Ludography
73/100
Players30 ratings
80/100
Critics4 reviews
More scores
Metacritic10 critic reviews
78/100
Metacritic usersuser score
74/100
GameFAQsJust Right-Tough
3.76/5
Player reviews
90% positive5,560 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows
Price
US$5.24

Where to get it

Crashlands cover

2016 · Butterscotch Shenanigans · Action · Action-adventure

Crashlands

Timed Nintendo exclusive

Crashlands is an outlandish story-driven-action-adventure set in a world of hidden magic and high technology. Tame and milk alien beasts, craft resources into menacing weaponry, befriend the locals, and go toe-to-chin with a maniac. All in the name of ON-TIME DELIVERY !

Released
21 January 2016
Platforms
AndroidNintendo SwitchWindowsXbox OneiOSmacOS
Genres
ActionAction-adventureAdventureIndieRole-playingSimulation
Developers
Butterscotch Shenanigans
Publishers
Butterscotch Shenanigans
Series
Crashlands
Modes
Co-opSingle-player
Perspective
Bird view / Isometric
Themes
ActionScience fictionComedy4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate)
Engine
GameMaker
Country
United States
Age ratings
ACB PGPEGI 7ESRB TGRAC 12+
Languages
Chinese (Simplified), English
Copies sold
1.8 million as of 2025-01-15
Entry
#1 in Crashlands
Time to beat
28hmain story73hcompletionist

About

Crashlands is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Butterscotch Shenanigans. It was released on the App Store, Google Play and Steam in January 2016. The game is described as being a "story-driven crafting game" and tasks players to collect resources in order to craft items such as weapons and armor.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Crashlands is an action-adventure survival video game similar in style in that of Don't Starve. The player character explores an open world and collects resources in order to craft weapons, armor as well as constructing bases. Unlike its inspiration, the character does not require sustenance and combat is an integral part of gameplay, with mild role-playing elements dictating the player's survivability; armor and weapons can provide different status effects as well as attack/defense increases to benefit the player.

The game is more narrative-focused than its peers; aside from the main objective, players can partake in side quests to receive rewards or advance the story in minor ways.

Story

While fulfilling an intergalactic delivery for the Bureau of Shipping, Flux Dabes and her robotic partner JuiceBox are stopped by an alien named Hewgodooko. He explains that he is looking for a "Quantum Electrodongle", and upon learning that there is one installed on the ship, decides to destroy their ship. Flux and JuiceBox collect their packages before getting into the escape pod.

They crash land in The Savanna of the planet Woanope. JuiceBox suggests Flux builds an advanced Comm Device to contact the Bureau of Shipping for help.

Development

Development for Crashlands went underway after Sam Coster, one of the developers at Butterscotch Shenanigans, was diagnosed with stage 4b lymphoma. At the time, Butterscotch Shenanigans had largely been known for developing smaller titles, so Coster and his brother decided to use this as an opportunity to develop something much more ambitious.

Reception

The mobile and PC versions of the game hold aggregated scores of 93 out of 100 and 78 out of 100 on Metacritic, respectively. PC Gamer awarded it 73%, saying "Fun combat, great writing, and a great look, but with pacing and progression tuned for a mobile experience, not the PC."

During the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Crashlands for "Mobile Game of the Year".

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Android20 January 2016Worldwide
iOS21 January 2016Worldwide
Windows21 January 2016Worldwide
macOS21 January 2016Worldwide
Nintendo Switch8 November 2018North America
Xbox One29 January 2021Worldwide

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Collections2 collections

Years

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.