“Automate a lunar base as you become the savior of humanity exploring the future on the moon”? What happened to “Hello,” “My name is,” and other introductions before you took me to the bedroom, VEOM Studio? As you can tell, when I first saw VEOM Studio and Crytivo’s The Crust the other day, I might have gotten a little excited. Released yesterday, the lunar-based Factorio-like is now in early access, and this is what the press release has to say:

“Introducing The Crust, a simulation-strategy-type game with factory-building features. The game offers engaging strategic decision-making gameplay that focuses on utilizing and managing complex resource systems, balancing extraction, and automatizing the colony’s sustainability. Building and running conveyor systems will be key to achieving automation and sustaining the colony’s needs, but also to expand and build their settlement.

Players will face [the] challenges of running a colony in a new habitat and uncover lunar secrets that surround them. Decision-making will be crucial for the benefit of the colony’s future but also Earth survival, filled with moral dilemmas and convoluted plot twists, the game provides a compelling and emotionally engaging experience. Any decision will echo across the cosmos and affect humanity’s future.

[The Crust] landed on Kickstarter in March 2024, and in just 30 days, it exceeded its financial goal, doubling its target of $100K. This unlocked new features to be introduced in the game, such as new game modes, storylines[,] and combat systems, which players will see upon release.”

Already on my wishlist, there is a 10% discount for The Crust on Steam until the 29th following the early access launch. For those worried about the state of the game, it is noted on the Steam page that the team has worked on The Crust for 5 years. On the time frame the team has for the early access and eventual full release it is noted, “We plan to complete our roadmap within 8-12 months of [the] early access release, after which we will take on the implementation of large-scale additions.” I guess it is a good time to go lay conveyor belts.

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