A new survival game titled Sol One has launched on Steam, challenging players to replicate Matt Damon's Martian survival feat by cultivating crops and constructing a spacecraft to return to Earth. The game draws clear inspiration from the plot of the 2015 film The Martian, which itself was based on Andy Weir's novel.
In Sol One, players assume the role of an astronaut left behind on Mars after a mission goes awry. "The mission is over. Your crew left you behind. You've got a pressure suit, whatever you can pull out of the ground, and a long way to go before you see Earth again," developer yeetgench stated in the game's announcement. The scenario begins with the player character waking up alone amidst wreckage following a Martian dust storm, with their spacesuit issuing critical warnings.
Survival hinges on utilizing the planet's resources. Players must mine essential materials such as iron, copper, silica, ice, and uranium. These raw materials are then processed through smelters and fabricators to manufacture components needed to build a rocket for escape. The gameplay loop involves transforming a basic shelter into a thriving base through resource gathering and crafting.
While the premise echoes The Martian, Sol One introduces distinct gameplay elements. Unlike the film's protagonist who awaited rescue, the player in Sol One must independently engineer their escape. The game also incorporates automation features, allowing players to deploy autonomous rovers to scout and haul resources across the Martian surface, enabling them to focus on base management.
The developer describes Sol One as a game for those who enjoy grounded, science-driven survival experiences where problem-solving is central. The game features a dynamic environment where celestial phenomena and weather events, such as dust storms that can disable solar panels and reduce visibility, impact gameplay. The Martian sky, from its rusty daylight to its cold blue sunsets and visible Milky Way at night, is also simulated.
Sol One entered early access on Steam on July 30. The game is designed to simulate realistic environmental challenges and requires players to manage resources and build complex machinery to achieve their ultimate goal: returning home.