The Planet Crafter tasks players with revitalizing inhospitable worlds and making them capable of supporting life. Doing so will make these once hostile planets habitable for future colonies of humans. Emboldened by advanced technology and a vast supply of natural resources, many believe this to be a straightforward and feasible endeavor. However, once players arrive at a planet, they will soon realize how challenging this feat is.
The barren worlds of The Planet Crafter are unforgiving wastelands that require extensive effort to rehabilitate. These planets are without the three vital elements for sustaining life: Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure. Terraforming will restore these components to a world and make them suitable for life, but the process is arduous and complicated. So much so that many players will struggle significantly throughout the game. However, once players learn to terraform, doing so becomes a much easier task.
How To Terraform
The Planet Crafter communicates the importance of Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure when terraforming a world. Each is a necessary component for creating an atmosphere suitable for life. There must be a balance between Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure to effectively terraform a planet. Players can build machinery that produces Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure, gradually improving a world's habitability. These machines will require naturally-occurring elements to create and electricity to power them. Once players begin making these devices, planets will steadily become stable and undergo various changes.
The Terraformation Score represents the current state and habitability of a planet. There are various Terraformation Stages that worlds will progress through, representing their transformation from a desolate wasteland into a hospitable world. With each phase, the environment will change dramatically according to the degree of progress. In addition to these alterations, players get new technologies that further improve their terraforming capabilities. Eventually, the barren and lifeless planet that players once knew will transform into a fertile and lively world.
How To Generate Power
Before players can begin terraforming, they need a reliable source of power. The first and most resourceful power sources are Wind Turbines, but more options become available as players progress. Power sources do not require connections to function and instead provide energy to the entire planet. This unique mechanic saves players the headache of meticulously establishing and connecting power sources to machines.
There is an Information Screen that allows players to view available energy and the power consumption of machinery. Players should consult this device before building any new machinery, as surpassing the amount of available energy will cause machines to become inert. Power sources should take precedence over machines, as nothing can operate without them.
How To Generate Heat
Players can generate Heat through various machinery, the first and most common being Heaters. These devices will steadily increase a planet's Heat Score, with upgraded variants functioning more effectively.
The best machine for generating Heat is the Heater T4, an upgraded variant of the original device. Heat is relatively simple to produce yet demanding, as most machines require Iridium, a rare resource capable of producing high temperatures.
How To Generate Oxygen
Players can generate Oxygen through various machinery, the first and most common being Vegetubes. These devices will steadily increase a planet's Oxygen Score, with upgraded variants functioning more effectively. However, players can produce Oxygen with Biomass increasing devices, such as the Grass Spreader. These machines will not only bring life to a planet but also generate Oxygen.
The best device for generating Oxygen is the Tree Spreader, a Biomass producing machine that plants tree seeds. Oxygen is somewhat complicated to generate as most devices utilize Seeds. There are numerous variants of these Seeds, and each offers different benefits.
How To Generate Pressure
Players can generate Pressure through various machinery, the first and most common being Drills. These devices will steadily increase a planet's Pressure Score, with upgraded variants functioning more effectively.
The best machine for generating Pressure is the Drill T4, an upgraded variant of the original device. Alternatively, players can use an Ore Extractor, which produces Pressure while harvesting ore from the soil. Pressure is relatively simple to generate at first, but machines become more challenging to create as players progress.
The Best Way To Terraform
To effectively and resourceful terraform a planet, players must evenly generate Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure. There is an Information Screen that tracks the progression of these components, revealing the value and generation of each. Players should ensure that the Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure values of a world are roughly the same. Doing so will allow a planet's Terraformation Score to increase consistently and quickly.
Should Heat, Oxygen, and Pressure production be imbalanced, the world will progress erratically and detrimentally. Players will be unable to benefit from each component and likely experience periods of little to no progression. Moreover, particular beneficial machines only become available upon meeting specific Heat, Oxygen, or Pressure levels. Focusing on one component over the others will only hinder players.
The Planet Crafter is available now on PC.