The Crust Graduates to 1.0 After Seven Years in Development

(Auszug aus der Pressemitteilung)

VEOM Studio and publisher Crytivo today announced that The Crust has officially left Early Access, launching its full 1.0 version on Steam today. The game entered Early Access in July 2024 after seven years of development, building a dedicated community and a „Mostly Positive“ rating along the way.

The Crust puts players in charge of a growing lunar colony: mining resources, automating production with conveyor belts and drones, researching new technology across multiple research trees, exploring the moon’s surface with rovers, and trading with Earth, where every decision can shift the balance of Earth’s politics.

The story campaign is fully voiced by professional actors and translated into 9 languages. Colonists have their own needs, moods, and skills, and keeping them healthy and well-matched to their roles is as important as any factory line. Press coverage has compared its automation-heavy gameplay to Factorio and Surviving Mars, with a harsher, Fallout- and Terminator-tinged tone running through its story.

The 1.0 launch adds three new chapters to the story campaign, each with multiple endings, alongside an alternative storyline that was only partially available during Early Access.

It also introduces a new Helium-3 extraction and processing mechanic, two new cargo transports and a new scientific rover, a research mechanic on the global map for uncovering high-potential locations, temperature simulation inside residential and industrial buildings, and expanded colonist management with more detailed control over their daily routines. Players can also now interact directly with factions across the global map.

Before any of this was possible, The Crust had to win over its earliest believers: in 2024, 3,939 backers pledged $202,642 on Kickstarter, more than double the original $100,000 goal, giving VEOM Studio the runway to turn a seven-year passion project into reality.

Key features:

• Build and grow a fully automated lunar colony
• Mine resources and automate production with conveyor belts and drones
• Explore the moon’s surface and uncover its secrets
• A story-driven campaign with three new chapters and multiple endings at 1.0
• An alternative storyline, now fully available
• Full professional voice acting, translated into 9 languages
• Trade with Earth and influence its political landscape
• Manage colonists‘ health, mood, and unique skills
• New Helium-3 extraction, global-map research, and faction interaction systems