Mars Underground
Developer: Matt Sanderson (from Australia)
Demo: Gamejolt / itch.io / indiexpo
Full game release date: March, 2019
Platforms: PC / Mac / Linux / iOS / Android
Website: marsunderground.net
Description
It’s your first day at a new school. Every day is your first day at a new school. Every night the world ends.
Mars Underground is an apocalyptic adventure game where you relive the same day over and over.
The player attempts to solve brain damaging mysteries and uncover multiple potential endings as they explore the possibilities of this time loop. With each cycle new items can be picked up and topics unlocked.​
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Take experimental prescription drugs. Talk to a toilet. Get hit by a car. Humiliate yourself repeatedly. All in the name of figuring out what on earth is going on.
Mars Underground is a narrative focused gaming experience that favours exploration rather than fast reflexes.
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Time loop premise that explores the possibilities of branching stories and multiple endings in interactive fiction.
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Game design that mixes classic adventure game conventions with sandbox-style gameplay. As the player discovers new topics and acquires new items the world opens up and they can try more things each day.
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All original, dynamic music soundtrack.
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Simple, easy to grasp gameplay that can be fully played with either a keyboard, a controller or touch input.
Awards
Reviews
4.5/5, The AU Review, Leah Williams
94%, Pixel Pop Network, MatthewLee
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“If you’re a fan of games with cunning time travel mechanics, you’ll have a great time with this.”
8.4/10, PowerUp, Lauren Harradine
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Demo
The Mars Underground demo let's you play through a single cycle of the time loop. There's a lot to see and do, you might want to play through it a few times...
The demo is currently available for PC or Mac and there is a HTML5 version that can play directly in your browser. The final game will also be available for Linux, iOS and Android.
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Get it here:
Press
These Three Australian Games Are Showcasing The Surprising Impact Of Choice by Meghann O'Neill, Junkee
"Mars Underground is like Groundhog Day, except it's your first day at school and the apocalypse is nigh" by Shaun Prescott, PC Gamer
"Developer Matt Sanderson Talks Mars Underground" by Yoshi Itoku, Gamers Classified
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"Mars Underground is an Intriguing Curiouity" by Yoshi Itoku, Gamers Classified
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"Mars Underground Emerges on Windows and Linux" by Jack Allins, Adventure Gamers
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"Mars Underground new adventure launches" Linux Game Consortium
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"Relive the apocalypse over and over in Mars Underground" by Tom Quirk, Checkpoint
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"Mars Underground has a free demo" by Tess Heap, Last Life Club
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"Mars Underground Kickstarter Reaches Goal" by Tyler Fischer, DualSHOCKERS
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"Mars Underground wins Best Indie Game at Strasbourg Festival" by Andrew Cathie, Rocket Chainsaw
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"Mars Underground Kickstarter Ends on New Year’s Eve at 11:59!" by Joshua Barsody, Droid Gamers
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Top Steam Games gameskeys.net
Let's Play Videos
Moloch Media encourage the creation of Let's Play videos of Mars Underground. They may be monetised.
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Credits
Design, Development, Programming
Matt Sanderson
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Music
Matt Sanderson
Paul McMahon (Akumenn)
Schneidas (https://dackel.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Schneidas)
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Graphics
Matt Beer
Joseph Maiolo
Vexed Enigma
Lunarea
Jason Perry
Pyromantic
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Scripts
HimeWorks (www.himeworks.com)
Terrax
Nelderson
Hudell (hudell.com)
Galv (galvs-scripts.com)
orlando
Jason R. Godding
SumRndmDde
Shaz
Masked
Zalerian
Ramiro
Dekita
Orange
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Font
Alex G: Xeliard
Contact
email: contact (at) molochmedia (dot) com
For a collection of screenshots, logos and useful links: