Planet Crafter is a very interesting game that describes itself as “a space survival open world terraforming crafting game.” I am usually not a fan of these types of open-world crafting/building games. So many of them start off hot with a lot to grab the player but eventually devolve into a grindy confusing mess that you need to be attached to the hip with a guide or wiki to navigate properly. I am happy to report that Planet Crafter at least for me, solves many of those progression issues and has remained an interesting experience for the 50+ hours I played before this write-up. I am still unlocking things and finding new resources even after so many hours and the game remains such a joy to play, especially while streaming it on Twitch, find me over there @Jamaiplays.
Planet Crafter Setting and the setup
You start Planet Crafter being dropped on a barren planet with a mission to terraform it into a planet that can support life. Who sent you? Why are you alone? Are you alone? ooh shit a meteor shower! The first few hours will have you trying to make sense of it all while just trying to survive. This game does an excellent job of dropping excellently timed breadcrumbs to have the player chase in the form of unlocks, upgrades, points of interest and story progression.
Choice is not an illusion
The primary goal is to terraform the planet but how, when and how long you take to do it is up to you. Wanna play the game in an optimized way? Go for it! Wanna build a giant intricate compound with your friends? Go for it! Wanna wake up each morning and go for a swim then collect algae and talk with the sentient eggplant you are growing in a tube? You can do that too.
Planet Crafter nails the setting, mood, music and sound of living on a desolate planet, exploring caves and salvaging resources from derelict ships. I have enjoyed my time with it so far and with multiplayer possible with up to 10 friends I am looking forward to terraforming my next planet with a group. I am also looking forward to how the game is continually developed and updated by the developers. Do you play Planet Crafter or thinking of playing it soon? Leave a comment below and check out other games I have been playing. thank you to the developers of Planet Crafter for sending me a free key for this game.