What A Rough Landing...
Finding yourself stranded on a dusty, barren, uninhabitable planet littered with slews of raw resources-you’ve got quite the task at hand. Terraform this inhospitable place you now get to call “home”, or you’re going to die trying. After all- you’ve got no-where else to go, and no other choice, Convict. Time to earn your freedom…

Welcome home.

After enduring a rather rough landing, start gathering all you can-resources in raw form are plenty, and you’ve got quite a lot to do. A small blurb on your pod is just barely enough to drive the point home:
This is your new home, better make the best of it. While you will need to build suitable shelter- it really is means to an end. Your ultimate goal is much, MUCH larger: Terraformation of the entire planet. As daunting as this sounds, with some forethought, and lots of gathering through resource scavenging and through salvaging wrecks of those who came before you, you can made strides.

Not much to go on...

Simplicity and Functionality at it’s Finest...
The Planet Crafter provides you with a slew of tools to aide you in your journey, given you take the time to make them. A very familiar and streamlined crafting system shines, throwing exploration and building at the forefront of this title. With so much to do, there's more to worry about than an overly cluttered or complicated crafting menu-and the folks at Miju Games seem to be keenly aware of this from the very beginning. While the sheer amount of unlock-able items is massive- it’s done in such a way where you don’t feel overwhelmed in the least. This makes crafting, as well as building, a breeze.

A sample of some of the unlockable crafts.

If you have played any survival craft title, this game will feel INSANELY intuitive. You’ll feel right at home with a slick user interface and blissfully simple controls, allowing the maximum amount of freedom possible. While there are some bugs to work out- like items trying to attach to surfaces upside down- they self correct quickly. Any of the inconsistencies that will, undoubtedly, be worked out in future updates are insanely easy to overlook due to how minutely it impacts game play, and how streamlined the whole building system is.

Base building made easy.

Survive and Thrive...
Build shelter, as well as ways to sustain yourself with food and water, thriving off of resources left behind, or growing your own. Don’t neglect to build energy sources- they are vital to your very way of living. Energy not only powers your structures, but heaters, drill, and machines that release oxygen into the atmosphere- allowing you to watch the once dusty prison planet you’ve been stranded on slowly change.

The first rain in a VERY long time.

With some hard work and effort, using subtle messages you receive along the way as hints- watch the sky go from dusty desert orange to a lush blue. Clouds slowly form in your atmosphere, allowing rain to touch the planet for the first time in ages. Grow grass, watch the world around you fill with flora, fauna and life as you work your craft in the hope of earning your freedom. Watching the planet evolve right before your eyes is a sheer joy- the graphics not heavily realistic while also not being cartoony- they fall in this delightful sweet spot (Think Subnautica.) that translates well. Colors are bold and bright, and you will ALWAYS find something to glimpse at and discover.

A Unique Twist...
Overall this is a wonderful survival craft with an interesting twist, allowing itself to deviate somewhat from the typical genre troupes that seem common. Not only is it self aware as a survival craft, the goal of terraforming an entire planet is beautiful and rewarding to watch. While this has a much slower build up than other titles, this can be increased in a multiplayer experience, and once you begin to understand where your progress comes from, there is no slowing down.

Planet management made easy.

Miju Games has crafted a unique, and immersive experience that is sure to please and has gone beyond any expectation I had going in. While the build up can be slow, it quickly becomes unbelievably rewarding, slowly piecing together a unique story and watching as you revive a desolate planet. Boasting an expansive world to explore alone or with friends, The Planet Crafter is an absolutely enjoyable title that will easily provide hours of enjoyment, and well worth it’s asking price.

The Planet Crafter is available for PC on both Steam and GOG.