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Surviving Mars

Review · Strategy · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · PC

Surviving Mars

Reviewed: 01 May 2026

PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · PC · macOS · Linux

Haemimont Games · 2018

Ludograph rating

B

Good

60 /100

Automated review

Surviving Mars is a city-builder where kids develop problem-solving and strategic thinking through managing a Mars colony, but its extended play could lead to excess screen time.

06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 45 · R 9
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

45

Risk (RIS)

9

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

7+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.76
B2Social-emotional
0.13
B3Motor
0.15

Surviving Mars is a complex city-builder that heavily exercises problem-solving, strategic thinking, and adaptive challenge. Players must carefully manage resources, plan infrastructure, and react to unexpected events to ensure the survival of their colony. The game also encourages creativity in designing efficient and aesthetically pleasing settlements.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.20
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

While not directly manipulative, Surviving Mars does employ some mild compulsion-loop design through variable rewards and an infinite play loop common in many simulation games. There are no significant monetization pressures, social risks, or high-level content risks beyond mild thematic elements.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.33
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.33

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

Avg playtime~4 hReviewedMay 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is Surviving Mars safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Surviving Mars a rating of 60/100, recommended for ages 7 and up. It offers solid benefits but needs parental guidance on the risks.

What age is Surviving Mars appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 7+ for Surviving Mars, based on benefits, risks, and content review. That is more lenient than ESRB E10+: industry ratings reflect content intensity, while ours also weighs how the game is designed to be played.

How long should kids play Surviving Mars?

Our session recommendation for Surviving Mars is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Surviving Mars?

While not directly manipulative, Surviving Mars does employ some mild compulsion-loop design through variable rewards and an infinite play loop common in many simulation games. There are no significant monetization pressures, social risks, or high-level content risks beyond mild thematic elements.