Plenty of video games invite us to explore outer space, but few deal with the logistics of getting that done. Enter Mars First Logistics, a delightfully chill game about building mechanized rovers to complete deliveries on the red planet.
Developed by Shape Shop, it’s a semi-procedural open-world game that rewards player expression and flexible problem-solving skills as it tasks you to build Martian delivery systems through Lego-like pieces. That might sound quite complicated and overwhelming, but Mars First Logistics is anything but. I play a lot of games, and Mars First Logistics might be the most chill one I’ve come across in a long time.
Should you choose to accept this cel-shaded mission to Mars, your objective is simple: to help the Martians (that is, humans trying to colonize the Red Planet, not aliens) with — quite literally — all the heavy lifting. Your tools? Fully customizable rovers that you can build from scratch and alter to your heart’s content. It’s an equal parts silly and rather stimulating experience that’s unlike anything I’ve played this year.
Though you can “finish” the game and 100% a list of achievements, I’m inclined to say Mars First Logistics is a bit of a “forever game” for those who enjoy its pitch: To roam the procedurally-generated surface of Mars helping with, you guessed it, logistics through creativity… or lots of patience. Each mission you complete will unlock credits and new parts to help you build even more outlandish designs to tackle even more difficult routes.
It’s possible to complete the game without delving into the custom modifications too much, though you’ll have to make good friends with the “reset vehicle position” button as the default builds have a nasty habit of falling down ravines and getting stuck between rocks in a sort of mechanised version of 127 Days. But also, you’re doing it wrong. This game isn’t about the missions; it’s quite literally about the journey, and the wacky machines that you assemble to undertake it.
Mars’ rugged terrain and the other obstacles are only as problematic as you allow them to be. Though earning credits to get more pieces can be a lengthy process, you’ve got enough freedom to put the more difficult tasks on hold until you can pay for the bricks and parts you need to manifest. Before you know it, that object that looked too big to possibly move is on the back of your bonkers new creation.
The deliveries you make will often lead to new infrastructure on Mars, some of which you can even construct yourself. Working on new buildings and structures that you can just plop down and/or remove also helps with the more complex objectives, especially when there are kilometers to cover between you and the destination.
Roads and monorails sound like simple enough solutions to most transportation problems past a certain point, but power lines and water pipes — among other things — add even more possibilities to the mix.
While easy to pick up, I’d have to warn the uncurious here: Mars First Logistics doesn’t make the creative element optional. That’s the double-edged sword of Mars First Logistics: It’s very welcoming to newbies at first glance, but the true enjoyment it offers is tied to the creativity (and effort) of the driver behind the wheel.
Sure, a simple mining quest can be completed with a premade blueprint and minimal customization (or even someone else’s design, as there’s full Steam Workshop support), but thinking outside the box results in surprising adventures and struggles that are rewarding to overcome. If you’re having a smooth brain day and those creative juices aren’t flowing, you can play the game in co-op and put the old adage “two heads are better than one” to the test.
Other creativity sandbox builders like Minecraft offer a bunch of other activities and distractions that let players sidestep the “spend 3 days building a 1:1 scale replica of the Taj Mahal” side of the game. Not so here; Mars First Logistics is a physics puzzle to be solved ad infinitum. If that’s your bag, you’re going to love it, but if not, maybe it’s time to hop on the rocket back to Earth.
I came into this game expecting a sort of Martian Truck Simulator, and while you can certainly truck your way across the red sands, accompanied by some chill tunes and with cargo in tow, that’s not what I got. Instead, I found a deeply entertaining test of my mental prowess that expects your best, but gives the best back in reward.
Approached as a purely creative tool and testing ground for toy-like ideas that are grounded in science, I can even see the educational potential of Mars First Logistics. As many developers struggle to reach the highs of past sandbox legends like Kerbal Space Program, Shape Shop’s ambitious physics sim instantly takes off and lets our imaginations run wild.
‘Mars First Logistics’ is available now for purchase on PC (Steam). A code was provided by the developer for this article.
