Mars Attracts is a theme park management sim where you play as Martians running a human zoo, currently in Early Access on Steam for $19.99 with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Released September 15, 2025, this unexpected Mars Attacks-based game tasks players with abducting humans from history, building enclosures, conducting experiments, and managing alien visitors in a darkly comedic twist on the genre.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 15, 2025 (Early Access) |
| Developer | Outlier Games |
| Price | $19.99 (10% launch discount available) |
| Platform | PC (Steam) |
| Early Access Duration | 9-12 months planned |
| User Reviews | Very Positive (92% from 91 reviews) |
| Full Release | Expected 2026 |
After spending considerable time building my Martian empire and tormenting countless humans for science, I can confidently say Mars Attracts is one of 2025's most surprising gaming successes. This bizarre premise shouldn't work as well as it does, yet Outlier Games has crafted something genuinely special that stands out in the crowded management sim genre.
Contents
Mars Attracts takes everything you know about theme park management games and flips it on its oversized alien head. Instead of entertaining human guests with rides and attractions, you're entertaining Martians with captive humans displayed like zoo animals. The gameplay loop is pretty straightforward. Enclosures are built throughout your theme park and made to match themes from human history, such as the Wild West or Ancient Rome (or at least, the Martian interpretation of these periods), and stocked with several amenities such as human-sized hamster wheels and stiff steel beds for their inhabitants to sleep on.
The game draws from the cult classic Mars Attacks universe, originally a 1962 trading card series and later Tim Burton's 1996 film. But rather than creating a predictable RTS or action game, Outlier Games went for something completely unexpected - and it absolutely works.
Something I find interesting about the game is that the basic gameplay loop evolves past keeping your guests entertained and your zoo captives happy. This is built around the game's Mars Attacks origin, where the Martians themselves are shown to be decidedly cruel. You're not just managing happiness meters; you're balancing cruelty and cultural satisfaction simultaneously.
Your Martian guests want to see suffering. They demand entertainment through human misery. This means strategically keeping some humans unhappy while maintaining others in better conditions for "cultural" exhibits. It's a twisted balancing act that adds genuine strategic depth beyond typical park management formulas.
The abduction system serves as your primary method of acquiring new "attractions." Using advanced Martian technology, you'll send UFOs across time to snatch humans from different historical periods. Each expedition is randomized, similar to how Two Point Museum handles artifact collection, adding an element of surprise to your growing collection.
Available historical periods include:
Each person you imprison can possess both negative and positive traits. Maybe they'll only use amenities that are Martian, or on the flipside, they'll only use amenities that are from their era, which means if you're not lucky enough to find the right decor, you end up with angry humans ready to break out and kill your paying guests.
Every human has unique traits affecting their behavior:
You wouldn't be an alien from the deep recesses of space if the humans you abducted weren't used for strange experiments, which is something you can and often must do in your Mars Attracts park. The experiment system isn't just for show - it's a core progression mechanic.
Experiments serve multiple purposes:
The experiments are fully animated with slapstick comedy and light body horror reminiscent of the original Mars Attacks aesthetic. While not graphically intense, they maintain that perfect B-movie balance of grotesque and humorous.
Running a profitable Martian theme park requires careful financial planning:
Your Martian workforce includes:
Each staff member has skills and traits affecting their performance. A lazy scientist produces fewer research points, while an aggressive security guard might harm escapees unnecessarily, affecting your park's reputation.
Martian visitors have complex needs beyond just viewing human suffering:
Basic Needs:
Advanced Desires:
The Early Access version includes:
"The Early Access version features many hours of content and all of the game's base systems, including construction, financial and staff management, human abductions, rides and amenities, guest happiness, multiple maps, and more."
Human Enclosures:
Rides and Entertainment:
Guest Services:
The current tech tree includes:
Mars Attracts runs surprisingly well for an Early Access title. I'm surprised to say that Mars Attracts was pleasantly free of them. Everything ran smoothly, and the game's file size of just over 1 GB was shocking with the bloated sizes you often find in modern games.
Minimum Requirements:
The game maintains stable 60+ FPS on mid-range systems even with large parks. Load times are minimal, and I experienced no crashes during my extensive testing.
While remarkably stable, some issues persist:
Common Bugs:
Workarounds:
The game desperately needs more sound. Conducting experiments on humans in total silence or watching mute crowds move through your park undercuts the atmosphere quite a bit, but I expect this to be something that gets added soon.
Currently missing audio includes:
Mars Attracts shares Two Point's humor and accessibility but adds deeper strategic elements. I was pleasantly surprised to find Mars Attracts reminds me of much more modern games from the genre, such as Two Point Museum. The cruelty/culture balance system adds complexity missing from Two Point's straightforward happiness metrics.
While lacking Planet's extensive customization options, Mars Attracts compensates with tighter gameplay loops and more engaging moment-to-moment decisions. The human personality system rivals Planet Zoo's animal behaviors in depth.
Mars Attracts modernizes the classic RCT formula with contemporary quality-of-life features while maintaining that addictive "one more ride" gameplay loop. The alien twist provides fresh scenarios impossible in traditional park sims.
"Throughout Early Access we plan to update the game with new content - maps, human enclosures, amenities, and more. We also intend to integrate player feedback into the gameplay, deepen the interweaving systems related to managing your park, and fix any bugs that may be discovered."
Planned additions include:
The official Discord server buzzes with activity. Developers regularly interact with players, gathering feedback and sharing development updates. The community has already influenced several quality-of-life improvements implemented in recent patches.
Join the conversation:
For $19.99 (currently discounted 10%), Mars Attracts delivers exceptional value even in its incomplete state. I'm a terrible person who has played a lot of theme park sims, and even in early access it's clear that Mars Attracts is one of the good ones.
Buy Now If You:
Wait For Full Release If You:
Current playtime estimates:
Compared to similar Early Access launches, Mars Attracts offers above-average content density. The core systems are complete and polished, making it feel more like a 0.8 version than typical 0.1 Early Access releases.
Maximizing Profits:
Research Optimization:
Currently, Mars Attracts is PC exclusive via Steam. Console versions are under consideration for post-launch, but no confirmations exist. The game runs on:
Purchase through:
Based on developer communications and the official roadmap:
Phase 1 (Months 1-3):
Phase 2 (Months 4-6):
Phase 3 (Months 7-9):
Top requests from official Discord polls:
It's in these features that the Early Access version of the game is the lightest, and decorations especially could use a lot of expansion and reworking. I would appreciate it if the game allowed you to clip certain decorations together to create walls to block the view of areas guests aren't supposed to see.
Current limitations:
While functional, the tutorial could better explain:
Currently, experienced players may exhaust content after 40-50 hours. The endgame needs:
For technical issues:
"9-12 Months." The developers plan to release the full version in 2026, with regular content updates throughout Early Access.
Yes! Escaped humans can attack guests, damage property, and even free other captives. Security response is crucial for preventing cascade failures.
Despite cartoonish graphics, the game features dark humor, simulated torture, and body horror elements. It's rated Teen on Steam for violence and crude humor.
While not confirmed, developers have expressed interest in Steam Workshop integration post-launch. Community mods aren't currently supported.
The Supporter's Edition ($29.99) includes:
Yes, the game functions completely offline after initial Steam authentication. Cloud saves require internet connection.
Developers confirmed all Early Access saves will transfer to the full version. No progress resets planned.
No microtransactions exist or are planned. Future DLC is under consideration but won't fragment the player base.
Currently bi-weekly patches address bugs, with major content updates monthly. Check Steam news for schedules.
Not for initial release, but developers are "seriously considering" post-launch multiplayer modes based on community demand.
Mars Attracts shouldn't work as well as it does. Mars Attracts is one of those strange little titles that shouldn't work nearly as well as it does, and yet it manages to carve out a space for itself with charm, humor, and just the right amount of grotesque absurdity. Taking a 30-year-old movie property and turning it into a theme park management game sounds like a recipe for disaster. Instead, Outlier Games has created something genuinely special that stands apart in an oversaturated genre.
The game successfully balances accessibility with depth, humor with strategy, and nostalgia with innovation. While Early Access rough edges exist - particularly in sound design and decoration options - the core experience already surpasses many full releases in the genre.
For fans of management sims, Mars Attracts is essential playing. For Mars Attacks enthusiasts, it's a love letter to the franchise that respects the source while carving its own identity. For everyone else, it's simply one of 2025's most pleasant gaming surprises.
The September 2025 state of Mars Attracts shows a game with incredible potential already delivering on many promises. With 9-12 months of development ahead and an engaged community shaping its evolution, the full release could easily become a genre-defining classic.
Rating: 8.5/10 (Early Access)
Mars Attracts proves that sometimes the weirdest ideas make the best games. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Romans to abduct and a Martian theme park empire to build.