Info about Eco:

Official game description:
  
**Enter the world of Eco,** a fully simulated ecosystem bustling with thousands of growing plants and animals living their lives. Build, harvest, and take resources from an environment where your every action affects the world around you. An imminent meteor strike threatens global destruction. Can you save the world without destroying it in the process?  
Construct buildings and towns, tend to your farm, hunt wildlife, build infrastructure and transportation, craft clothing, build power plants, and research new technologies. Specialize in a craft and trade your goods to other players. Develop your civilization and sculpt your planet.  
As your civilization grows, you’ll need to analyze data from the simulation; evaluating the impact you have on your world. Use this data as evidence in proposed laws, restricting harmful activities without disrupting the advancement of technology. Balance your individual needs with the needs of community, all while maintaining the state of the ecosystem. The future of your world is in your hands.  
Every organism in Eco exists as part of a detailed simulation; a disruption in one species can have cascading effects across the planet. Chop down all the trees, and habitats for creatures will be destroyed. Pollute the rivers with mining waste, and your farms will become poisoned and die. The ecosystem supplies the resources you and your community will need to stop the meteor. Manage your pollution, mining waste, hunting, and resource collection to balance your effect on this system.  
Eco is built on a rich ecological simulation. All the data generated from the interaction of plants, animals, climate, and players can be searched and analyzed using in-game graphs and heat-maps. Use the collected information as scientific evidence support to proposed laws. The ability to successfully debate using scientific evidence is your greatest weapon against the destruction of your world.  
Establish and maintain your own set of laws and government, which are enforced automatically by the game. Draft a proposal to limit clear-cutting in a protected forest, incentivize green energy solutions over fossil fuels by providing tax subsidies and penalties. Participate in elections for world leadership, allowing you to set tax rates and allocate community money. Use a programmable law system to make dynamic and flexible rules for the community, passing them by vote. Construct a wide variety of governments; from tightly-regulated dictator-states, to tax-and-spend subsidy programs, or even lawless communities relying on trust.  
Your skills increase based on your food and shelter. By consuming a highly nutritious variety of food and building an elaborate home you will rapidly increase your skill points. Skill points can be spent on skills like farming, hunting, trade, engineering, research, and more. Contribute to the greater good while increasing your own personal success.  
In the player-run economy, you achieve the most when you specialize and trade both goods and services. Create stores to buy and sell goods you need asynchronously with other players. Setup contracts within the game’s quest-like labor market, soliciting other players to perform specialized work for you in exchange for payment. Build complex crafting machines and charge a fee for players to use them. A thriving economy in Eco can be both a powerful tool for progress, or a dangerous threat to the environment.  
To grease the wheels of commerce, you can create your own currencies, backed by fiat or by resources. Manage the value of your currency relative to others by setting exchange rates at asynchronous currency exchanges. Sell items at stores and collect credit from other players. Eco is designed for rich asynchronous play, allowing many players of many disciplines to contribute to one another’s goals at separate or simultaneous times.  
All of the world’s resources originate from its environment, which is affected by your actions. While a meteor looms over head — set to strike the planet in thirty days — a more subtle threat grows from player-interaction with the environment. Without careful attention, ecological destruction can destroy civilization before the meteor even strikes. To ultimately succeed, you and your community will need to use the tools of government and economy to find a balance between progress and protection.  
**Included Features**  
*   Online Multiplayer - Collaborate online with a community of players.  
*   Local Singleplayer - Build your own world, with the option to invite friends.  
*   Dedicated Server Included - Host your own Eco worlds.  
*   Over 30 different craft tables, with hundreds of recipes.  
*   Hundreds of items, skills, craft tables, and building blocks.  
*   A simulated ecosystem with dozens of unique species.  
*   With limited carrying capacity, players must create vehicles and networks of roads to transport materials.  
*   Create your own backed or fiat currencies, using them as a means of exchange in the economy.  
*   Build stores where you can sell your excess items for a profit.  
*   Eat varied and nutritious food and build ever larger homes to increase your skills.  
*   Create contracts for jobs that you would like players with different skill-specialties to accomplish for you. Take on contracts from other players that need the skills you possess.  
*   Design laws using programmable template system to protect your world or increase your profits, enforced by the game if ratified by the population.  
*   Run for election and make decisions that affect the globe.  
*   View and compile rich data from the simulation and use it to argue for group decisions.  
*   Claim land as your own property, and share access rights.  
*   Give and remove reputation from other players.  
*   Find a balance between progress and protection, between individual needs and those of the group, succeeding or failing together.
Eco is our forever project. We plan to keep growing, expanding, and improving it with the support of the community. Follow our plans and progress through the Eco Tree, which displays in-depth details on current and future features. The Eco Tree can be found on Eco's official website.

Release date: Feb 6, 2018

Categories: Economic Simulation, Ecological Simulation, Management Simulation, Cooperative Multiplayer, Crafting, Base Building, Political Simulation, Societal Simulation

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Predatory; summary: The game exhibits multiple high-severity predatory monetization patterns, including consumable blueprints (forcing repurchases), premature monetization during early access, and paywalled content in a paid game. While cosmetics are the primary MTX focus, their overpricing and the inclusion of premium functional items (e.g., building materials) raise concerns about pay-to-win potential. The monetization strategy is layered atop a base game cost, creating a 'double-dipping' effect that frustrates players.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Instructional Data Failure; summary: The primary issue across user feedback is the inadequacy of the game's wiki and instructional systems. Players consistently report that the wiki is incomplete, outdated, or frequently reset, forcing them to rely on external resources or trial-and-error to understand mechanics, crafting requirements, and item details. The lack of in-game explanations further compounds these frustrations, creating a steep learning curve and disrupting the overall user experience. Community morale is also impacted by the volatility of the wiki, which undermines trust in the official resource.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The Steam Deck experience for this game is hindered by several technical barriers, primarily unreadable UI text and uncertain controller support. While the game is playable, users report performance inconsistencies and misleading in-game information, which detract from the overall experience. The most critical issue—unreadable text—directly violates the Steam Deck's usability standards and requires immediate attention.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding multiplayer collaboration (weight 0.98): The game excels in fostering teamwork and community-driven gameplay, with mechanics like professions, laws, and trade encouraging interdependence. Players highlight the unique societal simulation and immersive multiplayer experience as core strengths.
- Creative building and crafting (weight 0.84): Building and crafting are central to the gameplay, with deep mechanics for construction, resource management, and creative expression. The voxel-based system allows for expansive and detailed creations, similar to Minecraft but with added complexity.
- High replayability and customization (weight 0.83): With diverse professions, server settings, and mod support, the game offers extensive replayability. Players can tailor their experience to solo, cooperative, or large-scale multiplayer modes.
- Educational and real-world value (weight 0.82): The game teaches concepts like economics, politics, ecology, and teamwork through immersive gameplay. Players appreciate its ability to simulate real-world scenarios and foster critical thinking.
- Active and passionate development (weight 0.79): The developers are highly engaged, regularly updating the game based on player feedback. Their transparency and dedication to improving the game are frequently highlighted as major positives.
- Relaxing and immersive experience (weight 0.73): The game offers a chill, nature-focused experience that is ideal for unwinding. Its peaceful tone, combined with deep mechanics, makes it engaging for both short and long play sessions.
- Positive and welcoming community (weight 0.24): The player community is described as friendly, helpful, and non-toxic, enhancing the multiplayer experience. Long-term friendships and collaborative projects are common outcomes of gameplay.
- Optimized and visually appealing (weight 0.09): The game has improved significantly in performance and graphics over time. Its voxel-based art style is clean, colorful, and visually engaging, with varied biomes and environments.

Common complaints:
- Excessive Grind and Time Commitment (weight 0.59): Progression is slow and grindy, requiring significant time investment (e.g., 30+ days for asteroid objectives). Tasks like resource gathering and skill leveling feel repetitive and tedious, making the game inaccessible for casual players.
- Frequent Bugs and Poor Optimization (weight 0.59): The game suffers from numerous bugs (e.g., animals teleporting, items disappearing) and performance issues (low FPS, crashes). Poor optimization and long-standing glitches (e.g., falling through the world) disrupt gameplay.
- Complex and Unintuitive Mechanics (weight 0.56): The game features overly complicated systems with poor explanations, such as unlisted requirements for buildings, unclear profession interrelations, and steep learning curves. Players struggle with mechanics like needing specific resources (e.g., 4 lasers) without guidance.
- Poor Tutorial and Onboarding (weight 0.52): The tutorial is unfriendly, untranslated, and fails to explain core mechanics (e.g., skills, professions). New players face a steep learning curve with inadequate guidance, leading to frustration.
- Cumbersome UI and Inventory Management (weight 0.51): The UI is clunky, laggy, and poorly designed, with issues like tool degradation and inability to multi-select items. Crafting systems are time-consuming due to inefficient workflows.
- Microtransactions and Pay-to-Win Concerns (weight 0.5): Cosmetic microtransactions disrupt immersion, and some offer mechanical advantages. The addition of FOMO-driven monetization in early access is criticized as exploitative.
- Limited Building and Aesthetic Options (weight 0.49): Building mechanics are restrictive (e.g., mandatory slanted roofs, underground base limitations) and visually unappealing. Devs prioritize realism over creative freedom, reducing player expression.
- Poor Localization and Translation (weight 0.48): Translations are incomplete (e.g., Italian, Russian) or poorly executed (e.g., Denglisch), with tutorials and item descriptions left untranslated, creating barriers for non-English speakers.
- Server Instability and Connectivity Issues (weight 0.24): Players report frequent disconnections, high ping, and servers becoming unplayable due to lag or depopulation. Issues like VOIP leaks and region-locked servers (e.g., Russia) exacerbate accessibility problems.

Gameplay feedback:
- Environmental and Ecological Mechanics (weight 0.96): The game features intricate environmental systems, including pollution management, resource depletion, and ecological balance. Players must collaborate to mitigate negative impacts like deforestation or CO2 emissions.
- Multiplayer-Centric Civilization Simulator (weight 0.94): The game is heavily focused on multiplayer interactions, requiring collaboration among players to build and manage a society. Public and private servers facilitate large-scale cooperative gameplay with role specialization.
- Complex Economic and Political Systems (weight 0.91): Players engage in deep economic simulations, including trade, currency creation, supply chains, and market dynamics. Political systems allow for governance, lawmaking, and societal management, often requiring teamwork to navigate.
- Community and Social Interaction Tools (weight 0.86): The game fosters social dynamics through chat, contracts, and roleplaying (e.g., mayor, trader). Community-driven goals, like meteor defense, encourage collaboration and shared narratives.
- Profession Specialization and Interdependence (weight 0.8): Players choose from a variety of professions (e.g., farmer, blacksmith, scientist), each with unique skills and dependencies. Collaboration is essential, as no single player can master all roles.
- Time-Limited Progression with Meteor Threat (weight 0.78): Servers operate on 30-day cycles, with the primary goal of preventing a meteor impact. This creates urgency and encourages community-driven problem-solving and technological advancement.
- Grindy and Time-Consuming Progression (weight 0.76): Progression requires significant time investment, with skill development, crafting, and resource gathering often taking real-world days. This can feel rewarding but may frustrate players seeking faster advancement.
- Tech Trees and Research Progression (weight 0.74): Players unlock new technologies, buildings, and materials through research and skill progression. This spans from primitive tools to advanced industry, enabling long-term civilization growth.
- Solo and Small-Group Play Challenges (weight 0.74): While solo and small-group play is possible, many mechanics (e.g., professions, economies) are designed for larger communities. Solo players may struggle with resource limitations and progression.
- Modding and Customization Support (weight 0.73): Mods enhance gameplay by adding features like cost calculators, custom power systems, or expanded crafting options. Servers can also adjust settings (e.g., collaboration levels) for varied experiences.
- Steep Learning Curve and Complexity (weight 0.72): The game’s depth, including systems for economics, politics, and ecology, can overwhelm new players. Tutorials and tooltips help, but mastery requires significant exploration and experimentation.
- Survival Elements with Peaceful Focus (weight 0.7): Survival mechanics (e.g., stamina, food systems, environmental hazards) exist but are non-violent. The game emphasizes cooperation, resource management, and societal development over combat.
- Dynamic World with Player-Driven Changes (weight 0.24): The world evolves based on player actions, from infrastructure development to environmental degradation. Modding support and customizable servers further enhance replayability.

Performance notes:
- Persistent server connectivity problems (weight 0.22): Players report consistent issues with server connections, including disconnections, lag, and inability to join or maintain stable multiplayer sessions. Server accessibility and configuration problems exacerbate these issues, particularly under load.
- Game-breaking bugs and glitches (weight 0.21): Numerous gameplay-disrupting bugs, such as teleportation glitches, collision physics issues, and asset loading failures, persist despite updates. These issues often require restarting the game to resolve temporarily.
- High hardware requirements (weight 0.2): The game demands high-end hardware to run smoothly, with poor performance reported even on systems exceeding recommended specifications. Memory leaks and optimization issues contribute to this problem.
- Regional server limitations (weight 0.01): The lack of regional servers results in high ping for many players, negatively impacting multiplayer experiences. This issue is particularly frustrating for those outside major server hubs.

Recommendations:
- Best for group play (weight 0.32): The game is highly recommended for cooperative multiplayer, emphasizing teamwork, community collaboration, and long-term engagement. Solo play is discouraged due to reliance on others for progression.
- Ideal for builders and strategists (weight 0.27): Players who enjoy crafting, construction, ecology, and complex systems will find the game rewarding. It appeals to fans of Minecraft, Factorio, and management simulations with added social depth.
- Server selection critical (weight 0.1): Gameplay quality varies by server. High-collaboration or well-populated servers are recommended for the best experience, while solo or low-activity servers may lead to dissatisfaction.
- Technical and design flaws (weight 0.08): Criticisms include frustrating design choices, technical issues, and excessive time commitments. Some players refunded the game due to these problems.
- Mixed value for price (weight 0.06): Opinions on the game's value are divided. Some find it worth the price for its depth and uniqueness, while others criticize it as overpriced or not worth the hassle, especially with technical issues.
- Needs early-game improvements (weight 0.05): Feedback suggests reducing grind and cross-dependencies in the early game to improve accessibility. Long-term objectives (e.g., space programs) could extend server longevity.
- Addictive for niche audiences (weight 0.04): The game is highly addictive for fans of crafting, economy simulators, and sandbox experiences, but its appeal may be limited to those who enjoy its specific style.
- Potential for future growth (weight 0.03): Players suggest adding mods, cross-play, console support, and conflict mechanics to enhance replayability and accessibility. Visual and animal behavior improvements are also recommended.
- Encourages fair play (weight 0.02): Players advise against hoarding resources or money to maintain fairness in trade and community interactions. Cooperation and communication are key to enjoyment.

Other player notes:
- Early access expectations (weight 0.02): Players acknowledge the game is in early access with a full release planned later. Hardware requirements are considered reasonable for the current state.
- AFK playtime and server issues (weight 0.02): Playtime metrics include AFK hours due to server list being left open, and the game progresses even when offline. Players highlight persistent server management problems.
- Development team and monetization shifts (weight 0.02): Changes in the development team and monetization strategy have impacted the game’s development pace and priorities, causing mixed reactions among players.
- Long-term player dedication (weight 0.02): Some players have invested significant time (e.g., 1,269 hours) and appreciate the long-term development efforts over the years.
- Multilingual and age-appropriate (weight 0.01): The game supports multiple languages (e.g., English and German) and is suitable for teens and adults, broadening its accessibility.
- Delayed boat implementation (weight 0.01): Boats were promised years ago but remain unfinished, frustrating players who expected this feature to be fully implemented by now.
- Monetization via blueprints (weight 0.01): The game employs monetization through blueprints, which some players view as a key revenue strategy for the developers.
- Monthly game resets (weight 0.01): The game resets every month, preventing permanent choices and creating a recurring, temporary experience for players.
- Kickstarter origins and pricing (weight 0.01): The game originated from a Kickstarter campaign with an initial cost of $75, reflecting its crowdfunded roots and early supporter expectations.
- Meme culture reference (weight 0.01): A specific meme ('TIIIIIMMMBBBEEEERRRR') is referenced, indicating the game’s engagement with internet culture or inside jokes.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Players experience frustration primarily due to persistent technical issues, such as bugs, crashes, server connectivity problems, and unoptimized performance. The gameplay mechanics are often criticized for being overly complex, tedious, or grindy, with repetitive tasks like manual inventory management and slow progression exacerbating the issue. Additionally, toxic player interactions, lack of automation, and long-standing unresolved bugs (e.g., non-functional perks or disappearing items) further contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment stems from the game failing to meet expectations, particularly due to unfulfilled potential, poor execution, or regression in quality. Players cite issues like abandoned servers, lack of developer support (especially in regions like Russia), and superficial or unbalanced systems (e.g., late-game content, microtransactions, or forced multiplayer). The shift from an engaging early-game experience to a buggy, repetitive, or unplayable late-game state, along with unmet promises (e.g., single-player adaptability or meaningful updates), also drives this emotion.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Excitement is driven by the game's unique blend of mechanics, such as societal simulation, collaborative world-building, and strategic progression. Players highlight the engaging journey from primitive tools to advanced civilizations, the depth of multiplayer interactions, and the potential for creative problem-solving (e.g., resource management, political systems). Anticipation for future updates, mods, and community-driven experiences (e.g., defeating a comet or unlocking new technologies) further fuels this emotion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Satisfaction arises from the game's ability to deliver a polished, immersive experience with deep mechanics and meaningful collaboration. Players appreciate the long-term enjoyment derived from building civilizations, teamwork, and continuous updates. The game's flexibility, educational value, and well-thought-out systems (e.g., politics, economy) contribute to a sense of accomplishment, especially when played with a welcoming community or in a well-managed server.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment is tied to the game's relaxing yet engaging gameplay loop, which combines grinding, crafting, and building in a collaborative or solo setting. Players find joy in the unique premise, chill world-building, and positive interactions with friends or communities. Features like driving mechanics, trade systems, and base-building add to the fun, especially when the experience is casual, flexible, and free from excessive toxicity.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Hope reflects players' belief in the game's potential for improvement through active development, future updates, or community-driven solutions. Many express optimism about upcoming features (e.g., husbandry, cross-play), fixes for long-standing issues, or the game's ability to evolve into a more polished and beloved experience. This emotion is often tied to the developers' vision or the game's foundational strengths.
- Approval (weight 0.03): Approval is directed toward the game's design choices, such as its economic systems, progression mechanics, and immersive social gameplay. Players appreciate the depth of crafting, the focus on community and cooperation, and the developers' engagement with the player base. The game's uniqueness and ability to cater to niche audiences (e.g., fans of complex simulations) also earn high praise.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Amusement stems from humorous or absurd in-game situations, such as players exploiting mechanics in unintended ways (e.g., planting trees underwater), ironic role-playing (e.g., communist-style playthroughs), or the game's complexity being compared to real-world systems (e.g., Marxist literature). Lighthearted bugs, sarcastic commentary, and creative problem-solving also contribute to this emotion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is expressed for the game's depth, interconnected systems, and the developers' dedication to creating a unique experience. Players value the trust placed in their intelligence, the blend of survival, politics, and economy, and the modding community's enhancements. The game's ecological awareness, calming gameplay, and cooperative aspects are also frequently highlighted as standout features.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is reserved for the game's ambitious design, innovative mechanics, and the small development team's hard work. Players praise the execution of societal themes, resource management, and community-driven experiences. The game's ability to simulate complex systems (e.g., economies, politics) with realism and balance, despite its niche appeal, earns respect from its audience.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is derived from the game's collaborative and creative aspects, such as building communities, engaging in diverse roles, or completing large-scale projects with others. The addictive gameplay, beautiful world, and sense of accomplishment from progressing through the game's systems (e.g., unlocking new technologies) contribute to this emotion. Positive interactions with the community and the freedom to explore unique playstyles further enhance the experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is triggered by fond memories of past experiences in the game, such as forming long-term friendships, hosting servers, or recreating the feel of older MMORPGs. Players reflect on the game's original flair, the joy of discovering new concepts, or the sense of belonging within diverse communities. Comparisons to earlier versions or Let's Plays also evoke this emotion.
- Recommendation (weight 0.01): Recommendations are based on the game's unique appeal, flexibility, and satisfying gameplay loop. Players suggest the game to fans of similar genres (e.g., survival, crafting, or simulation games) due to its depth, chill pacing, and potential for creative expression. High satisfaction with updates, crafting mechanics, and optimization also drives this sentiment.
- Resignation (weight 0.01): Resignation reflects players' acceptance that the game may not suit their playstyle, often due to its high time commitment, complexity, or performance issues. Some acknowledge the game's demanding nature (e.g., requiring a full-time effort or a dedicated group) and choose to stop playing, while others give up on specific mechanics (e.g., farming) due to persistent bugs or frustration.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity is sparked by the game's unique premise, such as its blend of ecology, cooperation, and societal simulation. Players are intrigued by mechanics like environmental consequences (e.g., getting sued for pollution), role-based gameplay, or the long-term goals of developing political systems. The game's depth and world mechanics often leave players eager to explore further.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arises from perceived developer neglect, such as ignoring long-standing technical issues, introducing pay-to-win microtransactions, or releasing poorly optimized updates (e.g., visual downgrades or crashes). Players also express frustration over glitches (e.g., losing vehicles), restrictive laws, or the prioritization of monetization over core gameplay improvements.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is driven by the game's highly engaging and rewarding progression systems, such as leveling up, unlocking new technologies, or tending to bonuses. Despite frustrations, players find the gameplay loop compelling, often leading to excessive playtime. The sense of accomplishment from advancing through the game's layers keeps them hooked.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stems from minor but persistent issues, such as unlisted requirements for buildings, misleading progression trees, or awkward mechanics (e.g., map downloads). Punitive environmental systems (e.g., trash from dropped items) and rushed timers also contribute to this emotion. While not game-breaking, these issues detract from the overall experience.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love is expressed for the game's overall experience, including its music, collaborative aspects, and the sense of community it fosters. Players appreciate the need to work together, build civilizations, and overcome challenges, despite the game's flaws. The emotional connection to the game's world and mechanics often outweighs its frustrations.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is tied to the game's potential for long-term engagement, with players looking forward to future updates, features (e.g., trains, space rockets), or finding communities to play with (e.g., francophone teams). The prospect of the full release version or additional content (e.g., mods) also fuels this emotion.}