Solarpunk

Solarpunk is a solid, cozy, low intensity game, but if you’re looking for an adventure that lasts more than a hundred hours, you should probably look somewhere else.

Solarpunk is a laid-back gaming experience in which resource management and base-building take precedence over exploration and survival.

Solarpunk has an interesting concept and promising approaches, but these are overshadowed by a lot of idle and technical issues.

Solarpunk is a nice, relaxing crafting game, which is held back by its inane world and restrictive progression.

Solarpunk doesn’t capture the spirit of its namesake until far, far later into the game, but it’s at least a relaxing sandbox where you can do pretty much anything you want (as long as it fits within the confines of its cozy game genre). Its best moments come from building alongside friends and watching a small floating island grow into a thriving home. It’s definitely not a game for everyone, especially since it can feel a bit empty at times. However, players who enjoy setting their own goals and taking things at their own pace will find plenty to like among the clouds.

Solarpunk, as a genre and movement, is built around imagining better futures and alternative ways of living. Here, that idea never fully develops; there is a beautiful sky to explore, but not enough substance beneath it.

The first few hours deliver a standard survival experience, with tree chopping and attention to thirst and hunger. After that, progression slows down due to excessive grinding for too little reward. While it may appeal to players focused on building, exploration-driven gameplay feels underdeveloped in Solarpunk.

Solarpunk is just okay. Graphically, it’s quite charming in its approach, along with good sound design. But there are still a lot of problems that could’ve been worked out if it had taken longer to develop. Issues regarding UI where inventory doesn’t show, or acts as if it’s full when it’s not and a tutorial that explains mechanics found in similar games, but doesn’t explain the mechanics that are specific to this one. While there are moments of an interesting title, like the use of renewable energy as a power source over finite energy, it just feels pretty aimless, and some QOL upgrades found in similar titles could’ve been used in this one. Hopefully, with more updates, Solarpunk can be the solarpunk genre game worth playing.