Astroneer

Single-player sandbox in an open world with elements of adventure, action, and third-person view, Astroneer allows players to feel like astronauts of the 25th century. The main goal is to explore space planets to extract useful and valuable resources.

In addition, players can build huge research centers, vehicles, and much more. You can embark on a journey together with a friend — the game features a cooperative mode for multiple players.

Collecting resources scattered everywhere and subsequently crafting useful items from them is one of the pillars of the gameplay. The release version contained over 30 different resources, some of which can be processed (aluminum, copper), while others can be used as they are (energy, oxygen, organic materials).

Players have access to dozens of constructions necessary for basic survival and further development on the planet. The constructions are divided by their functionality (generators, batteries, 3D printers, research laboratories, warehouses, and so on) and are available in three different sizes — small, medium, and large. Some elements can be salvaged from broken modules found during the exploration of the game world.

Astroneer runs on Unreal Engine 4, but it features voxel graphics, giving it an unusual appearance. The gameplay consequence of this decision is the ability to terraform the game world anywhere using a matter manipulator. This is a kind of vacuum cleaner that sucks up everything, packing all encountered useful resources into blocks and spitting out waste.

With it, you can "drill" any spot on the planet, or, after swallowing enough soil, spit it out in the desired location, shaping it in various ways. This portable terraforming tool from classic strategies allows you to create mountains and valleys or flatten surfaces.

In Astroneer, there is a small story quest that reveals the true background of the ongoing events — who the protagonist is, how they ended up here, why they need to gather resources, and what these strange alien structures on each planet are that need to be activated.

However, do not expect dialogues, engine-rendered cutscenes, or even voiceover explanations — the story here is just for show. While the game was in early access on Steam, the developers added gameplay features and content. A full-fledged story campaign may appear in the future.

The main mode of Astroneer is a single-player campaign, but there is also a cooperative mode that allows up to four players to play together. All gameplay actions between single-player and cooperative modes are unified, and each player is free to act as they wish, as long as the colony develops.

In addition to resource extraction, players need to research unknown objects collected here and there in the game world. Bytes are awarded for research, and they can be spent on purchasing blueprints for more advanced structures. In Astroneer, there are many objects to study, but first, they need to be discovered and brought back to the base.

For the structures at the base to function, energy is needed, which is produced by solar panels and wind turbines. The larger the structure, the more energy it consumes, so more resources need to be found for construction.

In the beginning, after landing, the character is completely dependent on the base, where they replenish their oxygen and energy supplies, without which they won't get far.

All of this limits progress, as resource sources come in three types. Easily accessible "spots" run out quickly and provide little resources. Regenerating veins give a bit more "spots," but are inexhaustible by nature. There are also deposits — veins rich in resources, but located underground.

To advance further, you need to build supports that supply air and energy from the base to the required location, set up signal beacons, and explore equipment items. Completing Astroneer takes about 30-40 hours.