Minecraft meets No Man’s Sky in ‘Incredible’ new Xbox freebie

If you’re a fan of crafting RPGs such as Minecraft and No Man’s Sky, then you’re going to love this Xbox Game Pass freebie that arrives this week.

When it comes to crafting survival games, it doesn't get much bigger or more popular than Minecraft, which was originally released as an early access title on PC in 2009. Today, it’s available on just about every platform imaginable and continues to evolve with constant content updates that make the experience feel fresh for its legion of fans of all ages.

Then we have No Man’s Sky, which had a terrible launch in 2016 due to a host of missing and promised gameplay features. At one point, it looked like the sci-fi crafting game was on its knees, but to the credit of the folks at Hello Games, it’s fair to say that No Man’s Sky has overdelivered on its original promises and is now one of the best games in its genre.

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What is the Xbox Game Pass freebie arriving this week?

The game in question is called The Planet Crafter, developed and published by Miju Games. Originally, this game launched as an early access title on Steam, before its full version arrived in 2024. However, it’s now coming to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow, on Tuesday, July 21.

“A space survival open world terraforming crafting game, designed for 1 to 10 players. Alter the ecosystem of an inhospitable planet to render it habitable for humanity. Survive, gather resources, and build your base. Then, generate oxygen, warmth, and pressure to create a brand new biosphere,” reads the synopsis of the game.

How has The Planet Crafter been received by the community?

On the aggregate review website, Metacritic, The Planet Crafter has earned a respectable score of 81. On the PC platform Steam, it fares even better with a rating of “Overwhelmingly Positive” taken from over 35,500 user reviews.

“This game is incredible. Good story, great options and the gaming environment is awesome. The best thing about the game is it's a building and foraging goal-oriented game,” wrote Steam user rsalidojr.

“The sense of progression in this game is hard to beat. Turning the barren wasteland into a thriving ecosystem is one of the most satisfying ways to indicate progress out of many other games I've played,” said Astrablast.

“Great game. Highly recommended if you enjoy survival crafting or world builders,” added SteelGiant, getting straight to the point.

“Incredibly agreeable gameplay! Great for when you need a time-sensitive challenge without the need for quick reflexes. Highly customisable experience, too,” explained ChocoKate.

Which tier of Xbox Game Pass is The Planet Crafter available on?

At launch, The Planet Crafter will not be available on all Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers, only Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass. However, it will come to the Essential tier at some point in the months ahead.

The Planet Crafter is also available on the PC platform GOG. It’s also coming to PlayStation 5 on the same day it launches on Xbox Game Pass.

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