Total Miner

About

"Total Miner is an open-world voxel sandbox game with a focus on creative RPG game building. It features a built-in script language and editor, as well as Lua scripting support. The game also includes tools for filling and clearing large areas, and supports multiplayer through the public beta. Note that the multiplayer experience may differ from that on Xbox 360.".

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 680 reviews

music8 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

Total Miner brings back a lot of nostalgia from the Xbox 360 era, providing a unique experience with RPG elements and creative building tools.
The game features a robust scripting system that allows players to create custom experiences and game modes, enhancing replayability.
The developer has shown dedication to the community, with ongoing updates and improvements planned for the game.

The game currently lacks multiplayer functionality, which was a significant aspect of the original Xbox 360 version, leading to disappointment among fans.
There are several bugs and performance issues, including frame drops and problems with certain game mechanics, which detract from the overall experience.
The user interface and controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and gameplay less enjoyable compared to other modern titles.

music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
59%
11%
The music in the game is described as charming and varied, with some players appreciating its fitting choices and sound design, while others miss the original soundtrack and feel it doesn't match the nostalgic quality of previous tunes. Some users enjoyed the creative potential of the music features, such as proximity sound effects, but there are mixed feelings about the newer tracks compared to the beloved classics. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, though opinions on its quality and fit vary significantly.
- “Fantastic indie game with fantastic soundtracks and sound design.”
- “The music was always fun, both the pre-patch songs and the ones that got removed; I loved them all!”
- “But tm made me realize how a soundtrack makes the game better.”
- “Life be royalty free pirate music as fuck but then you fall 2 layers along the z axis and the jungle snare choir start going off.”
- “I wish there was a way to disable certain things like animals and get the old school terrain generation and the old music back.”
- “The soundtrack has a lot of variety in music, but it fails to come anywhere close to the happy sounds of Minecraft's tune.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
75%
13%
The gameplay of the game is generally well-received, offering a variety of mechanics and possibilities that encourage exploration and creativity, though some features are criticized for being poorly implemented. Players appreciate the unique mechanics that differentiate it from similar games like Minecraft, despite some navigation and bug issues. Overall, the game is considered enjoyable, especially for fans of voxel sandbox genres, and is seen as a worthwhile purchase for its low price.
- “The game has enough mechanics and gameplay possibilities that I cannot put them all into one review, so don't take my word for it, try it for yourself; besides, it's only $2.99, not much to lose.”
- “Great simple yet complex game. While it's not as graphically pleasing as other games, it makes up for it in gameplay and some great game mechanics.”
- “Regardless, the game is still fun and I definitely look forward to what the future holds for it; I definitely recommend the game to anyone who is into voxel sandbox games because the game modes and overall gameplay are enjoyable!”
- “The list of poorly implemented and half-baked features and mechanics goes on and on.”
- “Navigating the menus is not only a maze, but actually mechanically difficult with the way that it shifts around.”
- “Part of the dig deep world type's gameplay is finding blueprints to be able to craft stuff, but they are bugged still even after a patch was supposed to fix them (11 months ago).”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
94%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay. While multiplayer features have been introduced, they remain problematic, and many aspects of the game feel unfinished and messy. Overall, players recommend caution, as the game is still in a buggy state and not fully polished for a smooth experience.
- “I recommend this game because I have always loved it. I still enjoy it, but it will be a little while longer before anyone can expect it to have a bustling multiplayer or a completely bug-free experience.”
- “The game runs smoothly most of the time, and I appreciate the developers' efforts to address stability issues with regular updates.”
- “I've experienced very few crashes, and the overall performance has been quite stable, making for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “Yes, it's buggy, incomplete, and way behind schedule being an over 10-year-old game.”
- “The game is very buggy and messy, and could really use a lot of work with controls and HUDs.”
- “Too buggy for release, hardly playable in its current state.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game are described as simplistic and not as visually impressive as some competitors, yet they evoke a sense of nostalgia and charm for long-time players. Users appreciate the ability to customize graphics settings in-game, although some have encountered issues with aspect ratios that can lead to gameplay disruptions. Overall, while the graphics may not stand out, they complement the gameplay and mechanics effectively, distinguishing the game from typical "Minecraft clones."
- “This game, in my opinion, out ranks Minecraft in many aspects including gameplay, crafting, ores, and graphics.”
- “With a different art style, its own texture packs built in, which was a difference from console Minecraft at the time.”
- “Same graphics that I remember, same nostalgic feel.”
- “Great simple yet complex game. While it's not as graphically pleasing as other games, it makes up for it in gameplay and some great game mechanics.”
- “The thing about this game that sets it apart from other 'Minecraft clones' is to me, it is not as similar to Minecraft other than the graphic style.”
- “And to get 1080p fullscreen, you must go in-game first, then turn it all on in graphics settings.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it well-optimized with smooth performance and stability, others report that it remains poorly optimized for the Steam platform. Despite some control issues, many users appreciate the improvements over the Xbox 360 version, highlighting a generally enjoyable experience without significant lag.
- “Played an absolute ton back in the day on Xbox 360, this version is way better optimized.”
- “The controls aren't the greatest but the game overall feels well optimized and, unlike other Minecraft-like games, does not lag.”
- “If you're like me and you're hyped that Total Miner finally came to Steam, beware: the game is still poorly optimized for Steam thus far.”
- “Here's what to expect performance-wise.”
- “- Smooth scripting performance.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express deep emotional connections to the game, reminiscing about the joy and nostalgia it brings, often leading to tears. The experience of revisiting the game after years evokes strong memories of friendship, fear, and excitement, highlighting its lasting impact on their lives. Overall, the game fosters a profound sense of appreciation and emotional resonance among its community.
- “I'm not kidding when I say this, I wasted $3 on something I don't regret. Playing this game again after 9 years made me cry.”
- “The more I think about how long I spent enjoying your game and creating real memories with real friends, the more emotional I get. I was awe-inspired by some of the wisdom scrolls and excited about the new features to play with. I wish I could just start over at the beginning, not knowing anything, fearing the other players destroying my worlds, and being scared of the caves because the lava and spiders were terrifying to my 13-year-old self.”
- “Thank you so much for your heartfelt support through the years of Total Miner: Forge.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers a unique sandbox experience that allows players to script their own stories and customize gameplay. Additionally, the developer is actively enhancing the narrative by implementing a quest system that enables NPCs to engage in meaningful dialogue through a dialogue tree.
- “This is the only sandbox I have ever played that you can script your own story and change the game how you want to.”
- “Craig has been working on creating a quest system for NPCs to actually talk to you and have things to say about quests in a dialogue tree.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is minimal, leaving players feeling disconnected from the story.”
- “The quests are repetitive and uninspired, failing to add depth to the overall storyline.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly enjoying the amusing interactions between enemies, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “The funny thing is, those were my two favorite things about Total Miner.”
- “It's kind of funny to see the enemies fighting each other for no reason at all.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to the need to wait for stamina to refill, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay. However, some users note that while it is repetitive, the process can be completed relatively quickly.
- “Making it very tedious having to wait for stamina to refill and sprint, over and over.”
- “There is a thread on a forum with fixes, and it's tedious but pretty quick in all honesty.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that players feel the game's monetization strategy is exploitative, with many perceiving it as a cash grab that capitalizes on nostalgia rather than delivering meaningful updates or improvements. Users express frustration over broken gameplay and unfulfilled promises from the developers.
- “After a while, the creators continued to lie about a new update coming out, and now the game doesn't even work. I can't recommend this game; it just feels like a cash grab now.”
- “This seems more of a cash grab from the nostalgia of those who loved this game on Xbox.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Currently, the game's replayability is limited to solo play, but the anticipated addition of multiplayer and features like "dig deep" is expected to significantly enhance the experience, offering endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Fixing existing contextual issues will further improve its playability.
- “As of right now, the game is limited to just solo play, but as soon as multiplayer is released, the replayability and sense of wonder and discovery will never end.”
- “As of right now, the game is limited to just solo play. However, once multiplayer is released, the replayability and sense of wonder and discovery will never end.”
- “When 'Dig Deep' is added to the game, and contextual issues are fixed (some avatar descriptions for unlocking them still require you to do something over Xbox Live), I think it will become a much more playable game.”