The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation

At first glance, it might sound as if this game is all about cowboys and the dreaded trip to Oregon — however, the truth is that The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation is one of the most intense space survival simulation games we’ve ever seen. Every step is a challenge as you gather and administer resources in one of the harshest environments in the Solar System.

This is one of those games that demands some patience from players, but once you get the grips of what you need to do to survive, it becomes an amazingly addictive gaming experience that’s nearly impossible to put down! It has everything you could want from a survival simulator and then throws in some unique twists that really make it stand out from the rest.

Mission to Jupiter

The story of The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation takes place in the year 2084, with humanity on the brink of one of the greatest scientific achievements in History. A team of astronauts embarks on a mission to Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, in hopes of colonizing the harsh environment.

Since Io is the only moon with volcanic activity in our solar system, surviving this ordeal won’t be easy. You need to collect water and oxygen from deep within the planet and use them to build your base; however, you have to pay careful attention to the weather and temperature since these conditions can change dramatically.

Brave Adventurers

Following Rimworld’s example, The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation begins with only three astronauts at your disposal. This remains unchanged for the rest of the game, so you’ll have to plan accordingly. The three characters are well designed and each plays differently, but they will always offer different levels of protection depending on how you choose to equip them.

These astronauts are picked from a pool of fifteen possible candidates, each with their own pros and cons. What this means is that, yes, every game of The Pioneers is essentially randomly-generated, turning the game into a roguelike in which you never know what kind of challenges you’re going to face next.

Out-of-this-world Design

The visuals for The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation are great for what they are. They don’t dazzle, but they do a fine job of conveying the cold, hostile nature of Io and its surrounding areas. We especially love the alien landscapes, which feature craters, lava flows, and caves scattered across the surface of the world.

The UI can be a bit daunting during the first few hours of gameplay. Some menus look like they were pulled straight out of XCOM 2, but after playing for a while, you get used to the controls and find yourself comfortable navigating through the game. There are plenty of menus and options, but nothing too complex or confusing.

Pros

• Great graphics and atmosphere
• Plenty of interesting mechanics to keep you coming back
• Addictive resource management

Cons

• Extremely random gameplay