Simulation is one of the oldest genres of computer games. The first one, i.e., The Sumerian Game, which came out in 1964, was text-based. We have come a long way since then, and several sub-genres have spawned, including creation simulators. Over the course of multiple decades, gamers have created everything from rollercoasters to entire galaxies in these simulators. Planet Crafter is a relatively new creation simulator and survival game, with the official classification, "A space survival open world terraforming crafting game," on its Steam page. Early access to the game was provided in March 2022, and it was officially released on April 10th, 2024. It was developed by Miju Games with just one other official title to their name, and another that has yet to be officially released.
Performance
With 16 GB of shared RAM, the Steam Deck has enough RAM to go around as per its recommended graphics. If we combine it with the processing power of the Deck’s GPUs - 1.6 TFlops, which is more than twice what an Intel HD 5000 chip can achieve, it’s easy to see that the Steam Deck has more than enough computing power for the game.
The presets we tested the game at were:
Graphics Quality: Very High
Fully Screen: Full Screen (Windowed)
Resolution: 1280 x 800
Vsync: Off
Field of View: 60 (Lowest)
At these settings that are almost maxed out, the frame rate never dipped below 40, and while it hovered between 40 and 60 (the broadest range), it mostly remained in the 50s. The frame rate dipped just as frequently indoors as it did outdoors (despite the higher FOV).
Apart from that, on-screen activity was the most significant influencer of the performance. When you are walking, gathering materials, and even when you are building stuff, the performance tends to remain smooth. And even when you do experience frame rate drops, like when there is a sandstorm, a rocket takes off, or some friendly asteroids decide to visit you, they rarely remain low and quickly recover. Despite the FPS drop, you won't experience any performance lag or jerks in the character's movements.
One thing worth noting here is that while the game does allow for online co-op, we have only tested it in the single-player so far. The presence of other players on the screen may impact the performance, but since the game doesn't have NPCs and enemies, we don't have precedents from which to draw conclusions.
If you want to maintain a frame rate above 50 and mostly around 60, you can play it at medium graphics. Keeping Vsync off or on doesn't seem to make a significant difference in the performance and its framerate.
From a power-demand perspective, the watts will most likely remain between 20W and 22W (on very high graphics quality settings) when you are outdoors, though they may drop indoors. At medium graphics preset, the watts may hover around 15W to 17W. The RAM and VRAM demands of the game also shift over a sizable range, mostly between 6 GB and 8 GB for VRAM.
Gameplay
One thing you have to understand about its gameplay is that it's a blend of survival and creation simulation, though on the easier/lighter end of both genres. In terms of survival, you don't have to fight any enemies, and the only real antagonists are the harsh environments of the planet you have fallen on, cosmic terrors like meteors, and weaknesses of the flesh, i.e., the need for oxygen, water, and sustenance.
Even with these basic survival requirements, the challenge is minimal, which is something a few players have actually complained about. The abundance of resources on the planets your character crashes on, the simplistic builds, and the minimal requirements to get your oxygen supply make it less appealing for players who are used to more demanding survival games/challenges or more realistic survival elements.
But we can’t fault the developers for that because the terra-forming/creation elements of the game seem to be its dominating aspect and the chief appeal for most players. It doesn’t have the depth and complexity of games like Dwarf Fortress, but that is not necessarily a bad thing as it makes the game more accessible to a broad range of gamers and quite addictive. Gamers spend hours exploring and terraforming the worlds around them.
A few highlights of the Planet Crafter gameplay are:
The pacing of the game is good. It wouldn't take you much time between landing on a barren planet and looking for resources to building your first base or even sending your first rocket into outer space (which triggers the asteroids, so beware), making the gameplay rewarding and enticing for a wider range of players than simply the ones used familiar/comfortable with the survival or creation simulator genres.
Difficulty settings influence what happens when you run out of the elements you need for survival (Water and oxygen primarily). At lower settings, you just shed part of your inventory, but at higher difficulty levels, you will lose everything, and once you restart, you will have to go and search for all the inventory you have dropped, which can be difficult because players don't have a compass by default.
The creation element and terraforming process are relatively simple, but you have ample choices to keep you engaged; from survival elements like heat and oxygen to complex life like insects and animals, you can create a simple yet colorful world in a few hours.
The creation and exploration element dominates the game, and dwarfs its survival aspects. But considering the thousands of positive reviews it has garnered, this slight dissonance is not an issue for most gamers who have come to enjoy its easy and colorful vibe.
Final Words
The Planet Crafter is available on most handhelds, but its performance on the Steam Deck is slightly better. So if you own this handheld, you may have more incentive to buy this game. It's quite addictive, and you may find it easy to stick with the game for hours and hours, so it's important to keep power consumption in mind - either stay plugged in or ration your power efficiently.