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0 Imagine building a theme park where the roller coasters snarl, the popcorn is mildly radioactive, and the main attractions are human exhibits from every era of Earth’s history. That’s the deliciously twisted pitch behind Mars Attracts, a park-management sim from developers Outlier that drops you into the martian shoes or rather, the bulbous helmets of, the classic Mars Attacks! aliens.
Ack Ack!
Your job is simple: abduct humans, curate exhibits, run a smooth (if morally questionable) operation, and keep your martian guests entertained while you tinker with ethically dubious experiments. Mars Attracts launched into Early Access on PC recently and arrives dripping with retro sci-fi charm and a wicked sense of humour.
Gameplay
At its core, Mars Attracts will feel comforting to fans of theme park sims. You lay paths, construct attractions, manage staff, and balance budgets. But the twist, literally the one that zaps your morality meter, is that the primary resource is people. Imagine an inverted Jurassic Park Evolution where humans are inside the pens.
You send expeditions to Earth to abduct specimens from different time periods, design habitats that highlight their quirks, and run gory experiments to glean research points that unlock new rides or upgrades. There’s a satisfying loop of capture, display, experiment, and profit, that’s darkly comedic rather than grim.
Beyond the macabre core loop, the game layers in sitewide utility networks, staff specialisations (scientists, security, maintenance, porters, etc), guest satisfaction metrics (your martian visitors are oddly picky), and environmental hazards that keep you on your toes. I particularly liked how exhibit design matters. For example, humans from the Stone Age respond very differently to a habitat than a Victorian tea party specimen, and tailoring attractions to both educate and titillate your martian patrons becomes a wonderful puzzle.
The game’s objectives feel bite-sized enough to stay lively, but deep enough to reward clever setups and micromanagement finesse. Each level teaches you more about your martians and your park, helping you sharpen your strategies for the missions ahead!
Graphics & Audio
Outlier opts for a stylised, pulp-inspired visual approach that leans into the campy roots of the Mars Attacks! movie. Environments pop with saturated reds and retro neon, and character models exaggerate features in a way that reads as cheeky rather than grotesque, think vintage comic strips brought to life in 3D.
The animations are expressive: abducted humans flail in historically accurate confusion, while martian guests furrow many tiny brows in judgement. The build/buy UI is clear and functional, which is a blessing in a game where you’ll be rearranging enclosures mid-panic!
Audiowise, the soundtrack leans into the sci-fi and brassy fanfares that sell the B-movie vibe perfectly. Of course, no UFO theme would be without the accompanying haunting sounds of the wave organ either! The ambient noises comprise of visitor babble (squeaky and alien), ride clatter, and the occasional alarm. Voice lines are used sparingly but effectively; the martian narration has a snarky, knowing tone that keeps the satire sharp. All told, the package is as much about style as it is about function, and it nails the kooky atmosphere it’s going for.
Longevity
How long does Mars Attracts last? Quite a while, if you enjoy optimisation and creativity. The Early Access build already offers a robust 5-level campaign that encourages experimentation, both in park layout and the morally flexible ways you evolve attractions!
Replayability comes from the variety of human cohorts to capture, the modularity of habitats, and the different staff loadouts you can test. Outlier are constantly building on the game so fasten your seat belts for further fine-tuning and updates.
Final Thoughts
Mars Attracts is a refreshingly weird take on the park sim genre, equal parts management and dark comedy. It’s clever in premise and satisfying in execution: building the perfect, perverse little martian museum is weirdly rewarding. If you enjoy sims that let you tinker, experiment, and occasionally lose your moral compass for the sake of a high-earning exhibit, this one’s worth a trip to the red planet.
Keep your tinfoil hat ready and your research grants closer. Outlier has built a mischievous little game that’s a lot more fun than I really could have imagined. Ack! Ack!
I give Mars Attracts the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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This review captures Mars Attracts perfectly—campy, weirdly satisfying, and packed with charm. The description makes me want to dive into this bizarre park immediately!