Crashlands 2 - PC Review

Crashlands 2. Featured Image. features a purple humanoid character with a gold mask standing triumphantly. Surrounding them are unique alien creatures and robots in a colourful, landscape under a bright, pink sky. "Crashlands 2" is prominently displayed at the bottom.

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It’s not every day you crash-land into a sequel brewing in the shenanigan-shaped minds of Butterscotch Shenanigans. Crashlands 2 brings back our favourite intergalactic trucker, Flux Dabes; now older, wiser, and more than a bit crispy from corporate burnout. After a morally questionable marketing stint with the Bureau of Shipping, Flux returns to the alien planet Woanope for some R&R. Naturally, that idea lasts all of five seconds before chaos erupts, and you’re nose-deep in alien flora again.

Now, before you get flashbacks of freezing in Don’t Starve Together, let me reassure you: Crashlands 2 is like the cosy, weird cousin who shows up with biscuits and chaos. It’s a survival game, sure, but with fewer existential crises and more synthwave glick-glicks. Let’s dive into this survival-crafting adventure.

Crashing into Gold

Sequels are a bit like alien eggs, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get until it hatches, possibly in your face. But Crashlands 2 is a genuinely exciting return to a world that’s brimming with charm, vibrant colour, and a surprising amount of emotional depth. If you’ve ever wanted a crafting survival game that doesn’t punish you for blinking, this is your sign. Let us know in the comments below if you like a cosy style builder or that full survival building style.

Gameplay

You play as Flux, once again accompanied by Juicebox; your snarky robot pal with the voice of reason and the personality of a bureaucratic toaster. You’re promptly yeeted out of orbit and crash into a lush alien world filled with creatures, crafting systems, quirky NPCs, and more sass than a soap opera.

A collection of illustrated Polaroid-style photos scattered on a blue background. The photos depict various cartoon characters in heartwarming and humorous scenarios. One photo shows a character holding a baby creature under a big heart; another features a group selfie with the caption "BFF's, Come Back Soon!". Additional photos show characters in odd situations with captions like "Keepin' it R-eel with Tack," and "Saved the Planet. Ow." The overall mood is nostalgic and playful. — You got a friend in me

From the get-go, there’s a lot to do. You’ve got quests coming out of your space boots, but the game is cheeky enough not to give you a mission tracker. You’ll need to remember where folks live. Not ideal when your primary hobby is being smacked in the head by a Sluggabun. Speaking of which, enemy variety? Not the game’s strong suit. You’ll be beating the stuffing out of what feels like the same squishy slug creature for hours.

Exploration is a highlight. The world map is enormous, featuring diverse biomes and hidden goodies. Teleport pads help you zip around without developing a virtual limp. You’ll often need to build bridges to reach new zones, but good luck figuring out why a floor won’t place exactly where it looks like it should. It’s like playing IKEA simulator on nightmare mode. Oh, and there’s fishing. You can catch creatures like “Pho-rays” by moonlight — arguably more romantic than anything I’ve done lately.

Crashlands 2 map showing interconnected zones marked with different colors. Text labels identify key areas like "Grumble Run", "Northwest Garden". A yellow dotted line highlights a route circling "Cradle Ruin." The map interface includes icons on the left for player actions and options at the top. Coordinate numbers mark rows and columns on the outer edges of the map. — Where shall we crash land too next?

Combat has its charm, though it can feel clunky. Hitting an enemy with your trusty Space Wok is satisfying, especially with the stun, but the cooldown makes things a bit awkward. “Whack. Wait. Roll. Run. Whack again.” Thankfully, the game gives you loads of gadgets, elixirs, and upgrades for your suit to keep things spicy. Whether you’re dropping traps or guzzling potions for stat boosts, there’s room for creativity.

Graphics and Audio

Right from the opening cutscene (the only one, sadly), Crashlands 2 oozes personality. The 2D art style is superb — a blend of zany cartoon aesthetics and warm, saturated colours that make the world of Woanope feel alive and immersive. Areas you’re not near get a soft blur effect, like your eyes squinting at the future. It’s a small touch, but it’s effective.

Crashlands 2 player character in a dungeon-like room alongside fantasy looking floating horned, hairy creatures. The room is filled with various items like barrels, tables, and glowing plants. A user interface at the top and bottom displays health, resources, and available actions. A campfire is visible outside the room. — Meeting the alien parents

And the sound design? Genuinely excellent. The bloops and bleeps of your gadgets, the synth-heavy space ambience, and the occasional panicked squeal from a local creature all make the environment pop. Even the UI sounds are delightful — crunchy, clicky, and packed with satisfying feedback. Navigating menus or flicking through dialogue boxes gives off low-key ASMR vibes. There’s no voice acting, sadly, but the expressive writing and UI audio more than make up for it.

Longevity

This isn’t a game you’ll finish in a weekend. Between building your homestead, customising your gear, and helping alien kids commune with suspicious cosmic entities (as you do), Crashlands 2 offers dozens of hours of relaxed, creative gameplay.

Let’s talk pets. You’ll find eggs out in the wild, or get pet’s through story missions, hatch them, and raise your little beasties. They’ll loyally follow you into battle — which is more than I can say for the alien companions who do follow you, but seemingly refuse to throw a single punch. Emotional support aliens, I guess?

Crashlands 2 showing a stylised, neon-lit, blue world. Flux (a purple suited bronze masked) character stands on a wooden dock, fishing in the glowing blue water, while another character Graal with a ram mask and a screen face stands on another dock, apparently watching the character fish. A fishing UI is visible at the bottom center of the screen. Torches are lit on the nearby docks. — The staple of any cosy game… FISHING!

You’ll also form genuine connections with the locals — especially Graal, who you help rebuild their cabin and feel rooted in Woanope again. These friendships are more than window dressing; they’re key to unlocking new abilities, recipes, and story progression. It’s refreshingly wholesome and meaningful for a survival-crafting title.

Final Thoughts

Crashlands 2 is a charming, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt survival-crafting game that knows exactly what it is — and revels in it. While it has some bumps, repetitive enemies, vague quest tracking, and the occasional clunky combat moment, the overall experience is warm, witty, and wildly creative.

If you’re after a crafting survival game that blends humour, home-building, and space shenanigans with a loveable art style and great writing, Crashlands 2 deserves a place on your playlist. It’s the survival genre in its comfiest hoodie, with just enough chaos to keep things spicy.

With its gorgeous presentation, eccentric writing, and an interesting world to explore, Crashlands 2 earns the Thumb Culture Gold Award.

Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.

For some more Cosy goodness with gardens checkout Thumb Culture Charlotte’s review of Tiny Garden

About Author

Tyler Denyer

Tyler Denyer/ Tyluild is a passionate journalist, whose love of video games runs deep. With a focus on crafting captivating video game reviews, they immerse themselves in the worlds of gaming, especially ones with deep and rich lore. Beyond games Tyler is a lover of cats, travelling and finding a tasty treat to eat. Eager to stay on top of the latest trends, they regularly attend video game events, and keep on top of news in the gaming world. Fuelled by an insatiable curiosity, our journalist is equally enthralled by not just games themselves, but also new accessories. Their favorite style of game? Without a doubt, RPGs, allowing Tyler to fully explore his imagination, the grind in game is less tedious than in life.

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Crashlands 2 – PC Review