Mars Attracts is here in Early Access, and it’s one of the strangest yet most entertaining management sims I’ve played in a long time. Developed by a small indie team, this chaotic theme park builder takes heavy inspiration from the cult classic Mars Attacks! franchise, blending retro sci-fi silliness with classic park management gameplay. The result is a mix of rollercoasters, Martians, and bizarre human experiments that somehow works.
Even in its current state, Mars Attracts is packed with personality. From its pulpy visuals to the iconic “AK AK!” screams, it nails the nostalgic feel of the ’90s film while delivering something fresh for sim fans. It’s not perfect – there are bugs and rough edges – but the charm and creativity make it hard to put down.
Rides, Experiments and Chaos
At its core, Mars Attracts is a theme park management sim with a Martian twist. You’re not just building rollercoasters and food stalls, you’re also running wild experiments on humans while entertaining alien guests. It feels familiar if you’ve played Theme Park or Planet Coaster, but the sci-fi chaos gives it a personality of its own.
Running the park means balancing attractions, experiments, and resources. You need to keep guests spending money and staying happy, all while keeping human captives under control. Experiments are both hilarious and dark, like stretching people out with giant robotic hands, and they quickly become as much of a crowd-pleaser as the rides.
There’s more strategy here than you might expect. You’ll juggle power supply, research, staff priorities, and expansion while keeping the park running smoothly. Slip up and queues form, machines break, or guests storm off unhappy. But when everything clicks, watching hundreds of Martians dash around your park is pure joy.
An Unexpected Dating Sim – Love on Mars
Mars Attracts even hides a little surprise outside of the main game. In the main menu, there’s a secret mini-game that turns out to be a quirky dating sim. It kicks off with a short video of people joking that they wish Mars Attracts was a dating game, before dropping you into a choose-your-own-adventure story with multiple endings. I won’t spoil what happens, but it’s a clever extra that shows the devs aren’t afraid to have a bit of fun.
It’s worth noting that, since this is Early Access, the game doesn’t feel completely feature-complete yet. Some systems are a little barebones, and a few menus take a bit of learning. But the foundation is solid, and it’s already addictive enough that I lost hours without noticing.
Aliens Aren’t the Only Bugs Here
I was able to play through everything Mars Attracts currently has to offer without much trouble, but I did run into a few issues along the way. Since this is an Early Access launch, I’m confident most of these will be patched in future updates.
One of the main problems cropped up when unlocking vending machines later in the game. Guests would often get stuck queuing, which looked like the machines running out of stock while people kept piling in line. Experiments also had their quirks. If you try to start several at once, the option doesn’t always appear. This seems to be down to a short animation delay, and while clicking the habitat again usually clears it, it still feels a bit clunky.
Staff behaviour was another oddity. At times they’d simply ignore parts of their job, possibly because of hidden priority settings. You can force them to focus on fixing or cleaning specific buildings, but it’s strange when they overlook tasks on their own.
That said, none of these bugs really ruined the experience for me. They were more minor hurdles that I learned to work around rather than deal-breakers.
Straight Out of the Trading Cards
Considering how small the team behind Mars Attracts is, the visuals are seriously impressive. They strike a perfect balance between a theme park management game and the over-the-top style of the Mars Attacks franchise. Rides and buildings look fantastic, with plenty of variation to keep things interesting. If you’ve seen the Christmas episode of Rick and Morty, where a whole theme park is built inside a homeless man, you’ll know the kind of chaotic fun to expect here.
The character illustrations are another highlight. They pay clear tribute not just to the 90s film, but also to the original Topps trading card game that started it all. It’s a nostalgic nod for fans, while still looking fresh in-game. More attractions are still on the way, with Entertainers already teased. Personally, I’m hoping for flaming cow mascots running around the park to keep the crowds happy.
Animations are playfully done, especially when it comes to experiments. As sadistic as it sounds, I love watching the scientists put humans through their tests. One has robotic hands lifting captives up, twisting and stretching them to see how flexible they are. It’s tongue-in-cheek cartoon violence, and it’s fantastic.
Right now, the game features five levels. Some are set on the surface of Mars, while others take you underground into caves. One level bubbles with flowing lava, another is crawling with bugs, and each has been presented with a strong sense of theme. I’m especially looking forward to the upcoming Mall Rats stage. Based on the thumbnail, it looks like it’s going to be something completely different.
Performance also holds up well. At one point I had more than 350 guests running around my park – not counting staff or humans in captivity – and the game still ran smoothly. I’m playing on an RTX 4090, but from what I can tell, the graphics scale nicely, so you won’t need a monster rig to enjoy it.
AK AK! – The Martians Return
Right now, there isn’t a huge amount of music in Mars Attracts. A soundtrack of nine tracks is available as launch DLC, but in-game you’ll mainly hear the main menu theme and a single track that loops across all levels. It fits the atmosphere well enough, though a bit more variation between stages would make a big difference.
One thing I absolutely loved was the return of the Martians with their iconic “AK AKK!” screams from the 1996 film. Clicking on guests as they stroll through the park treats you to those familiar lines, and sometimes you’ll even hear them echo faintly across the area, which is a great touch. On the flip side, it’s a little disappointing that the humans don’t have voiced lines. A few quirky one-liners from characters of their respective time periods would have really helped bring the world to life.
Mars Attacks, but Make It Fun
Mars Attracts is already shaping up to be a proper treat for fans of management sims and chaotic sci-fi fun. Even in Early Access it’s packed with personality, from its wild rides and experiments to the cheeky nods back to the film and trading cards. The visuals nail that pulpy retro style, and while the music is limited for now, the Martian voice lines more than make up for it.
Yes, there are bugs, and yes, staff AI can sometimes leave you scratching your head, but none of it stopped me from having a blast. If anything, I’m more excited to see what the devs add next. The hidden dating sim mini-game is the cherry on top, showing the team isn’t afraid to have a laugh with the licence.
What I really love is how unexpected this game is. When you think of Mars Attacks, you’d expect a third-person shooter or maybe something like X-Com. Instead, Mars Attracts calls back to classic management sims, then twists it into something wonderfully unhinged.
If you want a polished, finished product, it might be worth waiting for the full release. But if you’re happy jumping into Early Access for something that’s already great fun, Mars Attracts is an easy recommendation. It’s weird, it’s playful, and it’s only going to get better from here. I can’t wait for this to develop and grow!
8/10
A strong start that captures the spirit of Mars Attacks with a fresh twist.