Waking Mars

About

Waking Mars is a single player arcade action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Tiger Style and was released on December 13, 2012. It received very positive reviews from players.

In Waking Mars , players explore an open-world network of caves filled with alien life forms and ruins. To survive, they must learn to create ecosystems with exotic plants and creatures, using some to feed others. The goal is to discover the secrets of Mars' past before time runs out.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 942 reviews

story245 positive mentions

grinding51 negative mentions

Waking Mars offers a unique gameplay experience centered around creating and managing ecosystems, which is both engaging and rewarding.
The game features a compelling story with well-written dialogue and strong voice acting, enhancing the overall experience.
The visuals and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, providing an immersive environment that complements the exploration theme.

The gameplay can become repetitive, especially in the later stages where backtracking and resource gathering are required.
Some players may find the lack of combat and action elements to be a drawback, as the game focuses more on exploration and puzzle-solving.
The ending may feel abrupt or unsatisfying for some, lacking a strong resolution to the story.

story
474 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The story of "Waking Mars" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and well-developed lore, which captivates players as they explore the Martian underground. Many reviews highlight the intriguing premise of discovering alien life and the impact of player choices, leading to multiple endings that enhance replayability. While some found the dialogue cheesy or the pacing slow, the overall consensus is that the story, combined with solid voice acting and a unique atmosphere, makes for a compelling and enjoyable experience.
- “The lore, dialogue, and story are interesting throughout and kept me invested.”
- “The story is simple but fun, with great voice acting.”
- “The story is engaging as well.”
- “There's a bit of a story, but it feels rather lackluster.”
- “The story kept my attention enough that at the end I reloaded my save game a couple of times to check out the alternate endings.”
- “I just saw some endings and I was shocked that the story really went nowhere and did not make any sense at all.”
gameplay
335 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The gameplay in "Waking Mars" is characterized by its unique mechanics centered around planting and nurturing alien ecosystems, offering a blend of exploration and puzzle-solving. While many players find the gameplay engaging and rewarding, some note that it can become repetitive over time, with a relatively low difficulty level. Overall, the game is praised for its innovative approach and relaxing atmosphere, though it may not appeal to those seeking more traditional or action-oriented gameplay experiences.
- “The gameplay is original and satisfying, and the setting, narration, and atmosphere are terrific.”
- “The gameplay revolves around growing plant creatures and creating ecosystems.”
- “The gameplay is very intuitive and easy to learn, although there is no tutorial so you have to just experiment with the buttons when you first start out.”
- “The gameplay becomes repetitive unfortunately.”
- “Odd controls, boring gameplay, clunky platforming.”
- “The gameplay is largely exploration using your character (a human astronaut in a space suit with jetpack), and planting and tending to the 'gardens' (essentially a series of isolated ecosystems).”
graphics
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
35%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that enhance the exploration experience, while others criticize the simplistic animations and low-budget appearance. Many agree that the visuals effectively convey the game's themes, despite not being technically impressive, and the overall aesthetic is often described as charming and fitting for the setting. Overall, while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they contribute positively to the game's immersive atmosphere and storytelling.
- “The art style is pure gold and I have to thank the artists for making this game just so beautiful.”
- “The graphics are nice, but the animation is crap.”
- “The visuals are bright and fantastic, with its parallax-heavy and vaguely paper-like aesthetic giving the whole experience a much cheerier tone than you'd expect from 'trapped underground on Mars by yourself.'”
- “To be clear, I'm not one of those idiots who thinks that high-fidelity graphics are everything, but there's a difference between good low-budget art and bad low-budget art, and this is definitely the latter.”
- “Let's get the bad part out of the way first: the graphics are uninspiring.”
- “The graphics are pretty bad too, reminding me of 2D layered games from the 90s with pre-rendered stop-motion animations.”
music
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and ambient qualities that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be excellent and fitting for the game's themes, others describe it as forgettable or not particularly memorable. Overall, the music is generally seen as a solid complement to the gameplay, contributing to the immersive environment, though there are occasional criticisms regarding volume levels and audio bugs.
- “Great music that suits the game well; the movement in the game feels very fluid and enjoyable.”
- “The soundtrack is a fantastic and completely original electronic score composed by the studio.”
- “The music is chill and reminds me of the soundtracks from sci-fi games from the 90s.”
- “The music really didn't fit the game in my opinion, and sometimes while the people were talking, the music was really loud.”
- “The only thing I didn't particularly like was the soundtrack.”
- “One thing I really wish was done better is the music.”
atmosphere
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
31%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the calming ambiance, engaging story, and effective voice acting. Players appreciate the unique blend of exploration and puzzle-solving set against a backdrop of atmospheric visuals and soundtracks that enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates and draws players into its world.
- “The atmosphere and story is what makes this game.”
- “The beautiful art and sound create an atmosphere unlike anything else.”
- “A wonderful atmospheric exploration game with a story.”
- “These things kill the atmosphere which this spartan game with its tone of hard sci-fi is in dire need.”
- “Unfortunately it completely ruins the atmosphere the game is trying to set up.”
- “Good music could have added so much more atmosphere to the game.”
grinding
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, often describing it as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game when resource gathering becomes necessary for progression. While some appreciate the fast travel system that alleviates some of the back-and-forth, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially when aiming for 100% completion or special endings. Despite these criticisms, the game's engaging story and unique mechanics can make the grinding feel worthwhile for some players.
- “Though it can be a little tedious going back and forth to different areas for different resources.”
- “There's a fair amount of annoying grinding involved in getting the 'good' ending, which is unfortunate in an otherwise really well-paced game.”
- “You have to have certain items in your possession, and can only carry a few, so near the end it became so much about running around--nope, not here, let's try this one--that it just got incredibly tedious.”
replayability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its engaging story and mechanics that introduce new elements to keep the experience fresh, while others criticize it for being too short and lacking substantial replay value. Many reviews highlight that while there are moments of replayability, such as alternate endings or bonus puzzles, the game ultimately falls short in offering enough content for multiple playthroughs. Consequently, it seems that while some players find it enjoyable enough to revisit, others feel it lacks the depth needed for sustained replayability.
- “Great replayability.”
- “If the gameplay is good, and the game length not overly long, it makes a game with great replay value.”
- “This has an amazing replayability, and overall, I'd give it a 93/100.”
- “It respects your time, but it doesn't really have a lot of content or replayability.”
- “Found it to have zero replayability, though.”
- “The entire game can be completed in a single sitting, and there's no replay value.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the witty banter and comedic dialogue between characters, particularly praising the AI companion and ship's computer for their humor. However, some find certain clichés, like the "funny robot," to be overused and detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the humor can be hit or miss, it contributes positively to the game's unique atmosphere and engaging story.
- “The AI companion is absolutely hilarious.”
- “Additionally, throughout the game there is frequent dialogue between the characters that is actually really funny.”
- “The ship's computer is hilarious, too.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed, with users reporting various bugs and glitches, including issues with event triggers, audio problems, and occasional crashes. While some players experienced game-breaking bugs, others found the overall experience enjoyable despite these flaws. The developer's responsiveness to glitches is noted positively, but frequent freezing and menu design issues detract from the gameplay experience.
- “As for bugs and glitches, sometimes events don't trigger the first time around... one of the achievements may bug out and not trigger (like in my case).”
- “It's disappointing and frustrating to try and keep playing when the game freezes up every few seconds.”
- “There's also a number of glitches, stuff getting stuck in walls etc. but also game-breaking bugs that can ruin your file; thankfully I did not encounter this but I did get a kind of buggy ending the first time via skipping a large chunk of the endgame sequence by having enough core power to trigger the normal ending.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization on modern systems, requiring players to adjust resolution settings to improve performance. Many users report persistent stuttering issues that worsen over time, indicating a lack of effective performance management.
- “The game has not been optimized for modern systems; however, you may have to tweak the resolution settings.”
- “The game has not been optimized for modern systems; you may have to tweak the resolution settings.”
- “I was unable to fix the terrible game stuttering that seemed to build up over time.”
- “System info & performance report”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its heartfelt story and pleasing aesthetics, creating a wholesome experience. The contrasting personalities of the characters, particularly Liang's emotional detachment and Amani's expressive comments, contribute to a soothing emotional atmosphere. Overall, it is seen as a simple yet enjoyable game that resonates emotionally with players.
- “The story is heartfelt, and the aesthetics of the game are pleasing.”
- “Liang's emotionally detached curiosity, in contrast to Amani's personality-loaded comments, brings peace to my soul.”
- “Overall, it's just a simple, wholesome game that was a decent amount of fun.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development is minimal yet effectively executed, striking a balance that resonates well with players.
- “Character development is minimal, but just right.”
- “The character arcs are well-crafted and deeply engaging.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic.”
- “Character development is minimal and feels rushed.”
- “The characters lack depth and their growth is unconvincing.”
- “There is a missed opportunity for meaningful character arcs.”