Casual · January 11, 2016
Tharsis (2016)
A mysterious signal originating from the Tharsis region of Mars set us on a frantic mission. Who sent it? And why? Impossible questions, but in them lie the key to humanity’s survival. Now, millions of miles away from home, a micrometeoroid storm has left us with a severely damaged ship, two deceased crew, and the sneaking suspicion this trip was doomed from the start. Tharsis is a turn-based space strategy game. With dice. And cannibalism. It puts you in control of humanity’s first mission to Mars, just as it’s struck by a micrometeoroid storm. You must guide your crew through disasters, food shortages, and the unforgiving nature of space — all while maintaining your sanity amidst cryptic signals and warnings from Mars. Defy the odds, make the difficult decisions, and embark on the most important mission in human history.
Casual releases from 2016
29 Casual titles launched in 2016 — top 6 by review volume.
Peer Casual titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Board Game · 230
- Space · 222
- Strategy · 219
- Survival · 212
- Singleplayer · 207
- Rogue-like · 190
- Rogue-lite · 183
- Sci-fi · 181
- Horror · 175
- Difficult · 170
- Perma Death · 163
- Turn-Based · 160
- Mars · 143
- RPG · 132
- Indie · 119
Position in Casual
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 2.5k Steam reviews | Top 83% in Casual |
| Positive rating | 70% positive | Genre average: 88% — this title sits in top 95% |
| Metacritic | 65/100 | Genre average 76 — top 92% of Casual titles |
| Engagement hours | 3 h average | Top 80% for session depth among Casual |
Reception Metrics
Steam community
70%Mostly Positive · 2.5k reviews
1.7k positive · 743 negative
Metacritic
65/100 critic aggregate
Metacritic user score
6.3/10
Curator recommendations
1.4k
Press Quotes
“What sets Tharsis apart from other space survival stories is the meticulous attention to detail paid to its ever-worsening parade of disaster scenarios.'” Motherboard/Vice “...extremely difficult and very fun dice-based strategy game...” Kotaku “Tharsis Is an Ingenious Space Game That Will Break You” 5/5 – Time
Release & Availability
| Release date | Jan 11, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Choice Provisions |
| Base price | $4.49 -70% |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
| Estimated owners | 1M–10M |
| External links | Official site · Support · [email protected] |
Localization Coverage
Interface / Subtitles (4)
- English volume_up
- French
- German
- Spanish - Spain volume_up
Full audio (2)
- English
- Spanish - Spain
Features & Capabilities
Community
- Steam Achievements
- Steam Trading Cards
- Steam Cloud
- Steam Leaderboards
Other
- Single-player
- Family Sharing
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
3h
brief (under 5 hours)
Median
3h
Typical completion time
Achievements
12
Steam unlocks available
Content Notes
There is a concept of cannibalism, although the player never sees the act.
Editions & Packages
Buy Tharsis