VOYAGER

Developer: Planetary Gears, Logical Extremes | Publisher: Planetary Gears | Release Date: 2023 | Genre: Casual / Simulation / Indie | Website: N/A | Purchase: Steam

The cosmos is a pretty vast place, but VOYAGER by Planetary Gears and Logical Extremes uses it as a setting for tiny little celestial adventures. VOYAGER is a minimalist game where the developers have found a way to turn an orbital physics simulation into a relaxing and casual experience.

The goal of VOYAGER is to light up solar systems with planet trails and find the planets orbiting in the dark by slamming into them. The game is split up into three level packs, Voyager, Supernova, and Black Hole, each featuring eight levels. These levels feature one to eight planets orbiting a central star and only by finding all of them can players progress to the next level. Players have some indirect control over their probe, but after setting it in motion it will obey orbital physics for its movement. Players can influence the direction in which the probe moves, but working with the orbital path instead of against it makes it easier to find all the hidden planets.

As Voyager moves across the screen it leaves a trail of dots in its wake, which means the game is also a great way to create some atmospheric and emergent celestial art. While the 2D visuals are simple and monochromatic for the most part, there’s a certain charm to them, and they fit the style of the game perfectly. VOYAGER also features some great Lofi music, which makes the trippy experience of careening around the cosmos even more enjoyable.

In addition to the twenty-four levels in the game, which can be completed rather quickly, VOYAGER also features an Endless mode as well as a small competitive side mode. The latter is playable in couch co-op and makes for a nice distraction. Replay value comes in the form of more songs that can be unlocked for the radio and endless mode, as well as some Steam Achievements. Players who want to challenge themselves can try and optimize their interplanetary trajectories by only moving from one planet to the next without hitting the same ones twice. This is a little more tricky to accomplish since each planet has a gravitational pull, but accomplishing this feat is not necessary for completing levels.

Overall, VOYAGER offers players a very laid-back experience with simple controls and easy-to-achieve objectives. Completing everything the game has to offer will only take an hour or two, but this is also reflected in the very wallet-friendly price tag. While the very casual playstyle might not be everyone’s cup of tea, fans of Lofi music should find the tunes in this game to be worth the price of admission alone. We enjoyed our time with VOYAGER enough to keep coming back until we’ve completed 100% of the achievements, and it still warrants the occasional playthrough just to relax and listen to the tunes.