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"To The Core" is an incremental drilling game set in a solar system with various planets. Gather resources from planets to buy upgrades and drill deeper, while managing fuel and mastering resources through repetitive mining. Each planet presents a new challenge, requiring upgrades to drill further. The game is still in early development and subject to change.

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To The Core screenshot
To The Core screenshot
To The Core screenshot
To The Core screenshot
To The Core screenshot
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93%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,050 reviews
gameplay202 positive mentions
grinding488 negative mentions

  • Engaging game loop with satisfying progression and upgrades.
  • Fun and addictive gameplay that keeps players hooked.
  • Great music and visuals that enhance the overall experience.
  • Game is relatively short, taking around 6-10 hours to complete.
  • Last achievement requiring 10 million blocks broken feels excessively grindy.
  • Performance issues and crashes occur, especially in late-game scenarios.
  • gameplay
    566 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this game is characterized by a satisfying and addictive core loop that involves mining resources, upgrading tools, and progressing through various planets. While many players appreciate the fun mechanics and creative upgrades, some criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the slow progression, particularly in the late game where it can feel grindy. Overall, the game offers around 6-12 hours of engaging content, though it could benefit from improved UI and clearer explanations of certain mechanics.

    • “Great gameplay, progression loop, and creative upgrades.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is addicting and fun and the price is perfectly ok for the amount of playtime.”
    • “Incredibly satisfying gameplay, banger soundtrack, chaos for days.”
    • “Progression can get very slow at times and the main 'drilling' mechanic (bashing your guy against the resources) seems to become useless very quickly and you have to rely solely on missiles, grenades, etc.”
    • “It has too many upgrades that do very little and the game got repetitive with the gameplay loop being go to a planet, stay afk for 30 sec, get resources, upgrade, repeat.”
    • “The final few hours of gameplay (about once you get to the diamond planet) was really boring - you just became so ridiculously powerful that gameplay became 'click a button once it comes up', which isn't my idea of a fun time.”
  • grinding
    506 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While many enjoy the grindy nature as part of the incremental gameplay experience, they also note that it can become tedious, especially in the late game where achievements require excessive resource farming and repetitive tasks. Players have expressed a desire for quality-of-life improvements, particularly in the farming mechanics, which some find underdeveloped and cumbersome. Overall, the grind is seen as both a core feature and a potential drawback, depending on individual player preferences.

    • “The end game became kind of repetitive, to max all the upgrades/buffs, but otherwise it wasn't too grindy.”
    • “It's not grindy at all, I would say that it is perfectly balanced.”
    • “Great game, the incremental bits are not too tedious and breaking through planets is satisfying!”
    • “Finally, my biggest gripe with the game so far is that if you want to 100% it, you have to play 5-10 more hours of mindless auto-farming that you can't even AFK because the planets don't auto-restart.”
    • “The final achievement to harvest 10 million blocks is pretty tedious for essentially no reward, which is also unfortunate.”
    • “Progress is really slow, grindy, and repetitive.”
  • music
    336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. Descriptions such as "banger soundtrack" and "music slaps" highlight its appeal, while some users express a desire for more variety and a purchasable soundtrack option. Despite a few complaints about music volume settings resetting, the soundtrack is often cited as a key reason to play, contributing to a relaxing and engaging atmosphere.

    • “Incredibly satisfying gameplay, banger soundtrack, chaos for days.”
    • “The music in this game has no right to be as amazing as it is.”
    • “This is a fun, relaxing game with great music and a wonderful sense of progression.”
    • “Running the game for the first time, it immediately asks the user to set sound and music volumes, which is weird because there are no sounds or music playing to test them!”
    • “Super annoying how when I close the game with the music and sound effects muted, it opens with the music on at the same volume every time.”
    • “Music is very repetitive; it would be nice to have 2 or 3 more variations, but I really enjoyed this game and it was well worth the £6.69 that I paid.”
  • graphics
    144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and pixelated, with a charming retro aesthetic that appeals to many players. However, some users report issues with clarity, particularly in crowded scenes where it can be difficult to see key elements like their own ship. While the visuals are engaging and colorful, there are concerns about performance lag in later stages and a lack of customizable graphics settings, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game does a pretty damn good job on game progression, it wasn't until the very end when things started to get a bit grindy, the game also looks really clean and aesthetically pleasing, all of the particles and pieces just look sick.”
    • “Game is exactly what you bargain for and even more, amazing graphics and versatile gameplay.”
    • “The music was exceptional, the visuals were very juicy, and the gameplay from about 30 minutes in to about 2 hours in was exceptionally engaging.”
    • “Bad graphics: the icons are indecipherable, and I often lost sight of my own ship, though there were some cool effects later.”
    • “All this made worse by the lack of graphical settings and excessive abuse of chromatic aberration that makes certain planets entirely unplayable as the screen is completely unseeable.”
    • “I feel like I shouldn't be playing this game - the interface is pretty bad, the feedback is confusing, and the graphics are not at all clear (e.g., can't see my own ship/drill most of the time, for all the stuff going on).”
  • optimization
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in the late game where performance can drop drastically, even on high-end PCs. Players report lag and frame rate drops when using multiple upgrades or during intense gameplay moments, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game is enjoyable and worth its price, many reviewers emphasize the need for improvements in optimization and quality of life features to enhance gameplay.

    • “A great game in need of a bit of optimization!”
    • “Fun, incremental, mining game with great gameplay, but requires heavy improvements on the quality of life and optimization side.”
    • “Performance is a bit shaky when you have most of the upgrades, but not in a way that prevented me from enjoying the game since the game is basically over at that point.”
    • “However, there are some big performance issues when things get hectic, even on modern-gen PCs with solid specs, as well as a few bugs/oversights.”
    • “Weird performance issues towards end game.”
    • “Yeah, it's poorly optimized and can slow to 1fps on a god-tier PC; the last fifth or so overstays its welcome as it tries to become an incremental game that you still need to baby.”
  • replayability
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has been described as having low to mediocre replayability, with many players noting that it can be completed in a few hours without much incentive to replay. While some enjoy speedrunning and find the gameplay addictive, the lack of additional content or meaningful replay options, such as a "new game plus," has left many feeling disappointed. Despite its fun mechanics, the consensus is that once the game is finished, there is little reason to return.

    • “I love the game, it has great replayability and it is a good time waster and pretty fun to collect different types of rocks and craft stuff.”
    • “Good replayability for speedrunning.”
    • “Loved it and I found great replayability in trying to speedrun the game.”
    • “There is no replayability after beating the game or getting all achievements, which only takes a few hours.”
    • “Just finished it after 12 or so hours and I have to say I'm disappointed there isn't more content or more replay value like a new game plus or something.”
    • “To the core, it doesn't offer any meaningful replayability, so expect about 5-7 hours of gameplay.”
  • story
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is largely non-existent, with many players noting that it lacks a meaningful plot or narrative depth. While some appreciate the light storyline that serves as a backdrop for gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game is more about casual, destructive fun than storytelling, making it suitable for those looking to relax rather than engage with a complex narrative. The conclusion is often described as anti-climactic, aligning with the game's progression-focused design.

    • “My favorite thing about it is probably that it combines the aspect of a destroy-it-all type game with a clicker-like aspect and wraps it all up in a storyline with a real end goal.”
    • “Capitalism sends drill operator into sun in daring mission to mine hydrogen 👍”
    • “All in all definitely recommended when you want to relax and take a break from being preoccupied by a story or competitive gameplay.”
    • “No story, no plot.”
    • “There is no story whatsoever.”
    • “There is very nearly zero story.”
  • stability
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs, UI glitches, and lag, particularly during endgame stages. Players have experienced freezing, unresponsive menus, and various interface problems that detract from the overall experience. While the game offers enjoyable gameplay, the lack of polish and frequent technical issues have led to frustration among users.

    • “The game is buggy.”
    • “Game can often freeze (unfreezes if I press the Windows key) if I play in fullscreen, and this game doesn't support cloud saves so I can't pick up and resume on my other devices.”
    • “There is quite a lack of polish, be it buggy interfaces or lack of quality of life features that are expected in a 'relaxing'/'simple' game such as this.”
  • humor
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players noting its youthful and quirky charm, particularly in the post-credits comments and cosmic themes. Many find the comedic elements, such as funny sounds and exaggerated power differences, to enhance the overall experience, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a lighthearted and entertaining gameplay. However, some users mention technical issues that detract from their enjoyment.

    • “Highly recommend for a chill/cozy experience with a galactic twist and the cosmic humor of exponential expansion.”
    • “[h1] This game is dangerously funny; play at your own risk! [/h1]”
    • “The difference in power between the start and the end is just absolutely hilarious.”
  • monetization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a one-time purchase model with no microtransactions or ads, reminiscent of classic flash games. While players appreciate the uninterrupted progression and absence of annoying monetization tactics, some challenges may feel unachievable, and advertising bonuses can be misleading. Overall, it offers a nostalgic experience without the typical pitfalls of free-to-play models.

    • “It's like one of those incremental upgrade games you might see on a mobile app, but there is never a halt to progression (and obviously no microtransactions).”
    • “There are no microtransactions.”
    • “Pay once, play forever, no annoying microtransactions, and a real 'hail mary' to the golden days of flash games.”
    • “Some challenges are not achievable, and some advertising bonuses differ from what you will actually receive.”
    • “The game feels like a free-to-play game without the ads and in-game store.”
    • “It's like one of those incremental upgrade games you might see on a mobile app, but there is never a halt to progression.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its enjoyable and relaxing vibe, complemented by great music that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the engaging progression that contributes to the game's fun and action-oriented nature.

    • “Fun, relaxing action game with great music and atmosphere, and good progression.”
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9h Median play time
10h Average play time
7-12h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 148 analyzed playthroughs
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