is severely lacking due to constant crashes.”
stability
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly impact the overall experience, even for an early access title. While some players have noted that the game is still enjoyable and has potential, many express frustration with game-breaking issues and poor performance. Frequent patches are being released, but the consensus is that the game remains too unstable for a full recommendation at this time.
- “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, it is not bug-free, and it is not complete... I believe many of the negative comments are related to higher than EA expectations.”
- “Unfortunately, the amount of bugs, glitches, and errors doesn't allow me to recommend 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.”
optimization
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
62%
28%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially in mid to late game, where frame rates can drop considerably. While some users have experienced stable performance and minimal bugs, others highlight a lack of essential quality-of-life features and optimization options, particularly for factory management mechanics. Developers are actively addressing these concerns with regular updates, but the overall consensus is that the game remains unoptimized and requires further improvements.
- “However, the game runs smoothly and I haven't encountered major bugs.”
- “But the developer releases a performance patch, bug fixes, and improvements every week to make the game stable and fun to play.”
- “Performance is stable, with only one crash in 13 hours of play, and the developers are quick to address any issues.”
- “How can games like shapez 2 be released in early access and be so much more fluid even with hundreds of belts, mines, trains, etc. scattered around the map, and The Crust has been out for so many weeks and still has problems with optimization and other basic things?”
- “The endgame performance is also not good; my frames started to drop and I have a high-end machine.”
- “Optimization is bad... the game lags so much mid-game... after each update, the save file is trash.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting and lonely vibes, effectively complementing the setting of lunar disasters. The soundtrack, featuring a mix of instrumental tracks and real-world audio snippets, enhances the immersive experience, although some players feel it occasionally lacks originality. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is brilliant and creates the right atmosphere.”
- “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.”
- “In short, this game has similar mechanics to Dyson Sphere Program with less scale, with the atmosphere of Per Aspera.”
- “I gave it a negative review at first, but every time I look at this game in my library, I remember the atmosphere and music and, all in all, look back on it fondly - and updates are coming in regularly and helping with a lot of the things I disliked.”
- “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.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players note that randomized map elements in sandbox mode can enhance replay value, others feel that the current state of the game, plagued by bugs and limited content, significantly hampers the overall experience. Many reviewers suggest that improvements are needed before the game can be fully recommended for replayability, with some expressing hope for future updates to enhance this aspect.
- “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.”
- “- good replayability”
- “I don't think that this has any replayability in it.”
- “Sandbox play is identical to the tutorial campaign, so there is no replayability.”
- “Granted the game is more playable than Kerbal 2, but it seems like a lot of the core is not working properly, which is not easily fixed, and until then, this game only leaves frustrations as you get longer into the game.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the early game pacing is enjoyable, the mid game becomes excessively grindy and tedious, requiring significant improvements. Players find the economic and contracting systems unengaging, and the lack of features like copy/paste or blueprinting contributes to a frustratingly repetitive experience, particularly in base building and production tasks. Overall, the current state of grinding is seen as a major drawback.
- “The mid game is very tedious at times.”
- “I know it's early days, but it quickly became tedious as well as frustrating for the things that don't work or sometimes work.”
- “No copy/paste or blueprinting is holding the base building back; it gets very tedious manually hooking up wires and building after the first time.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by overdramatic music and amusing achievements, such as "now the fun begins" after the tutorial. While many players find the humor entertaining, some express frustration with specific character dialogue, particularly Alice's style. Overall, the humor is a mixed bag, appealing to some while leaving others wanting to mute certain elements.
- “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'.”
- “Yes, this game is funny.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express a desire for a more emotionally engaging storyline that moves away from generic corporate conflicts, favoring themes of race, survival, and nationalism. They feel that the current narrative lacks depth and fails to captivate players, often leading to a sense of disengagement during gameplay. Overall, there is a call for a more compelling and immersive emotional experience.
- “I prefer a more exaggerated and nationalistic storyline that is emotionally engaging, rather than a bland, generic mega corporation conflict.”
- “The story could have more engagement and be more emotionally resonant for the player, rather than just a basic 'Amazon vs Microsoft' type of narrative.”
- “I appreciate when a game has a storyline that deeply connects with players on an emotional level, rather than relying on generic corporate rivalries.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its straightforward monetization approach, featuring no deceptive microtransactions, which contributes to a positive player experience.
- “An honest game with no BS microtransactions.”