The Planet Crafter is an atmospheric open-world survival game where you can literally terraform an entire Planet. This space adventure game was developed by Miju Games and reached version 1.0 after some time in early access. But is it actually any good? Let’s dig in and find out!
The Premise: You’re a Convict on a Mission
In The Planet Crafter, the game casts you as a convict who has been given an unbelievable task – to terraform an entire uninhabitable planet into a lush, vibrant world that can sustain human colonies. If you complete this nearly impossible job, the authorities will wipe your criminal record clean. No pressure, right?
You start off stranded on this ball of dirt with barely any supplies – just enough to last a few days, a spacesuit with terrible oxygen capacity, and a material-collecting gun. The game seriously stacks the deck against you. But hey, at least it promises freedom if you can pull off this planet-sized makeover!
Not Much Hand-Holding, But That’s Part of the Fun
The game doesn’t provide much of a tutorial beyond a quick intro cutscene. After a violent crash landing, it gives you a basic list of things to craft, and then leaves you to fend for yourself. This lack of hand-holding can be a bit daunting at first when the game heavily restricts your mobility and inventory.
However, as you start unlocking upgrades and better equipment like jetpacks and bigger inventories, that initial struggle becomes part of the rewarding gameplay loop. The struggle will motivate you to explore deeper, gather more resources from crashed ships, and slowly but surely transform the dead landscape into a living, breathing world.
It’s Like Watching a Planet Being Born
While you may have taken some liberties with the science to simplify things a bit, watching your terraforming efforts grow into life is incredibly satisfying. You might be surrounded by an arid desert one minute, but the next you hear rushing waterfalls and lush greenery. The devs did an awesome job making that transformation feel tangible and rewarding.
As the environmental conditions improve, you’ll keep unlocking new crafting options, gear, structures, and cool things like rockets that boost productivity (but also potentially trigger meteor showers – oops!). There’s always a new carrot being dangled to spur you onward in your planet-forming quest.
Surprisingly Atmospheric and Immersive
For a game without any real enemies or survival threats beyond environmental hazards, The Planet Crafter still manages to foster a surprisingly tense, atmospheric vibe at times. Exploring the dark, abandoned interiors of crashed ships and bases creates a creepy, alone-in-the-universe feeling that makes every expedition exciting.
You’ll find yourself constantly wondering about the stories and mysteries surrounding this planet’s past inhabitants. Did they fail in their attempts at terraforming? What happened to them? It’s little narrative touches like this that add immersive depth to what could’ve just been a mindless resource grind.
Solo or Co-Op, Your Choice!
Speaking of resource grinding, it’s there, but it doesn’t often feel like a slog thanks to the steady progression and new objectives constantly being unlocked. And if you want to expedite that resource collection or just have friends along for the ride, The Planet Crafter has a super smooth multiplayer experience.
Up to eight players can join a co-op session through Steam with virtually no hassle. Everyone gets their progression to not feel left behind, but you’re all working towards the same overarching goal of bringing life to the planet. Just be ready for everyone to look identical in their orange spacesuits!
Great Performance and Value
On a technical level, the game ran buttery smooth for me even on high settings as the world steadily came to life. There were a few iffy textures here and there, but nothing too egregious. My main gripe is that the mid-to-late game does turn into more of a numbers game where you’re just waiting for resources to accumulate for your next upgrade. But it’s a minor issue.
For the $25 asking price on Steam, you’re getting a very chill, relaxing, and rewarding open-world sandbox gameplay loop that’s perfect for short sessions or long marathon. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel breathing life into a dead world is worth it alone in my book.
Final Verdict
If you’ve been craving a unique, stress-free survival crafting experience, I can’t recommend The Planet Crafter enough. It’s an immensely satisfying game. That strikes a perfect balance between giving you clear objectives and letting you casually set your own pace.
Whether you want to grind it out solo over dozens of hours or terraform with friends, there’s so much value. And good vibes packaged into this gem. It may be a turn-off for some as the lack of intense. Combat or hardcore survival elements makes it a more pleasurable haven to laze about in. So what are you waiting for?
Grab your spacesuit, it’s time to craft!
