Deal | Steam: Possibly the most fun city-building game since SimCity 2000 free for a limited time
Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder developed by Haemimont Games with support from Abstraction and released in March 2018 by Paradox Interactive. Set on the red planet, it challenges players to establish a colony, secure resources like energy, water, oxygen, food and shelter, and ensure its long-term survival.
The German gaming magazine GameStar reviewed Surviving Mars and praised it as a deep city builder with strong long-term appeal. Players must not only gather resources and maintain infrastructure but also contend with environmental hazards such as temperature shifts, dust storms, meteor strikes and other threats. Research plays a central role, unlocking technologies that improve supply chains, buildings and overall efficiency. Variety is provided by different starting conditions and full mod support. In addition, “mysteries” – random events such as epidemics or supply shortages – introduce unexpected challenges to the colony.
At its core, Surviving Mars follows the formula of a classic city builder. What sets it apart are the red Martian surface and the need to build every structure under protective domes to supply breathable air. Colonists also have traits, professions, ages and needs, adding depth to the simulation and creating demanding management tasks – an aspect GameStar highlighted positively.
One element that may frustrate players is the AI. Colonists don’t automatically move between domes and sometimes ignore logical paths, which forces extra micromanagement. The game also lacks a thorough tutorial, and the interface can feel cluttered. Because of these drawbacks, GameStar awarded Surviving Mars "only" 82 out of 100 points. Still, the overall reception has been positive. Destructoid even wrote, “Surviving Mars might be the most fun I've had with a city-building game since SimCity 2000.” On Steam, the game has accumulated around 27,000 reviews since release, with 84% rated positive. On Metacritic, it holds a Metascore of 76 and a user score of 7.0.
Free weekend on Steam
Surviving Mars usually costs about $30 on Steam, but from September 12 to 14 it can be played for free. After that, it will be discounted by 67% until September 18, bringing the price down to around $10. The game is not compatible with the Steam Deck (available on Amazon for $455).
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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