ROVA

I had the opportunity to try out this little-indie game and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. I was honestly surprised at how much content there was for an Early Access build and genuinely impressed by the game's feel and vibe. In ROVA, you play as a roving space vehicle that has been set the task of photographically documenting a world's biodiversity and geography. After a helpful tutorial, conducted by a group of colonists that (I believe) built you, the game lets go of any direct hand-holding and allows you to 'go ham' exploring what the world has to offer. You can't help but 'get lost', and the gameplay encourages this. Traversing these biomes, you begin to see that this once seen baron planet, is anything but, and through the requests of the colonists that you arrived with, you begin to further your understanding of the planet. There are 'quests' in which there is some story progress; such as through the development of the colony, but its clear these are being fleshed out and added to. The results of these quests hint that some sizeable updates are planned for the future, meaning that the developers are very much active in this game for the long-haul. Some customization options are available for your ROVA and also for the colonists too. These not only aid you in identifying who is who (as they all looks the same and the game actually does playfully jab at itself because of this), but also gives you the chance to make the experience your own. Though currently the ROVA's customization is limited to simple changes of colour, I believe there will be more unique options, similar to what the colonists have available, in the future. Overall, while ROVA isn't my usual vibe of a game, I really enjoyed the charm and the whimsical nature in which you undertake your duties as ROVA. I can easily see myself settling down with a nice cup of coffee, curled up in a blanket on a stormy eve, cruising around the dunes of this unknown planet, unlocking its mysteries and curiosities, all while forgetting the period of time that has passed by. I'm genuinely looking forward to what future updates will bring, and what secrets will be unlocked in the universe of ROVA.

There is a whole lot of fun to be had exploring and taking in the world of ROVA - you play at your own pace which makes a change from the usual manic rush. The game is smooth, easy to play and just fun to muck around in. The hidden jokes made me laugh out loud. The controls are crisp and it tells you what buttons to press, so no guess work. Graphics and sound are good Gameplay is nice and keeps you busy and engaged. Add to that the ability to jump off rocks as fast as you can - a guaranteed smile moment.

Love the customisation stuff, especially the new colours for the Rova. Made the game feel more personal from the get-go which is great! I also felt as though my photography research and discoveries actually meant something, particularly by the time I got to researching the Alien stuff (no spoilers?) It's also fun to just drive around and get lost. Again, I loved how even photos I took randomly while exploring led to discussions with the crew.

i can finally fulfil my dream of being sony aibo in space doing doughnuts

A fun low stakes game of exploration and documentation, very cosy and a welcome change from the fast paced chaos of many games. The muted colour palette is easy on the eye and leads to a very calming play experience.

I’ve been following this game since its earliest demos, and I’ve really loved watching it grow! This is such a cool concept for a game. It looks fantastic and is incredibly relaxing to play. The quests are paced really well, you can choose to engage with them if you want, or just freely explore the planet at your own pace. I also really enjoyed customising the colonists; it adds so much personality to the experience!

I followed this from the demo, a nice little game to relax with. Ran pretty well on the steam deck for me. I think I found a loot box inside a stack of rocks behind the biolab. The little shake as you come out of the lake is a nice touch

Works great on the Steam Deck!

Love the game so far, its been a very fun world to explore! Incredibly relaxing game and I can't wait for more, hoping for new planets and more fun secrets :D

Thanks for adding v-sync!