When I started this game, all I wanted was a refreshing, not too challenging, retro sci-fi adventure reminiscent of The Dig and with a touch of Myst.
The Abandoned Planet delivered exactly that without being derivative and without a single mention to the Lucasarts game that seems to have inspired the atmosphere of the game and its pixel art.
The Abandoned Planet has a universe of its own, one that will be familiar to those who played Dexter Stardust, the studio's previous game. I had no idea of the connection, but that didn't take from my experience at all.

Let's talk a bit about puzzle design, graphics and audio!

Puzzle design is mostly reminiscent of Myst for its static first-person screens, and The Dig for its logic puzzles based on symbols, levers and combinations. Deciphering the alien language will be necessary to interpret a journal chock full of clues and straight out puzzle solutions, adding a layer of challenge to a game that is for the most part on the lower end of the difficulty spectrum. I personally enjoyed the journal mechanics and most of the puzzles!

The retro sci-fi vibe is achieved through stylized pixel art and the architecture of the dilapidated planet- both familiar and alien, retro and technologically advanced.
It's hard not to feel that minimum assets have been used for some of the creature design, and the muddy color palette did not convince me entirely.

Last, but not least, sound design: the soundtrack is mostly based on synth beats, which pulled me right out of the experience entirely. I also found the voice acting immersion breaking at times, with its frequent flat/monotone delivery.

With a fair price point, honest passion in the project, an interconnected universe to explore, and its nostalgic atmosphere and puzzles, I absolutely recommend this game to whomever would like to experience a bit of The Dig magic and mystery, in a brand new game from 2024!


***
My Steam Curator Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43938467-TheGamingMom/

When I started this game, all I wanted was a refreshing, not too challenging, retro sci-fi adventure reminiscent of The Dig and with a touch of Myst. The Abandoned Planet delivered exactly that without being derivative and without a single mention to the Lucasarts game that seems to have inspired the atmosphere of the game and its pixel art. The Abandoned Planet has a universe of its own, one that will be familiar to those who played Dexter Stardust, the studio's previous game. I had no idea of the connection, but that didn't take from my experience at all. Let's talk a bit about puzzle design, graphics and audio! Puzzle design is mostly reminiscent of Myst for its static first-person screens, and The Dig for its logic puzzles based on symbols, levers and combinations. Deciphering the alien language will be necessary to interpret a journal chock full of clues and straight out puzzle solutions, adding a layer of challenge to a game that is for the most part on the lower end of the difficulty spectrum. I personally enjoyed the journal mechanics and most of the puzzles! The retro sci-fi vibe is achieved through stylized pixel art and the architecture of the dilapidated planet- both familiar and alien, retro and technologically advanced. It's hard not to feel that minimum assets have been used for some of the creature design, and the muddy color palette did not convince me entirely. Last, but not least, sound design: the soundtrack is mostly based on synth beats, which pulled me right out of the experience entirely. I also found the voice acting immersion breaking at times, with its frequent flat/monotone delivery. With a fair price point, honest passion in the project, an interconnected universe to explore, and its nostalgic atmosphere and puzzles, I absolutely recommend this game to whomever would like to experience a bit of The Dig magic and mystery, in a brand new game from 2024! *** My Steam Curator Page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43938467-TheGamingMom/