Tharsis

TechRaptorJason Ashman

7.5/10

This game has elements that make people like me smile and rage at the same time, but being objective, I can see how people may not be too enthused by that concept. This game is great for people who can stand praying to the RNG more than usual.

Game SkinnyDamien Smith

7/10

Tharsis is a good yet difficult strategy game that takes a lot of time to master.

Game RantJohn Jacques

7/10

Tharsis is a game for those who love tabletop gaming and a challenging experience. At its heart Tharsis is as unforgiving as it is entertaining, but it offers very little variety in terms of the overall game. There's one ship and a limited selection of crew members to unlock, and players will bear witness to the same cutscenes game after game, which after the first playthrough are likely going to be skipped forever. Tharsis has a surprisingly addictive quality, and tabletop fans who want to roll the dice on it should find it well-worth the launching sale price of $9 - but be warned, a voyage o...

GameWatcherAdam Barnes

7/10

For those looking for something unique and original, Tharsis definitely offers that up in spades. It’s not a game that can be played for hours on end, but you’ll certainly return to it time and again should you fall for its clever blend of roguelike and strategy board games.

COGConnectedStephanie Sung

69/100

Tharsis is a single player turn-based survival game that involves some strategy, dice throws, and a lot of luck. As each step requires you to plan ahead a little bit, the only thing stopping you from succeeding is bad luck – everything that happens during your mission is up to chance, and your job is to be flexible and plan around it. Difficult to win even if you think you’re doing well, the intriguing and sophisticated concept of Tharsis is somewhat lost due to the frustrating outcomes and unbelievably unlucky dice rolls. Am I playing Tharsis, or is Tharsis playing me?

WCCFtechChris Wray

6.8/10

PC version reviewed. Copy provided by publisher.

DestructoidPatrick Hancock

6.5/10

Tharsis is a good way to spend 10-30 minutes to see what happens on the next journey. It’s a very harsh battle against the unknown, and can be utterly soul-crushing. Perhaps too soul-crushing, actually. Players will, at times, feel so defeated and useless that playing again seems pointless. And maybe that’s the point, considering the circumstances. I wouldn’t recommend to marathon Tharsis in an attempt to complete its journey, but instead to boot it up every once in a while and hope for the best.

GameSpotEdmond Tran

6/10

Live and let die

Pure NintendoDavid Temple

5/10

Tharsis is a mission-to-Mars game. You need to direct the actions of four crew members aboard your spacecraft so you can land at least one person alive on Mars. I would say “safely” on Mars, but this voyage isn’t exactly OSHA approved.Read More

IGNRob Zacny

4.8/10

Tharsis can never stop reminding you that you don't have control over its interstellar disaster, just the illusion of it. Every time I watched my ship fall apart, and every time I watched new events propagate across the ship that were completely impossible to stop, I felt like, win-or-lose, Tharsis was having all the fun.

Attack of the FanboyJason Eliason

Though the mechanics of Tharsis are often exciting and suspenseful, the game ultimately falls short of expectations due to irredeemably punishing dice rolls.

Rock Paper ShotgunAlec Meer

Unscored

The thin storyline around it is entirely superfluous, I'll admit to tiring of the spaceship looking identical every single time I play and it's fair to say there's less motivation to keep on going back once you finally beat it, but even if you only get a few days out of it, right now the price is right.