# Mars Tycoon — user reviews > 90 indexed App Store user reviews of Mars Tycoon by Tim Webster, rated 3.80/5 from 159 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-tycoon/id1006391962/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-tycoon/id1006391962.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 79 · 4★ 27 · 3★ 17 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 27 ## What do users think of Mars Tycoon? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🧠 Challenging strategic gameplay requiring careful planning - 🎮 Unique concept with no direct competitors in app store - 🎨 Retro pixelated art style appeals to players - 🎯 Addictive gameplay loop once mechanics are understood - ⚙️ Complex resource management and optimization - 🏗️ Engaging colony-building simulation mechanics **Cons** - 🐛 Astronauts frequently get stuck in buildings or clusters - 🐛 Poor pathfinding AI causes colonist deaths - ⏱️ Extremely long wait times for MAV resupply missions - 🎮 Steep learning curve with unclear mechanics - 📦 Limited map space restricts late-game expansion - 🔧 Pipe connection system is overly restrictive and clunky - 💾 Game progress resets when app is closed during upgrades - ⚡ Significant lag when map fills up with structures - 🎯 No clear end goal or win condition - 💰 Pay-to-win mechanics feel necessary to progress **Commonly reported bugs** - Astronauts get stuck in buildings and cannot exit - Astronauts cluster together and block each other's movement - Game data resets when app is refreshed or closed - Game crashes unexpectedly, especially during building - Pipe connections randomly disconnect - Buildings expand in unpredictable directions after upgrade - MAV progress resets if app is closed mid-mission - Oxygen/methane production fails despite proper connections - Colonists die despite adequate oxygen/resource buildings nearby - Inability to bulldoze certain buildings - Battery loop exploit allows infinite power generation - Severe performance degradation with large colonies - Pipe placement validation is overly strict and finicky **Most requested features** - Expandable map or multiple planets to explore - Creative/sandbox mode for experimentation - Natural disasters like dust storms or volcanic activity - Ability to visit other planets with varying difficulty - More building variety and complexity - Improved pipe system allowing branching and overlapping - Background progression when app is closed - Better tutorial and help documentation - Title screen and main menu - Larger starting area or expandable space - More astronaut customization and life simulation - Offline gameplay capability ## Newest reviews (15 of 90) ### 4/5 — Good game but.. *2026-08-12* Really good game but I have one suggestion that would probably help it be much better. Maybe make it so that the astronauts don’t have collisions with each other? They go into buildings to get O2 or sleep but then can’t leave because another astronaut is trying to get in and then they die because they can’t get into the buildings ### 4/5 — Richtig cool aber leider stirb die Crew so schnell und kein Platz zum rohre bauen *2024-01-17* :( richtig krass aber die Crew stirbt zu schnell ich wünsche mir es gäbe mehr Gebäude und Baustoff ### 4/5 — Pretty nice! *2023-04-23* Yeah, this game’s pretty cool, but there’s some bugs. My astronauts sometimes don’t leave any buildings, and it resets my data when I refresh the app. ### 2/5 — Games good fun *2022-08-28* The game’s fun until your realise is take twelve minutes for the resupply ship to leave and another 12 to come back. It’s even worse when you in the middle of optimising your power and the game tells you have no resources left, and now all you little astronauts slowly die until the shuttle gets back. ### 3/5 — Fun but can be annoying… *2022-06-19* It has a few bugs that in time will drive you nuts… ### 4/5 — Please continue this unique game *2021-07-20* There is no other game quite like this in the app store, and so I would love for the updates for this game to continue. The game itself has some replay-ability but still much to be desired. And as one review said about the pathfinding, so please fix this because I’ve spent too much money to count and having those worlds wasted because of broken AI. I would’ve given this game a 5/5 if it wasn’t for the broken AI and maybe some more mechanics like expanding through mars and making a greener planet, like a 2d version of Surviving Mars. But it’s the developer to decide what to do with the game, I just hope he does this game well in the future. ### 4/5 — Bon jeu *2020-12-27* C’est un assez bon jeu mais il manque des choses comme par exemple des nouveaux événements( type attaque ou échange avec d’autres civilisations..)ou alors des défenses pour sa base, de nouveaux minerais etc.Sinon pour ma part le jeu m’a beaucoup plu et amuser. Voilà voilà ### 3/5 — Would be good if it wasn’t for the astronauts *2020-10-12, version 1.0* The astronauts are dumb and greedy. They stay there when they have everything they need even when other astronauts are dying out side. The amount of astronauts that come in are dead by the time the next Bach comes in ### 4/5 — Ести одно но *2020-06-21, version 1.0* Игра крутая но почемуто когда изличилиси то они из дома не выходят ### 3/5 — Great start of a game but that’s about it. *2020-05-25* Feels like the first level of something that could be. Wish there was more content. A bigger area. Multi level pipes (or some way not to make it so hectic). Maxed out my map with over 250k. Was an addicting play for a day tbh. Working out your first MAV setup can be difficult, but then it’s all time and strategy from there. Don’t be afraid to reset a few times to get it right. -DK ### 4/5 — Good game *2020-05-13* Have fun with game. People get stuck in buildings, but I just restart game. I have OCD so this has been fun and I still haven’t exactly cracked the placement of buildings yet, which I have for all other games. Once you have factory and MAV level 2 the game is basically done. I’ve started killing off people by removing power or other buildings just to make it interesting before starting a new game. ### 4/5 — Hard but awesome! *2020-05-09* This game really makes my brain think. It’s big brain time bois. You spawn with a limited amount of materials, and you have to strategically place each building. However, once you have gotten the mav to work and bring you materials, it’s isn’t as difficult as it is. Although with a few minor bugs, this game is overall good. ### 4/5 — Та игра, которую хочется постоянно проходить.) *2020-05-04, version 1.0* Очень увлекательно) 7 раз перестраивал колонию. Есть баг юнитов: 1)зависает и не двигается с места а) ремонтировать б) сон или кислород, соответственно умирает. 1) не может выйти из толпы а+б) ### 4/5 — Great fun *2020-05-03* Great fun but when do you win? ### 4/5 — Pretty good *2020-03-08, version 1.0* Pretty good game and really enjoyable but my astronauts keep getting stuck on each other and can’t get anything done. Still really awesome concept and nicely executed. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Lots of glitches. *2026-04-07, version 1.0* There were lotta glitches like there was one where I couldn’t get methane to go back to earth to get more building materials for one of my things and there’s a bug or if it turns red multiple times Dennis stays red and I have to restart putting it so this game is bad.🤬 ### 1/5 — Not ready yet still in development *2021-03-07, version 1.0* It’s not possible to post this if it’s bugged because HOW do I make oxygen ### 1/5 — Very very very bad game *2020-09-12* Once you get to the greenhouse bit it’s impossible to do please make it easier and also the writing of what you need to do make it with normal letters not just pixelated ### 1/5 — Download for a good laugh *2020-06-01* This must be the worst game I have ever seen in my life, hands down. Still worth downloading for a good laugh though. It feels a bit like the first sketches of a new game, but they then forgot to develop the actual game. ### 1/5 — Game is pay to play *2019-11-03, version 1.0* I can’t play the game without resources and I can’t doing anything but pay for resources after I use them up then after I use ALL my resources I literally die so you need to add more resources so we can actually play the game ### 1/5 — The Potential In Not Shining *2019-05-10* Soo When I Just Discovered Mars Tycoon I Was Exited To See What The Game Was Until Now… My Ideas Are… 1. Dust Storms 2. Expansions/New Planets 3. Going Into The Life As A Astronaut (Going Back To Earth,Aging+etc.) Those Are My Ideas And Please Update Or I’m Deleting This Game Tom Webster 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺♾♾♾🍰🍰🍰 **Developer response:** Update coming in the fall. ### 1/5 — Problems *2019-02-14, version 1.0* No matter how I plan out the layout I always run out of materials and loose. It says I can build a factory and what not but I have to have 60 people. In order to get 60 people I got to build more housing. But the scam is there isn’t enough material for all that so looks like they just want you to spend your hard earned money on this! ### 1/5 — Don’t download *2018-06-30, version 1.0* Terrible graphic just a pipe connection game with building ### 1/5 — Fun but has annoying bugs *2018-06-11* I’ve noticed that your colonists in the game seem to die for no reason. Today I figured out that was because they couldn’t get to the habitat buildings fast enough to get more oxygen or to sleep. That being because they can’t walk through each other and sometimes even get clustered up inside of building and can’t leave. Sometimes when this happens they’re already in the habitat and they just die anyway because they can’t get to the center. ### 1/5 — Very frustrating *2018-03-31, version 1.0* Game has a nice concept but overall is very frustrating. The system for piping is so outdated and plan unusable. Inability to lay multiple pipes in one square makes the game unplayable. Not explaining how to connect methane is idiotic. Very ubplayable game. Please dont waste your time unless author makes improvements. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Very good *2024-02-18* Still my favourite iphone game. Updates would be appreciated if youre still there tim ### 5/5 — Please update *2023-03-12* Make expandable space! ### 5/5 — Fun *2021-07-09, version 1.0* Awesomely fun😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍10000/10 ### 5/5 — Amazing *2021-02-10, version 1.0* This game is amazing.At the beginning I didn’t know it stuff works and kept on getting a game over but I kept trying and I managed to get good at the game in the end it’s really fun but I wish there is more to it like maybe natural disasters or maybe you can go to different planets or maybe things that come from the mau by sneaking in and possibly drink or eat all your astronauts idk. Overall this game it amazing ### 5/5 — The game is great *2021-01-10* As the other guy said it would be great to have some more updates bringing new features. BUT I have encountered a bug that is affecting my colony, it is when a bunch of colonists cluster together and spaz out on the same spot in my habs (upgraded). It looks like they are trying to get to the same spot at the same time and means that I can have an entire habs worth of colonists staying in there and causing my other ones to die because there is no more room. To fix it you may need to tinker with the pathfinding AI so they know who is going where and don’t all try to go for the same spot and get stuck. **Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. You're absolutely right. Smarter Path Finding is coming :-) ### 5/5 — Отличная игра *2020-02-26, version 1.0* Простая и увлекательная, без навязчивой рекламы, с нетерпением жду расширения карты и большего разнообразия зданий ### 5/5 — It’s a good game *2019-05-27* I like it but if we could have something like a creative mode to goof around in that would absolutely amazing **Developer response:** Nice idea - like a sandbox mode? Thanks for your feedback. ### 5/5 — Very fun and challenging. *2019-05-12* This game is very fun and also quite challenging please code the AI better because many astronauts die that way **Developer response:** I'm on it! Look out for next version coming in the fall. ### 5/5 — Awesome vidi I game *2019-04-03* Ok....I love the game but you NEED to make new stuff I play it soo much. But when I master and have everything, it gets boring, so I wish you could make rockets that can go to other planets with lightning storms or volcanoes with higher difficulty, and more buildings and make it more complicated and hard because I just looooooovvvvvve dis game. Nice job game creator, other people just don’t understand how to play the game, oh and have you ever thought of updating ur awesome game! **Developer response:** Update coming in the fall. Complete AI overhaul. ### 5/5 — Best simulation ever! *2018-05-29* This is the best game ever and I can’t wait until more updates, keep working hard. **Developer response:** Thanks very much! Update coming later this year :-) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-19.*