SkyNation is a game about survival in space and colonization of Mars.
At the beginning of the game, the player gets a space station, which is the starting point to grow, improve the space station and start colonizing the red planet.
In space, the player should manage the space station in a sustainable way. Air, water, excretion, and energy are all part of a system that needs recycling and reusability to survive on its own for as long as possible.
The same sustainability process is applied in Mars, except that the player can’t order anything from Mars. Help is far away, so the player needs to anticipate the needs of all astronauts before they are sent to Mars. The trip to Mars takes three days of gametime, to emphasize the importance of a good, and sustainable plan in the colonization of the red planet.
Once the player gets to mars, some local resources can be mined and utilized.
A player can create new technologies based on local resources. For example, there is a special glass that blocks gamma rays and ultraviolet radiation from the sun (naturally done by the Earth’s atmosphere) and this technology allows the player to build outside structures that let sunlight in, so the astronauts don’t have to live underground the whole time.