Adaptory
Review
Don't forget the oxygen
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Breathing is Optional (Until It's Not)
There are two ways to play space survival games. The first is with the cold, calculating precision of a NASA engineer. The second—my way—is with the frantic energy of a toddler trying to build a LEGO castle during an earthquake. Adaptory, an indie 2D base-building sim, caters to both, but it has a special way of punishing the latter with a polite, digital smile.
If you've spent time in Oxygen Not Included or Fallout Shelter, you'll feel right at home here. However, Adaptory strips away the annoying raiders and radioactive monsters, leaving you to face the most terrifying antagonist of all: your own poor management skills.
The "Oops, We're Stranded" Starter Pack
The game begins with an "unscheduled emergency landing." In PR speak, that means you crashed. You're stuck on a mysterious planetoid with four crew members and a dream. To keep you from immediately blowing everyone up, you’re introduced to CHARLI, your tutorial guide. CHARLI is essentially your space-chaperone, gently holding your hand through the basics of not dying while you stare blankly at your limited resources.
The goal? Keep your motley crew alive and find a way off this rock. It sounds simple until you realize that your crew has "needs" and "feelings." How inconvenient.
Solar Power and Energy Anxiety
Adaptory runs on a Day and Night cycle, which is the game's way of keeping you on your toes. This cycle dictates the entire rhythm of your base, and the strategy involved is surprisingly deep.
Do you create Solar Panels for energy, or go with Coal Power. Solar panels are great for the environmentally conscious commander. They provide clean, beautiful energy... right up until the sun goes down and your base turns into a dark, silent tomb. Coal Power on the other hand provides for an "I don't care about the future" option. It provides 24/7 power, but it produces pollution. Nothing says "home sweet home" like a settlement filled with smog, but hey, at least the lights are on.
Managing your crew during these cycles is where the real fun (read: stress) starts. Each character works at different rates and timings. It's a constant juggle of scheduling—trying to make sure the "early birds" are digging for resources while the "night owls" are... well, doing whatever it is space-outcasts do at 3:00 AM.
The Diary of a Dying Crewmate
The absolute highlight—and my personal downfall—is the character diary system. Each of your little explorers keeps a diary where they track their feelings, health, and general grievances. You can also eavesdrop on their chats with each other, which is great for morale tracking and general space-gossip.
I, however, decided to treat these diaries like the "Terms and Conditions" on a software update: I ignored them completely. I was too busy digging, exploring, and obsessing over my base layout. I thought I was doing great. I was a visionary. I was a master of architecture.
Then, one of my citizens died.
As it turns out, nothing says "learning curve" like accidentally letting a crew member run out of air while you're busy redecorating. If I had bothered to open the diary, I would have seen entries like: "Dear Diary, I can't breathe," and "Hey, is it just me, or is the air getting really chewy?" instead of just focusing on where to put my new coal generator. Suffice to say, my career as a colony leader started with a funeral.
Pretty Enough to Distract You
Visually, the game is dangerously well laid out. The UI is clean, and the tech tree is so well-designed that you'll find yourself saying, "Just one more discovery," right until your oxygen levels hit zero. It's all very intuitive — you're usually just a couple of mouse clicks away from everything you need.
The background music is also a bit of a trap. It's lovely, serene, and incredibly relaxing. It's the kind of music that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay, even when your crew is currently gasping for air because you forgot to build a vent. It's like being serenaded by a harpist while your house is slowly sinking into a swamp.
The Final Verdict
Adaptory is a brilliant, polished simulation that replaces the stress of combat with the stress of logistics and empathy. It's a game that rewards players who pay attention to the small details — like whether or not their employees can inhale. If you want a game that lets you build, thrive, and occasionally feel like a total monster for neglecting your crew's basic biological needs, this is it. It's charming, it's deep, and it's a masterclass in "unintended consequences."
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7.4
fun score
Pros
Assistant CHARLI works well, guiding you through the game
Cons
Crew members dying
