Solargene

This game is an absolute masterpiece. The amount of realism is well done while also making things not overly complicated and keeping the game what it essentially is, a game meant to create fun. Solargene delivers VERY well on the basebuilding and colonizing in space aspect, and as a first timer, on nearly every moon and planet in our solar system! Ever wanted to create a colony on Europa? Go ahead! Titan's more your thing? You've got it covered. Plus you can build your own space stations and even put engines on them and turn them into spaceships, mine asteroids, ect. The developer balanced the long term playability very well with the increase of time in terms of research and reaching out further into the solar system. Nothing feels rushed, while at the same time not being too fast paced to be finished with the game early, a well executed act of balance that requires experience. The basebuilding itself allows for a great deal of creativity and management of the crew, who gain experience and become more productive at their jobs - and more expensive and demanding in regards to their apartment and services. The amount of resources and their description may be a bit overwhelming at first, but the tutorial is well done - and pleasantly short - and covers the essentials. From there on out it's do-it-yourself learn by trial and error. I actually continously learn alot of information about different elements, heck I wish I'd have this game back in school time instead of my chemistry and physics teachers, I'd have been way more interested. It is also pleasant to actually live through the day/night cycles on different planets. Having only solar energy for starts (and abysmally expensive chemical plants) will only get you through your first 16 days of sunshine on Earth's moon...the following 16 days of darkness will make sure your colonists are either deep frozen or you were smart enough to build a bazillion batteries...or even a nuklear plant if you've researched the appropriate technology fast enough. Mind you however, this game will not be for everyone, it might be a bit complicated at starts and does not hook up right away, it needs a bit of time investment. Certainly nothing for players who're into quick dopamin rushes. It unfolds it's magic the more time you plunge into it. At first you will likely do missions for sponsors to earn money, this is very interesting in regards of training to build proper bases. This is because a sponsor country will give you a mission to, say, build a research base on moon. And once you've got it up and running you can give the base over to the sponsor, receive a ton of money, and be done with the built mess. Just hand over the keys and cash in. You still always have the option to keep the base against a small standing penalty with the sponsor, but you can tech up with the bases you are building for sponsors all while learning the game and researching with the contract base until you hand it over, so it's a win-win. In regards to missions there is not just base building, there's the ordinary "farm and sell amount of resource x" (like helium-3 from the moon), or help out with your hospital and treat dozens of patients from sponsor y - the sponsor will land guests at your base and later pick them up again once they're cured. So you can also turn your own base (or bases - or stations) into space hospitals if you'd like. You can also very traditionally build bases and just sell your products back to earth to earn money. The amount of possibilities is huge and all of this is accompanied by decent looking graphics. And everything works. I have encountered exactly zero bugs in 70 hours. Taking into account this was all done by a single developer is absolutely genius. Extraordinary well done. If you are uncertain if this title is for you then I strongly suggest to play the demo first, the first impression might not hook up immediately, it might take a bit to let it sink in before you decide if you wanna sink your teeth into this. In case you do, you will get rewarded with a sandbox with a ton of potential and alot of educating elements about our own solar system - and why not to go to space. :D