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Editors’ Review

Download.com staff

Hydroneer is a captivating sandbox adventure that focuses on the gritty and rewarding world of gold mining and base building. In this simulation game, players must use their wits and primitive tools to unearth riches from beneath the earth's surface. As you progress, the game evolves from simple manual labor into a complex industrial operation.

Similar to other sandbox titles like Minecraft or more specialized simulators such as Gold Mining Simulator, Hydroneer offers a unique blend of creativity and tycoon-style management. It emphasizes a hands-on approach to engineering, where every pipe and machine must be placed with precision.

Industrialize your backyard

The core appeal of Hydroneer lies in its detailed tycoon-style progression system that allows you to transform a muddy pit into a massive industrial complex. By utilizing modular hydro-powered machinery, you can automate the tedious parts of mining, such as washing dirt and sorting ores. The building mechanics are flexible, allowing for intricate pipe networks that manage water pressure to keep your drills running efficiently.

Exploration plays a vital role in your success, as the world is filled with various parcels of land that offer different geographical advantages. The game’s state-of-the-art voxel terrain system allows you to carve out custom quarries or deep pits where the rarest rewards are buried. This freedom of choice extends to the crafting system, where you can forge masterwork jewelry and weaponry to sell for significant profits.

Beyond the mines, the game offers lifestyle activities like fishing and farming to provide a break from the industrial grind. You can grow various vegetables and cook hearty soups for local villagers, adding a layer of community interaction to your solitary mining life. However, the physics-based nature of the items can lead to frustrating clutter and performance dips when too many small objects accumulate in one area.

Enlarged image for Hydroneer
Hydroneer 0/5
  • Pros

    • Intricate hydraulic engineering mechanics
    • Satisfying voxel-based digging
    • Rewarding high-tier crafting system
    • Diverse side activities like farming
  • Cons

    • Objects can cause physics glitches

Bottom Line

Digging for digital gold

Hydroneer offers a satisfying and deep simulation for players who love to tinker with machinery and optimize production lines. The combination of voxel digging and hydro-powered automation creates a compelling gameplay loop that rewards both manual effort and smart engineering. Despite the occasional physics-related hiccups, the sense of progression from a lone digger to a mining mogul makes this sandbox a highly rewarding investment.

What’s new in version 3.0.9

  • Fixed corrupted save file issue

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