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Galactic Mining Corp Review – See You, Space Capitalist

Galactic Mining Corp Review – See You, Space Capitalist
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Platforms: Windows PC, Steam, itch.io

Game Name: Galactic Mining Corp

Publisher: Windybeard

Developer: Windybeard

Genre: Action, Adventure, Simulation

Release Date: May 18th, 2021

Galactic Mining Corp by Windybeard

There’s something to be said for a fun, simple puzzle game that takes five minutes to understand completely. The success of games like Tetris and Candy Crush is a testament to that. It’s also a difficult mix of simplicity and depth to nail, as your game needs to be understandable without quickly getting boring.

While it might not join the ranks of those classics, Galactic Mining Corp should definitely be a consideration for your next simple time-killer.

Drill, Baby, Drill

As the head of a galactic mining corporation, your goals are simple: drill into celestial bodies and use the profits to expand your company. The drilling makes up the core of the gameplay and plays akin to a simplified version of Mr. Driller. After choosing your planet, you click on tiles of different materials to burrow your drill through them. Anything you drill is taken for resources, and reaching the core gives you even more rewards.

However, the drill gradually degrades as you go, and some tiles are sturdier than others, meaning you might not always reach the core. This isn’t a problem, though, as the game is very quick to mention that everything you do accomplishes something useful. The resources you amass, even when you die, are kept, and all contribute to the base-building side of the game.

Your base has multiple rooms to build, workers to recruit, and upgrades to purchase, all of which improve your ability to drill. They can increase the drill’s health, elemental resistances, chance to do critical damage, etc. On top of that, money can be used to expand the map of the galaxy and find new levels to explore. In short, any time you spend playing contributes to your next unlock.

Galactic Garden

The laid-back, Rogue-lite nature of Galactic Mining Corp is definitely what makes it so addictive. With everything you do leading to more unlocks, it manages to scratch that “just one more round” itch that the best simple games manage to pull off. It also has an impressive amount of stuff to see, as new levels will often introduce enemies and hazards previously unseen. It still gets repetitive after a while but does a lot to put that off as long as possible.

Production-wise, the game wouldn’t look or sound out of place on the top games of Newgrounds circa 2007. It has a colorful, pop sci-fi aesthetic that, while not particularly special, is appealing enough to not get annoying to look at with repeated plays. If I had to put a word on its aesthetics, I’d call them “inoffensive.”

It’s a game that manages to punch well above its weight, all things considered. I’d frequently sit down to play for a few minutes for this review, only to find an hour had gone by when I was done. Ultimately, if what you need is a quick and easy way to get the dopamine flowing in your brain, Galactic Mining Corp is one you should consider investing in.

Galactic Mining Corp is available via Steam and Itch.io.

Watch the trailer for Galactic Mining Corp Below: