Craftopia (PC) was released on September 4 in Early Access on Steam and is doing well there. The game mixes various genres and combines them in a colorful world. Due to the many freedoms and possibilities, it is well received by the first users.
What kind of game is this? Craftopia is, according to the Japanese developers POCKET Pair, a multiplayer survival action game, and that’s not all that defines the game:
- You start by creating a character and exploring an open world with it.
- In it, you can chop down trees, mine rocks, fish, as known from sandbox games.
- You can also catch animals (with a crystal) and use them for breeding, which is reminiscent of Pokémon.
- You can build automated production chains to create new products from your plants or animals, similar to the factory simulator Factorio.
- At the same time, you can also fight and explore dungeons. You have access to weapons, skill trees, and spells.
- Additionally, you need to eat food yourself, as in survival games.
- All of this takes place in a colorful graphic style that is somewhat reminiscent of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The trailer for Craftopia gives you a small overview of what is possible in this co-op game:
MeinMMO author Sascha Asendorf has already taken a look at the game. He can now understand well why Craftopia is so well received.
How does multiplayer work? Craftopia is not an MMO with persistent servers but a single-player or co-op game. One user can “host” a world and accommodate up to 7 other players.
They can then roam the world together, fight enemies, or build massive factories.
How much does Craftopia cost? You can currently purchase Craftopia on Steam for 18.89 euros. This makes it 10% cheaper than the regular price, which is 20.99 euros.
Craftopia mixes many genres but does not perfect everything
How is the game received? Craftopia launched on September 4 at 12:00 PM our time in Early Access and has since received over 1,200 reviews. 76% of these ratings were positive. Our MeinMMO author Sascha Asendorf is also enthusiastic about the game.
Other users write about the game:
- Ramsis writes: “It is a pretty relaxing game, to be honest. The game is beautiful where it matters, offers many options for combat, and of course is a gigantic sandbox and survival game. Think of the game as an extension of Breath of the Wild, with plenty of side content and silly things to experiment with. Around 20 dollars is a pretty reasonable price for a sandbox game where you can roam around and act as silly as possible…”
- Dirt Nasty says: “[…] Some of the reasons why I think the game has great potential: Many movement options – You can run, crawl, sprint, dodge, glide, climb, hold onto walls, and there is ‘Slow Time’ in the air. The combat animations are very fluid. There are many crafting options. The art style and aesthetics are well done.
- The user D3athbySp0rk praises the visuals, the easy entry, and the overall gameplay in his long review, but criticizes the sound and some bugs. In summary, he writes: “This game is very much in ‘Early Access’. If you are willing to be an ‘Early Adopter’, then you can enjoy what the game has to offer, even if it’s not much. It is still extensive, and you can have a lot of fun with it. If you are looking for a deep experience, in my opinion, it is best to wait and see where the development goes and what Pocket Pair adds. There is a whole range of skills and some weapons/items displayed in the menus, but labeled ‘coming soon’ and locked out.”
However, there is also criticism of the game. The performance is reportedly not yet optimized, and there are still some bugs and glitches in the game. Furthermore, there seem to be many translation problems into English and issues with multiplayer:
- The user Lograin writes: “Warning! The game has not yet been translated into English; only a few menu items have been updated so far. It seems that you cannot change the resolution either…”
- The user Lexe has found many bugs: “Currently, multiplayer is unplayable, crafting stations suddenly disappear but still cost resources, animals do not die as planned, rubberbanding in dungeons, many bugs.”
- Sneakiest Bear describes the situation of Craftopia as follows: “You can see glimmers of hope in this game, but in its current state, it is unplayable. The basic aspects of the game are there, but it is far from a product I would like to pay for. Things like awkward animations, movement, and the way your character feels while playing are not pleasant; it is hard to describe, but when you play it, something feels ‘off.’ It feels more like a pre-alpha than an early access, and it definitely should have taken more time before its early access release. It’s a game to keep an eye on in the future, but right now, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
If you like cooperative games in this art style, check out Genshin Impact. This open-world game is set to release at the end of September for PC, consoles, and smartphones, but it focuses more on RPG elements and combat. Additionally, it is also not an MMO.
If you prefer sandbox games and the survival struggle, you might find a new title in our list of the best survival games.
