Astroneer

Very good low stress survival game. It is all about exploration, gathering, and base building. You can die but This is mostly from hostile plants and falling.

First playthrough has lots of interesting lore/story beats to discover.

Very good game, and 5 years after release they are still adding content. Worth the price.

I've supported Astroneer since it first released in early access, many years ago. But I've never written a review for it!

Upfront, I want to say - this game's ongoing development is ... I wouldn't say "dire", but it certainly doesn't match the precedent they set in those bygone early days. The majority of content they add now is seasonal / limited-time, and the introduction of microtransactions was a dark day, to be sure.

In that regard, I wouldn't recommend Astroneer ... as an investment, or anything like it. I concede that Astroneer probably won't get better than it currently is - the game feels 90% the same as it's (1.0) launch day, if not higher, and about 80% the same as when I first played it.

However, that just means I have to look at the game for what it is; and Astroneer is a technical marvel! I really appreciate the completely diagetic UI (UI that takes place in the world; rather, there is no UI, you can seamlessly move things around the environment and inventory in a way that would usually take place in a menu). The planets use marching cubes, an algorithm I've implemented myself in past projects - and it's been polished to a magnificent scale here (other games with this method include DRG and NMS). The cell-shaded art style is visionary, and what every cell-shaded game ought to strive for, and the gameplay is pretty good too. I like the 1.0 story a lot, it all feels very grand and somewhat divine, devising schemes to activate ancient technology one-by-one across the solar system.

That's about all I have to say on it. I'm leaving this review in 2024, and nothing has happened for Astroneer in 2024, but this 2019 game is still worth all your attention. Gosh, it's been almost twice as long since release as the game spent in early access in its entirety ... time really flies.

I know on steam it shows but 92 hours played, but i have far more on a different platform. This game is phenomenal. It imposes basically no limits on how you wish to play other than basic progression, and, of course, its progression is superb. The main reason this was my 'favorite' game for the longest time was its MUSIC. Oh my god the soundtrack is transcendent, i adore it. Exploration is nice with vibrant biomes and planets. There is also a cutesie side quest with like, space snails, which are wonderful and i will kill anyone who merely attempts to harm them. Well, enough yapping. I should sleep, its 5 am. babai

I love this game. I'm not usually a fan of games with crafting or too much resource gathering, but this game does it well. There is a clear goal to the game that you discover shortly on in, and getting too that goal is extremely fun. The best parts are when you start exploring other planets and building larger vehicles you can drive around with, "modding" the vehicles as well. It's a pretty chill game most of the time too, you can play while doing other things or listening to music.
Game is best played co-op probably, with the save file residing on the host's computer, but I've played it a few times solo as well. Driving around with someone is lots of fun, and figuring out hilarious ways to transport others around as part of your cargo.
I've beaten this game in full once and started a few other separate playthroughs just for fun. One of the few games I've continued to play well after getting 100%, and the game is still getting updates and new features, like custom modes. Highly recommended!
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Control Scheme I Used: Keyboard and Mouse. I had to use an external program "Dual Monitor Tools" to help keep the mouse on the game screen, as I constantly was clicking outside the game, and I had to manually edit one of the config files to increase the size of the cursor for 1440p resolutions, which is a known issue in the Steam forums.
All bindings were set to default, I may have changed the "driving in air" controls a tiny bit.
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Worth the current price (CDN$ 39.99)? Wait for a sale, even a small one.
What I actually paid: Originally gifted to me at full price of $24.99 in Early Access. Have bought other copies for under $20 since then.
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Completionist Review:
DLC Achievements: No DLC.
Rating: Great
Can be completed in one run: Yes, requires multiplayer however.
Chapter Select: Open World game, no chapters.
Did I need/use a guide? Not for achievements.
The game pretty clearly explains everything, and has resources in game to look stuff up like the Astropedia. Very well done. All the completion criteria was extremely fun to do, and the only "grindy" achievements were very easy to get and happened naturally anyways.

Very cool mining and crafting game, with modular assemble/disassemble mechanics similar to Legos.
Graphics are simplistic, yet cute. Gameplay is interesting, exciting and addicting.
I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first and I've had this in my library for years, until recently I gave it a try. Wow, this game did not disappoint! Highly recommended!
GOOD
- Digging for resources is satisfying, and it goes deep!
- Crafting is done through the use of printers. Interesting game mechanic.
- Modularity of the equipment is so cool. It's kinda like Legos.
- Automation systems gives lots of possibilities.
- Planets are really round. If you walk/drive in one direction, you will eventually come back to where you started. They are decent size btw.
- Travel between planets.
- Several types of vehicles, incl. a train.
- You can now start a custom game with your own planets.
BAD
- Planets are fairly empty and lifeless. Could really need some wildlife, more things to explore, more threats/challenges, etc. This is my biggest complaint. Gameplay gets a bit stale after 50+ hours.
- Camera angle can be quite clunky, especially in caves or near other objects. I wish there was an option for 1st person view.
- UI is not the best, could definitely need some improvements.
- Platforms locks/unlocks with one touch of a button. Very easy to accidently unlock.
- Pets are way too OP. It ruins the balance of the game. Pets as just pure companions would be much better.

I am a cute astronaut that collects resources, my ADHD brain loves the organizing, and cute things make me not want to cry for a little bit

This is the game equivalent of a cozy adventure book you take on vacation. The stakes aren't high but it's not about that, it's about the journey and the fun had along the way. Astroneer might be one of my favorite games of all time.