39 Days to Mars is a cooperative experience where you and your friend sail to Mars for a cup of afternoon tea. It is a whimsical story with absurd contraptions to brighten your day. It is designed as a two-player couch co-op experience where both players have an important role in the expedition. If you decide to play the game solo, you will instead be aided by the computer-controlled ship’s cat.
The game is perfect for short play sessions as it is a mix of both action and puzzles. You can fit the entire adventure into a single evening or a very long tea break. This game is pushed mainly by its art style. Its carefree nature gives it a level of charm that other games don’t often show.
You play as Sir Albert Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter in the 19th century. They are both explorers and have chosen to pilot their machine, the HMS fearful, on its maiden voyage to Mars. You must work together to get to Mars in one piece as things slowly go wrong throughout the adventure.
“Be drawn into the world of Albert and Baxter by the unique illustrated artwork. 39 Days to Mars has a rich sound-scape and a beautiful piano score that is punctuated only by the occasional disaster,” Reads the Steam Store page. It is an experience that is best shared with friends and with its small size, the game fits into a very comfortable window.
Where most space exploration games go forward, this game takes its approach to the great unknown. In true British fashion, the two explorers will stubbornly continue with only one goal in mind: having Tea on Mars.
To succeed in this game, you must work in a synchronized fashion. All the puzzles rely on your ability to do multiple things at once, and even the solo mode becomes a little hazardous as controlling both characters on one controller is difficult.
The game has received good reviews across the board mainly due to the puzzles being unique. Each one is different, and no two will be the same resulting in a very unexpected adventure. Thankfully between each puzzle, Albert and Clarence still have time for a nice cup of tea in space.
With the game’s release on PlayStation 4 in the winter, you will be able to purchase the game on all your favorite devices. The game is currently out for Steam, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
