As long-time followers will know, among the genres that I tend to be the least fond of, survival games tend to be the ones I struggle with the most. It isn’t that I haven’t played some that work well, it’s just that too many get bogged down by minutia or fail to feel like they were made with enjoyment in mind, so much as being a grind to be endured. Weirdly enough, Solarpunk is now the second of what I’d say is a more cozy take on survival, and while traditional genre vets may turn up their nose at them, I think these have the potential to open it up to new fans.

Working out to play more like a pretty safe sandbox, Solarpunk removes the majority of concerns you’d normally have from the table. There’s no conflict or fighting against anything, whether that be animals, other humans, or even the elements for the most part. You will need to keep an eye on your hunger and thirst, but they’re honestly so easily addressed I’d consider them a non-factor and only something you need to take care of periodically. With problems like those out of the way you’re instead left to explore, gather resources, and chip away at unlocking new tiers of things you’ll be able to craft. Then, once you’ve gotten rolling, you can actually choose to focus more on what you enjoy, and get to other things later. While the structures you build will still be rather simple, constructing them is still fun and pretty easy, with just enough design nuance provided as you unlock more to help add room for some personal flair.

What ends up being the real driver, and helps the game stand apart from its peers, is that the world opens up quite a bit once you are able to construct an airship and embark in some exploration of the world’s other floating islands. While there isn’t a central narrative thread to pull you along, the game’s mix of discovery, some tech tree elements that feel fresh and different, and pretty easygoing charms are what tends to propel you along. There can be some bugginess, you may hit an occasional tech tree plateau that will require more grinding than you may enjoy, and not everything comes together to take the experience to a next level, but it does have some cozy crafting vibes to offer, with a nice side of adventure for those who don’t mind it being at a very steady and measured pace.