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The Planet Crafter

The Planet Crafter

Miju Games · released Apr 9, 2024

AdventurePCPlayStation 5Xbox Series X

A space survival open world terraforming crafting game, designed for 1 to 10 players. Alter the ecosystem of an inhospitable planet to render it habitable for humanity. Survive, gather resources, and build your base. Then, generate oxygen, warmth, and pressure to create a brand new biosphere.

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗Metacritic 81 · users 5.9 ↗
89
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Development Branch update - v2.102” (1mo ago)

89%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
78%
Press
68%
Player sentiment
95%
Recent sentiment

PC 89 · PlayStation 84 · Xbox 58

Screenshots & trailers

What players say

Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 362 sampled Steam reviews (342 positive / 20 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.

What positive reviews talk about

  • Progression & loot13% mention it
  • World & exploration13% mention it
  • Story & writing9% mention it
  • Grind & repetition8% mention it
  • Visuals & art7% mention it

What negative reviews complain about

  • Progression & loot30% mention it
  • Grind & repetition25% mention it
  • Bugs & crashes25% mention it
  • Story & writing15% mention it
  • Visuals & art15% mention it

Satisfaction by hours played

Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.

Under 5h

89%

19 reviews

5-15h

91%

75 reviews

15-40h

95%

79 reviews

40-100h

95%

111 reviews

100h+

99%

78 reviews

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–7829
All-time Steam reviews96%911000
Metacritic user ratings–6047
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)95%891842
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.9, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 73,338 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 28, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 1842 total reviews in window · weighted 253.9 up / 14.9 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (22)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 90
    Gaming ProfessorsGaming Professors
    trust 68Jun 8, 2022

    “After a long time, I can say with a clear conscience and my hand on my heart that I truly enjoyed this survival game in every way. The developers came up with an original concept, graphics that I found charming, and plenty of fun. The constant unlocking of new items and machines keeps you hooked on the game, as does the joy of creating your first lake or seeing a tree grow. If the developers keep their promises, they’ll bring The Planet Crafter to perfection.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    eXputereXputer
    trust 68Apr 22, 2024

    “The Planet Crafter is an exceptional exploration-based survival-crafting simulator that portrays the transformation of a once deserted world.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Indie Games DevelIndie Games Devel
    trust 66Feb 14, 2025

    “Released on April 10, 2024, by Miju Games, Planet Crafter is a survival sandbox that puts players in the role of a lone explorer with an ambitious yet perilous task: to terraform a hostile planet and make it habitable.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    Geeks & ComGeeks & Com
    trust 65Jun 1, 2024

    “The Planet Crafter was created by the tiny French studio Miju Games. After a long period of early access, there's no denying that the title has greatly improved. What's more, this definitive version will continue to improve with the addition of new content, free of charge. The title offers an original and observable idea, as well as being playable in multiplayer with friends. While it can be criticized for being a little too slow in the middle of the game, it's still a fun experience for fans of the genre.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    SECTOR.skSECTOR.sk
    trust 63Oct 14, 2024

    “ The low-key project finally got out of the Early Access phase and, as one of the few survivors, made it to a successful conclusion.”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    GameLusterGameLuster
    trust 63Apr 10, 2024

    “The Planet Crafter can't seem to make up its mind about what it wants to be. The survival mechanics are iffy, the narrative elements spotty, and the "chill" vibe it's shooting for misses badly. Avoid this particular rock.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    GameGrinGameGrin
    trust 63Apr 11, 2024

    “Planet Crafter is a very peaceful, satisfying game worth dumping your hours into. It’s a game you play to relax after a hard day’s work, and what better way to show it than by turning a lifeless rock into somewhere you can call home?”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Gamer Social ClubGamer Social Club
    trust 63Jul 26, 2026

    “While The Planet Crafter has some technical and progress halting issues, its sense of exploration and scale over time are something I don’t come across in many games. The game is absolutely worth checking out, even if you’re not into the survival genre. With the addition of co-op up to 10 people, this is a game that gives you almost limitless ways to shape the world how you want it.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    TheSixthAxisTheSixthAxis
    trust 63Aug 3, 2026

    “The Planet Crafter is one of my favourite survival game of the last few years. It has many of the usual flaws, an achingly slow start, simplistic UI and inventory management that's a chore, but once you're past that hump, growing your base and ramping up your terraforming activity is fiendishly addictive. If survival and terraforming sounds good to you, this is the best place for it.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    Play Watch ReadPlay Watch Read
    trust 62May 4, 2024

    “Planet Crafter is a very entertaining game where you focus primarily on making a planet habitable. Sounds very boring in the base, but you are going to enjoy it more and more. It is not a game where you have to pay attention to the graphic side and certainly not to the story, graphically it can feel a bit simple and the story is very concise. There are numerous possibilities that help you make the planet habitable and that simply works great.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    LadiesGamers.comLadiesGamers.com
    trust 62Apr 12, 2024

    “The Planet Crafter provides a free new injection of green life to the survival genre. As opposed to starting in a forest and chopping trees down. You are instead creating that forest from nothing. The game employs familiar crafting and survival elements that have been seen in many other games. I think the only deterrent to some players is there is a lot of busy work in this game that may not click with people not taken with the genre in previous attempts. However, if you are new to the genre, Planet Crafter is a great starting point. And if you are a fan of the genre, it brings plenty of that addictive crafting gameplay and exploration, which will keep you hooked for some time. Add onto that the ability to play with friends, and you may just have your next online game, a night game. As for me, I can see myself jumping on this on Steam Deck for some time in the coming year and possibly beyond.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GamingBoltGamingBolt
    trust 61Apr 18, 2024

    “Whether you’re in it to build extensively and see how deep the research trees go, explore and uncover mysteries or chill out in a space setting, The Planet Crafter is worth checking out.”

    read full review ↗

…and 10 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Development Branch update - v2.102
    Jul 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Development Branch update - v2.101
    Jul 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Development Branch update - v2.100
    Jul 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  4. 2.0 Update Patch #3- Main branch
    Apr 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  5. Development Branch update - v2.008
    Apr 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  6. 2.0 Update Patch #2- Main branch
    Apr 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  7. Development Branch update - v2.007
    Apr 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  8. Development Branch update - v2.006
    Apr 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  9. 2.0 Update Patch #1- Main branch
    Apr 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  10. Development Branch update - v2.005
    Apr 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  11. "2.0 Update" is Available!
    Apr 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  12. Development Branch update - v2.004
    Apr 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  13. Development Branch update - v2.003
    Apr 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  14. Development Branch update - v2.002
    Mar 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  15. Development Branch update - v2.001
    Mar 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  16. "2.0 Update" incoming & more in 2026!
    Mar 12, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  17. Development Branch update - v2.000
    Mar 12, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  18. Toxicity Patch #6 - Main branch
    Jan 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  19. Development Branch update - v1.616
    Jan 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  20. Development Branch update - v1.615
    Dec 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  21. Toxicity Patch #5 - Main branch
    Dec 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  22. Toxicity Patch #4 - Main branch
    Dec 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  23. Development Branch update - v1.613
    Dec 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  24. Development Branch update - v1.612
    Dec 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  25. Nominate Planet Crafter for the Labor or Love Steam award!
    Nov 25, 2025
  26. Toxicity Patch #2 - Main branch
    Nov 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  27. Toxicity Patch #1 - Main branch
    Nov 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  28. Development Branch update - v1.609
    Nov 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  29. Development Branch update - v1.607
    Nov 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  30. Development Branch update - v1.606
    Nov 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  31. Development Branch update - v1.605
    Nov 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  32. Development Branch update - v1.604
    Nov 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  33. Development Branch update - v1.603
    Nov 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  34. Development Branch update - v1.602
    Nov 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  35. Development Branch update - v1.601
    Oct 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  36. Development Branch update - v1.600
    Oct 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  37. Minor Update - Main branch
    Oct 6, 2025
  38. Moons Update Patch #3 - Main branch
    Jun 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  39. Development Branch update - v1.525
    Jun 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  40. What's next?! A Lot!
    Jun 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window

…and 50 earlier patch announcements.