- Games
- The Planet Crafter
The Planet Crafter
A shared terraforming game where you build machines and watch a barren planet become a home for life.
Online co-op, with crossplay.
- Online
- Crossplay
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-opYesPlayer count not confirmed
- Local co-opNoOnline only
- YesPC, XboxFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- YesA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckVerifiedValve's own rating
About the game
You land on a dry planet and begin making it habitable. At first you pick up minerals, build small shelters and keep enough oxygen, water and food to stay alive. Drills, heaters and plant growing equipment gradually change the atmosphere. As your machinery improves, the sky changes, water gathers and new life appears. Wrecks and hidden places give you reasons to leave the base.
Online friends work on the same planet and contribute to its transformation. One person can search for supplies while another expands the base or sets up the next machines. You decide how to divide the work, and keep returning to what you have built. There are no enemies to fight. Early supply worries give way to longer, quieter stretches of building, exploring and talking while your equipment runs.
How it feels
Kind of game
A calm world you share and look after at your own pace, with little danger.
- A big part
- Now and then
- Laughter and chaos
- Tension and danger
- Story
- Working in sync
- Getting better
- Planning ahead
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- About
- Science fiction, Alien planets
Rated on our own feel scale. 6 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked The Planet Crafter
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Farming Simulator 25
Why it scores 83%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Building and creating
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Farming Simulator 25 differs
- Less exploring than The Planet Crafter
- 16 online
- Crossplay
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both are calm and low on stress. Both are easy to play while you chat.
But less exploring than The Planet Crafter.
Outbound
Why it scores 81%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Exploring, Unlocks and progress
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Outbound differs
- Calmer and less chaotic than The Planet Crafter
- 4 online
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both let you build things together. Both are calm and low on stress.
But calmer and less chaotic than The Planet Crafter.
Dinkum
Why it scores 79%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Time to hang out, Building and creating, Unlocks and progress
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Exploring
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Dinkum differs
- Calmer and less chaotic than The Planet Crafter
- 6 online
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both are easy to play while you chat. Both are calm and low on stress.
But calmer and less chaotic than The Planet Crafter.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Most players online
- Not confirmed
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Does not apply
- Split or shared screen
- Does not apply
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
- 25613
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
13 pages
mijugames.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Platforms, Genres, About, Kind of game, Building and creating.
- Online co-op: Maker explicitly supports online co-op terraforming.
- Platforms: Lists Windows PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with console release on 21 July 2026.
- Genres: Maker describes survival, crafting and an adventure in space.
- About: Technology changes an alien planet so people can live there.
- Kind of game: Players share a planet and bring life to it in an explicitly calm, nonviolent experience.
- Building and creating: Shelter and scientific machines are how the planet changes.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release status, Release date, Online co-op, Calm and coziness, Free base co-op.
- Release status: Lists the full release separately from early access.
- Release date: 10 April 2024 is the full release.
- Online co-op: Online Co-op is listed.
- Calm and coziness: Maker describes a relaxed experience with adjustable difficulty and no violence.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID.
- Steam app ID: App 1284190 is The Planet Crafter.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Verified on Steam Deck.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Local co-op, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Local co-op: Lists one player on the device and online play separately.
- Platforms: The available edition is for PS5.
- Free base co-op: The checked PlayStation full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
xbox.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Crossplay: Lists Xbox cross-platform co-op, with PC and Xbox Series X|S in Play with. This applies only to the Microsoft PC and Xbox versions.
- Crossplay between: Windows means the Microsoft PC version, paired with Xbox Series X|S. Steam, GOG and PlayStation are excluded from this group.
- Platforms: Play with includes PC and Xbox Series X|S.
- Free base co-op: The checked Xbox full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
steamcommunity.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between.
- Crossplay: Maker announcement dated 16 June 2026 separates console brands and says Steam cannot play with consoles. It does not name Microsoft PC. This limits the Xbox store claim to the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Crossplay between: The Microsoft PC and Xbox pair comes from the Xbox store. The maker excludes Steam from console sessions.
steamcommunity.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Sessions, Friends can join mid-game.
- Sessions: The 10 April 2024 full release announcement allows friends into existing saves and adds a possible ending. Later free moon updates extend the same world.
- Friends can join mid-game: Maker says to launch the game and invite friends, including into existing saves.
dotesports.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Friends can join mid-game.
- Friends can join mid-game: Dot Esports, 11 April 2024, describes opening the menu while inside a saved world to invite friends or copy a join code.
gamingbolt.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Tension and danger, Story, Exploring, Getting better, Planning ahead, Time to hang out.
- Tension and danger: GamingBolt, 18 April 2024, describes limited oxygen and supplies early on, with difficulty options to reduce pressure.
- Story: Background messages and traces of past occupants provide a light story.
- Exploring: Newly accessible regions, wrecks and hidden rooms are a main part of the resource loop.
- Getting better: The review calls it easy to pick up, with new machines and survival systems to learn.
- Planning ahead: Some preparation matters, including oxygen shelters and balancing machine power.
- Time to hang out: The review describes quiet resource gathering and a relaxed space setting. The maker also frames normal play as calm.
thesixthaxis.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Unlocks and progress, Working in sync.
- Unlocks and progress: TheSixthAxis, 3 August 2026, describes repeated equipment and terraforming unlocks as the central reward loop.
- Working in sync: Much of play is collecting materials and placing machines. Friends can contribute to the same terraforming goal without paired timing tasks.
steamcommunity.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos.
- Laughter and chaos: A bounded sample of ten recent Steam player-review cards includes one joking about a base flooded by rising water. This supports occasional mishap humour, not representative consensus or a comedy-led core.
gog.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Free base co-op.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.