Interview: Understanding Astrobotanica’s cozy gameplay loop & inspirations

When Space Goblin Studio’s Astrobotanica was first revealed, I and many others were incredibly intrigued by how this new cozy sandbox survival game would work. You play as an alien who crashlands on Earth in its ancient past, and you must somehow use plants to save your species while surviving a primordial version of our planet.

It’s a recipe for disaster but also a gripping premise for your next foray into a game that blends farming, research, base building, and even establishing a relationship with a Neanderthal tribe. There’s so much going on in Astrobotanica, yet we know from massive cozy games like Stardew Valley and Subnautica that these many elements can coexist in harmony.

I spoke with Arek Wozniak, Space Goblin Studio’s Studio Lead, about the game well ahead of its early access release. What I wanted to get out of this conversation was an understanding of the main gameplay loop, what the developer is aiming to deliver, and what inspired it.

Destructoid: Could you tell me about which games inspired you while making Astrobotanica? For example, it looks and sounds to me as if Subnautica was a big inspiration, even though the games are clearly very different when you get into the details.

Arek Wozniak: The studio is obviously composed of survival lovers, with each member having their own favorites. Subnautica is definitely one of them, and I totally get that the teaser trailer suggests a close cousin due to featuring plant scanning. But Astrobotanica drifts much further, which I’m sure will be obvious when we reveal more of the gameplay in the near future. One of the key focuses is exploration and problem-solving via scientific research. This is, of course, centered on plants, which are the real protagonists of the game.

Coming back to inspirations, I can confess that we’re great fans of Stardew Valley and Potion Craft. I also couldn’t not mention Sea of Thieves, as we’re absolutely in love with vibrant and stylized graphics. Finally, some gamers may also find the vibes of Slime Rancher once they know Astrobotanica better.

Destructoid: Can you explain the initial gameplay loop in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: CO2 is something you’ll have to replenish constantly but at a low pace. There’s not too much pressure, as ‘cozy’ is our master vibe to stay true to. You’ll be able to come back to your ship where some generators are still running. There will be plants to help you recover your CO2 levels. You’ll also be able to figure out other ways – whether via trial and error in the game or, perhaps, via your own research in abundant literature on greenery.

I wanted to point out really strongly that the lack of CO2 will not be the biggest challenge but something to keep in mind from time to time. Aside from this part, the core gameplay loop is built on the cycle of explore-survive-cultivate-repeat. A great part, and I mean the crucial part for survival in the long term, will require plant research, farming, and processing of the produce. This will become apparent step by step, without imposing, while other aspects, such as potion crafting and interaction with the environment and inhabitants, will also play their part as the game progresses.

Destructoid: How deep do the base-building/farming mechanics go in Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: The base-building and farming mechanics are designed to be quite engaging and functional but without overwhelming complexity. For example, construction is based on blueprints, which helps you focus on gathering resources. Furthermore, structures have functional roles, and once completed and put to work, they will unload your burden so you can focus on exploration and research.

We’re also planning to implement progressing automation, so once you advance in the game, some manual tasks will become automated, such as watering or composting, so you’ll advance to more strategic planning. However, the key feature is potion-making or mixture-crafting. We’re still figuring out how to shape the nomenclature for drinks made of plants, perhaps tonics? Views and ideas are very welcome!

Destructoid: How much of Astrobotanica will we be able to play when it’s released in early access?

Arek Wozniak: The plan is to set out at least three islands, each with its custom biomes, beautiful views, abundance of wildlife and foliage, and of course, native inhabitants. They will occupy a minimum area of 1.5 km² each. The islands will also feature cave networks and original mysteries to uncover and puzzles to solve. Players will have access to most options for the character development system P.R.I.M.A.L.

Destructoid: What is your plan for the game’s early access development? Do you have a roadmap that you intend to stick to, is it open, or will you do a mix and incorporate requests from the player base?

Arek Wozniak: We’re yet to announce a specific roadmap, but I can reveal at this point that scaling is planned in two dimensions: First, by adding new islands to the map, and second, by developing advanced mechanics such as AI-driven animals. This is at least where we start, but once player reactions, suggestions, and criticism start coming, this plan may evolve a lot.

Destructoid: Astrobotanica looks like it leans heavily into the cozy genre while keeping a foot in the open-world survival crafting space. How does the game bridge these genres, and is it something both cozy fans and open-world survival crafting fans can enjoy together?

Arek Wozniak: It’s exactly right; we wanted to stand on the relaxation side of ambitious games and deliver a contradiction to hardcore survival. Isn’t it great that such games have started to appear in the first place to offer a “safe escape” by immersing into a pleasant and relaxing world? But it couldn’t be further from a shortcut, rather, it’s a challenge to remove any obstacles in UX and gameplay to make the experience enjoyable and intuitive. To let it flow. This starts with, for example, the save-game feature, which can be done at any time and at any point. All the way to controlling a large base with abundant farms, which will still be easy and pleasant to manage. I won’t comment on co-op play at this point, as this is planned for a slightly later stage.

Destructoid: Farming is an element that often comes to games like Astrobotanica during early access as a fan-requested feature. Why did you choose/need to have it in on day one?

Arek Wozniak: I appreciate you pointing this out. As said earlier, plants, whether you call them flora, vegetation, flowers, or anything else, are the real protagonists in the game. Their life cycles set the tone and tempo, as well as their needs for fertilized soil and water. We just could not start anywhere else than from what gamers call “farming,” but others just call it “nature.”

Destructoid: Has anything outside of the games industry inspired you while making Astrobotanica?

Arek Wozniak: We always appreciated how great a source of accidental knowledge games can be, from learning about the basics of architectural planning via Minecraft to getting to know some carpentry via The Forest, to familiarizing ourselves with aquatic life via Dave the Diver – to name only a few.

So we thought, why not plants? They are older than us on this planet, exist in an abundance of species, and have been, for ages, providing for humans. They are at our fingertips every day for nutrition, healing, helping to express affection, decorating the house, you name it. The rest was practical creativity without imposing. Astrobotanica doesn’t require you to know any plant or reach for an atlas. But if you at some point start distinguishing chamomile from thistle or recognize sage during your weekend walks, it will mean we have done a good job.

Destructoid: What do you want players to get out of the game outside of having a great time playing it?

Arek Wozniak: I’m very humble in this regard, as I totally get it that different people may want different things from gaming. With respect to the variety of views, I hope a common denominator is spending quality, fun, and engaging time.

But let me share my big ambition to plant a seed in gamers’ thinking. If just one person will look at their environment differently, let it be appreciation of vegetation around them, some interest in natural medicine, or just getting a potted plant to take care of where they live – I’ll be a happy man.