MoonBase is a simplistic science-fiction survival game where you are challenged to survive on a barren planet, scavenging for resources and expanding your base. Taking inspiration from hit games in the survival genre like Don’t Starve, MoonBase presents a promising, yet restrained survival experience dotted with a sprinkling of indie charm.
Being that MoonBase is still in Alpha, there is a limit on the features you can explore in this build of the game. Thus far, after landing on your planet, you’ll be able to search the surrounding area to collect resources and combine those resources into useable items and base add-ons. Your first priority will be ensuring that you have enough oxygen, power, and food to survive.
Right off the bat, you’ll need to visit your crafting table to build the Air Cleaner. The Air Cleaner is built from two Metal Plates, two Components, and one Electronics, and will supply your base with oxygen when attached to the structure. To place the Air Cleaner after you’ve crafted it, simply left-click the icon of the Air Cleaner in your inventory, then hover your mouse over the square where you’d like to built it and right-click. From there on, you’ll need to monitor the base’s power levels by cleaning the solar panels and keep your little astronaut happy and healthy by feeding them regularly.
For its visuals, MoonBase takes a page from 1970’s retro-chic science-fiction movies, as most of the screen is overwhelmed by various shades of brown. One almost expects to find a computer complete with faux wood-finish buried somewhere out there in the desolate wastes. Additionally, the game definitely has a late 2000’s flash-game vibe to its characters, objects, and environment, and ends up feeling a little bit like a Behemoth game because of it.
When playing the demo, we came across a couple of technical issues, primarily some wonky collisions and the glaring lack of a tutorial (which will no doubt be added later). There is also a small issue of balance, as your oxygen, hungry, and power meters will perpetually run down over time, even when crafting. In this way, MoonBase seems favor the rapid-clicking mechanics one might see in an RTS game, rather than the slow-and-steady mechanics of many other survival games. So if you’re looking for a survival game with tougher time constraints and a straight forward crafting system, MoonBase is worth checking out.
Download The MoonBase Alpha Demo Here (Windows, Mac & Linux)