Developed By and Published By: Tigertron
Category: Adventure
Release Date: 09.10.26
Price: $19.99
Jupiter and Mars was one of the most chill and relaxing games that I have played in 2026. It’s also less of a game and more of a short lesson on the earth and its ecosystem. I’ve already been seeing some people give this game bad reviews for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is simply that there isn’t much to do. But I thought the vibes were great and I was thoroughly enjoying my time.
The game takes place in a world that no longer has humans, and the environment has slowly been returning its former glory. You take control of a Dolphin who always has its partner at its side. The entire mechanism of the game is to swim freely throughout the ocean, and that’s pretty much it. Your partner can break obstacles that can reveal new areas to explore or reward you with collectibles. You also have an ability that can free animals from various traps.
Freeing animals from traps left behind by humans is basically 90% of the game. There’s also human-made machines that can harm you if you’re not careful. That’s pretty much all there is to gameplay, but that’s also the entire theme of the game. It’s basically an explainer on how humanity affects the ocean with waste, plastic, and other means. You’re just seeing everything from the dolphins perspective.
The developers put a lot of effort into showcasing what the dolphins perspective is. These underwater levels are stunning to look at, I had a blast just freely swimming around the first few levels that were near the surface of the water. Everything was brightly lit and there was so much detail. Then I entered the caves, and I was shocked by how cool the experience was. It was dark and some of the caves had narrow passages with obstacles, and it was all breathtaking.
If I didn’t have to worry about the dangers of the ocean and having to do various objectives, I would have had a blast just freely swimming from one stage to the next. But what do I mean by dangers? Isn’t the human-made stuff the only stuff that you have to worry about? Not exactly, the ocean is pretty scary in its own right, even without any human interaction. You need to worry about things like Jellyfish or spikes that jut out of the wall.
But those are all obstacles that can easily be avoided. In the end, Jupiter and Mars is a brilliant and mesmerizing underwater experience that’s chill and relaxing. If you’re buying the game for a crazy story or a ton of gameplay mechanics, you’ll be disappointed. But if you the equivalent of an underwater walking simulator that has some deep meaning, you’ll enjoy the experience. The controls and music are a nice touch too. The only downside is that it’s a bit expensive for what you get. $20 is a bit much for just exploration and themes. If it ever dips to $12 or less I’d put it as a must buy, but it’s still decent.
7/10