Mars After Midnight oozes charm. The atmosphere, the character designs, the music, the sound effects, the attention to detail. I loved everything about it, except playing it.

I understand this is a simple game, possibly aimed at children, but I found the core gameplay loop very unsatisfying. There is no skill or nuance involved whatsoever, at the beginning of a session it may take a moment or two to figure out exactly what you're looking for, and then the rest of the evening plays out exactly the same. It's beyond trivial.

For the first few of sessions the game's incredible presentation was enough while I waited for some escalation of stakes or complexity, but that escalation never comes. The final session is as simple as the first, and when I reached the credits of the game I just felt relieved.

This game may just not be for me. I can totally understand loving it simply for how great it looks and sounds, and the subtle humour throughout. The designs of the various aliens are truly spectacular. I am a fan of other Lucas Pope games, I'm not sure if that made me feel more or less generous with this game. I know I really wanted to love it, but the initial charm wore off quickly and I was left with only boredom.