Solarpunk

A peaceful exploration and building adventure that takes you on a journey across floating islands in your airship, set in a future where technology and the environment go hand in hand. While it doesn't break new ground, it succeeds as an entertaining experience by playing it safe in a market increasingly saturated with similar titles.

An environmentally friendly survival crafting game... with floating islands.

On the one hand, Solarpunk is just another generic building sandbox game; on the other hand, however, it undeniably has a unique atmosphere and incredibly relaxing gameplay that can keep you hooked for a good twenty hours—or even more. The game captivates with its aesthetics and stands on very solid foundations. However, considering that there are much larger and more elaborate titles of this type on the market, I don’t really see any reason to return to it regularly. It’s a game worth checking out out of sheer curiosity, but certainly not at its current, rather absurd price.

Solarpunk proves that the future in games doesn’t have to be dark and grim to be interesting. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of sunshine, lush greenery, and floating islands to create a world you’ll want to return to, even if it can be a little dull at times.

Solarpunk brilliantly blends survival crafting with exploration across stunning floating islands, making it absolutely worth your time solo or with friends. It is a focused, honest, genuinely pleasant experience for the audience it’s built for — the kind of game you play for two hours on a rainy evening and lose track of time in. The 20-hour content window and limited island variety are real shortcomings for players expecting more scope, and the launch bugs are a genuine friction point that patches are steadily addressing. For cozy survival crafting fans who want clean energy aesthetics, an airship, quiet pigs digging for truffles, and a little drone with an adorable face bringing them resources — this is exactly the game they’ve been looking for.

If you love painstakingly planning and constructing the ultimate team base, maximizing the energy output of your technology to make beautifully automated machines, or simply basking in the atmosphere of a quiet, peaceful world, you’ll feel right at home with Solarpunk and its rewarding gameplay loop.

Despite all its flaws, Solarpunk is still so captivating that you sometimes lose track of time.

Solarpunk is definitely something of an acquired taste. Whilst I do wish there was more of a structure to it, I did enjoy just building and exploring at my own pace. Some of the creations I’ve seen online are truly fantastic, and have given me inspiration to return to my various bases and improve their looks! Ultimately, what you get out of Solarpunk relies entirely on the player. Yes, due to the handcrafted worlds, there isn’t an infinite amount to see. But, as I’ve said, not every game needs to be infinitely replayable. This is mechanically rather simple, but still scratches that itch of creating things from bits and bobs. Therefore, Solarpunk receives the ThumbCulture Silver Award!

In spite of its own efforts, Solarpunk winds up smaller than the sum of its parts. A little bit more TLC in the construction of this beautiful world would’ve made it an excellent addition to the genre; in its current state, however, it’s a game only worth it to those seeking an experience that’s (almost) totally devoid of friction.

Solarpunk is a wonderfully relaxing survival game that trades constant danger for creativity, exploration, and comfort, delivering a polished, user-friendly experience full of building, farming, automation, and sky-island discovery.