Astro Miner review

Mobile games are big business. However, I’m not sure how I feel about them on console. They severely lack depth, and the pay-to-win model simply doesn’t work. Yet, I found my time with Astro Miner to be addictive, fun, and great when playing with a friend.

This colourful game is unbelievably shallow. Effectively, you must walk around several small planets while sucking up dirt. As the dirt is removed, you’ll grab valuable rocks, cash, and temporary power-ups. This is the core concept of a puddle deep sci-fi experience. Accordingly, developer Crazy Labs Ltd did very little to change the gameplay when porting it to console and PC.

No story should have made Astro Miner a dull endeavour.

Paper-thin gameplay and a lack of a story should have made Astro Miner a lifeless and dull endeavour. However, I couldn’t put it down. Each small planet is loaded with colourful dirt, rocks, stalagmites, and other tricky hurdles. As you point your space hoover towards each obstacle, it sucks the hell out of it. The result is a clean planet and plenty of valuable jewels to cash in.

The money is used to improve your base skills. Speed, capacity, and sucking force must all be improved. Alongside this, you can hire 2 assistants and invest in an auto miner. Additionally, there are bones to collect to unlock buff-inducing bonuses.

Once you’ve removed the dirt, you must move to another planet or enter each arena dungeon if you’ve purchased the DLC. No matter which you choose, the action rarely changes. Effectively, you land on your new planet, approach the dirt, and shut your mind down. This is the crux of the gameplay, and it will not challenge anyone.

It lacks a wow factor.

The basic gameplay isn’t the only rudimentary factor in play. Unfortunately, Astro Miner lacks a wow factor. Though it is vibrant and eye-catching, there is a distinct mobile game edge to proceedings. This doesn’t impact the game, it just lacks polish. Luckily, the audio is better. Loud sound effects match every action, and an upbeat soundtrack keeps you energised.

The controls are easy to master. Point your hoover and get to work. Occasionally, you’ll have to choose which upgrades to purchase and the power-ups to invest in. However, this is straightforward and won’t cause any concerns. Unfortunately, Astro Miner is extremely short. I invested around 3 hours and finished every core level. If you have a friend at hand, you’ll complete it in half the time. Consequently, replay value is somewhat limited.

Astro Miner is underwhelming but fun.

Thankfully, I set my expectations just right when I picked Astro Miner. I knew it would be underwhelming and ridiculously easy. However, despite its simplicity, it was fun in short bursts. Though I’m not a fan of mobile game ports, this got things just right. As such, if you want a mindless and short experience, pick up your copy from the Xbox store.