Once Human
The apocalypse changed everything. Human, animal, plant… all are infested by an alien creature – Stardust. As a Meta-Human, you can survive the contamination and use the power of Stardust. Play alone or join others to fight, build and explore. When the world is in chaos, you are our last hope.
Survive in the wilderness
You wake up in the middle of nowhere. You’ll have to brace yourself for the cruelty of nature (from monsters to lack of food); however, Stardust’s influence does not restrict to living things, it also affects the soil and water. Eating polluted food and drinking dirty water will reduce your Sanity. When your Sanity drops, your max HP would drop accordingly. To eat or not to eat, it’s a question.
Fight against monsters
Battle numerous enemies that are once human, and challenge bosses from another dimension to gain powerful items and ease Stardust pollution. You are not only fighting for yourself, but also fighting for the survivors.
Customize weapons
With about 100 gun blueprints divided into seven categories for you to collect and craft, every loot grants you something new. Did I mention accessories and gun perks? Right, they are the heroes here. If our current weapon cannot satisfy your need, you can add different parts and perks, upgrade your firearm to your heart’s content.
Build territory
Use Territory Core to build a house of your own. You can keep a practical style, jamming everything needed in a small room; or you can design a townhouse with a patio, kitchen, garage… The best part is, you can relocate your territory any time you want!
Find out the truth
Delve into the truth of Stardust, find out where it came from, and what it wants. In the journey of seeking truth, you may feel alone, but you are never alone. There are several factions in the world, some can be violent and hostile, others might be friendly and helpful. Explore human settlements to learn their stories or exterminate bosses without leaving a name for survivors to praise, the choices are yours.
Steam User 452
For a free game it is enjoyable, but none of your friends will wanna play with you even though it is free.
Steam User 297
Great game, but the monthly wipes kinda killed it for me. Should have some servers without wipe were we could just make communities and grind story together.
Steam User 361
First of all, only play the steam version.
Never confirm or give out your email address.
Block Webview Helper and render.exe in your firewall, which is a strange browser built into the game, only ONCE_HUMAN.exe is allowed. Everything works fine like this.
I recommend that you do not link or tell anything about your social media.
Only buy through steam if you want to support the game, which is completely free. You can only buy cosmetic improvements, which is good.
From the beginning, the game is engaging and addictive.
There is plenty to do and best of all, you can do everything in any order you want.
I would say that the game is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played in its genre.
Amazingly similar to the original The Secret World.
The monsters and zombies are very similar and the general atmosphere too. The puzzles were harder in TSW.
Both have similar built-in browsers, think about it.
The game runs well at 3840x2160 resolution with best settings+ 60fbs on my configuration which is: 64GB, AMD RX 6950 XT and AMD 5800X3D.
Finally, I would like less childish pokemon style gameplay elements and a full map for Manibus.
Personally, I only recommend permanent servers.
I just don't feel like starting everything over again in a slightly different environment.
Steam User 236
Look—I was just gonna try it for a few hours. I blinked, and suddenly it’s 3 AM, my base has tripwires, I’m hoarding mushrooms like a feral raccoon, and I’m emotionally bonded to a rifle I named “Susan.”
This game?
Absolutely unhinged in the best way. It’s like Fallout, The Forest, and Stranger Things had a weird little apocalypse baby—and somehow it works. The world is rotting and glowing and horrifying and BEAUTIFUL. And I? I’m thriving. Screaming, but thriving.
✔️ Base building? Addictive.
✔️ Crafting? Endless.
✔️ Combat? Chunky, chaotic, and so satisfying.
✔️ Lore? Creepy as hell, and I need answers NOW.
✔️ Monsters? I love them. I fear them. I run from them and come back with a flamethrower.
Even the bugs feel like part of the chaos. I shouldn’t love this game this much—but it scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had.
10/10 — I’ve joined a cult, and it’s this game.
Come back to edit for one of the events:
Once Human – Nalcott Survival Review (Manibus Vision Permanent Server)
I’ve been exploring Nalcott for 11 days, bearing witness to both its beauty and brutality. The world feels alive, vibrant in its details and full of moments that genuinely pull you into its mystery. Every corner seems to whisper a story, and I’ve done my best to help shape it into something thriving and alive.
But I need to be honest: the Lunar Event has started to turn excitement into frustration. The Lord of the Night seems to appear far too often, sometimes what feels like every thirty minutes, interrupting exploration, crafting, and any real progression. When that event triggers, it doesn’t feel like a challenge; it feels like punishment.
The copy of yourself that spawns during the event is over-tuned and nearly impossible to defeat solo, especially for players who aren’t fully geared. At level 35, I should be able to handle level 19 mobs, yet even with steel AP arrows, I’m barely scratching them. By the time the event’s chaos unfolds, my HP is already low, and one unlucky hit can end it all in a single shot.
Being forced into participation rather than given a chance to prepare or opt out makes it worse. It gets to the point where I’m barricaded in my base, just waiting it out, which kills the pacing and fun of the game. And when multiple Lords of the Night trigger back-to-back...it’s pure burnout.
Still, I stay because of the community. The people I play with on Server Y0222 make the experience worth enduring. There’s something special about a world that can frustrate you to no end, but also bring together a group of players who refuse to give up.
Verdict:
Once Human has incredible potential, breathtaking world design, and a community that keeps its heart beating. But events like the Lunar Cycle need better tuning and balance... because no one wants to survive a nightmare that never ends.
Steam User 140
Game is really fun, but the grind after grind with resets will wear some people down very fast. After doing it enough, I've become burned out on the whole "rinse and repeat" process. A lot of folks I know love the game though, so all in all, worth a try at least.
Steam User 169
Old guy gamer here...
This game is a chill use of old guy gaming time. That's all some people need to know.
p.s. ( feels like a little bit of division mixed with destiny and not overtly pay to enjoy)
Steam User 198
Once Human Review – A Game That Lost Its Identity and Future
When Once Human launched in 2024, it felt genuinely fresh within the survival/zombie genre. Its dark atmosphere, intriguing lore, and intuitive base building systems made it easy to overlook its rough edges, especially as a FTP title. Sadly, instead of improving over time, the game has steadily declined.
The biggest problem is a complete loss of identity. Once Human no longer knows what it wants to be. What began as a grounded post-apocalyptic survival experience has slowly turned into a confused blend of Rust-style grind, Pokémon-like mechanics, and anime-inspired fantasy aesthetics. Seasonal updates frequently erase player progression, while major gameplay and lore changes are introduced without meaningful player consultation.
Progression itself feels hollow. Endgame activities often reward the same low-tier loot found in early zones. Deviations, mods, and builds rely heavily on RNG, regularly punishing players for time investment and skill. In many cases, difficult content offers worse rewards than random, low effort encounters, making advancement feel pointless.
Technical and design issues further drag the experience down. Long standing bugs remain unresolved, specialization systems are unbalanced or outright broken, and even basic mechanics such as item stacking or combat with enemies in water are inexplicably flawed. The vendor system encourages item scalping, while the refusal to implement an auction house actively damages the ingame economy.
The game also demands excessive grind and constant rebuilding, making it hostile to casual players. For many, the Christmas update was the final straw, as it drastically altered the game’s lore and core combat systems, undermining what once made Once Human unique and enjoyable.
Pros
+Strong original lore and atmosphere (early content)
+Intuitive and satisfying base building
+Interesting concept with massive unrealized potential
Cons
-No meaningful sense of progression
-Heavy RNG with minimal player agency
-Identity crisis and tonal inconsistency
-Persistent bugs and broken systems
-FOMO-driven design and frequent progression wipes
-Developers consistently ignore player feedback
Why I’m Still Leaving a Positive Review
Im leaving a positive review solely because I have over 6k hours in Once Human. At its core, especially early on this game delivered something genuinely special, and for a long time it was worth my time. Those hours weren’t wasted, they were earned back when the game respected its own identity, atmosphere, and systems.