I've played this game for quite a while and it was good for a city builder. But the developer did ultimately abandon the game in a broken state. I can't recommend this game when much better city builder games exist. Stay away from this one.

Why do I have to be connected to the internet to play this game?

STEAM DECK OLED Surviving Mars works without needing force compatibility. I keep my settings on... 30fps 5watts 800mhz and I get over 5 hours of gameplay on a full charge! The game works smooth if however you spot some lag bump watts from 5 to 6. Also dont forget to double check the game settings. Set frame limit to 30. As for graphics i never changed them.