WARDOGS
WARDOGS
Game
Game2025
Primal Planet
Developer Seethingswarm
Unveil a heartfelt story of family, dinosaurs, and UFOs! Craft, upgrade, and survive in a realm of primeval predators, savage tribes and... ancient aliens. Rise from a humble cave dweller to the planet’s last hope — alone or in local co-op. Welcome to the dinovania! From the Steam store page
262 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
179 positive · 40 negative
95% range 76–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 179 | 40 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 11 | 1 | 25 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
415 of 475 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 175 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 211 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (705 of 802 positive).
Players praise the game's beautiful pixel art and dynamic ecosystem, but note it has a dark story and some design flaws. [1][2][3][4] Many find it a solid metroidvania with a unique prehistoric setting, though some criticize its lack of direction and backtracking. [5][6][7][8] The game is recommended by most, but a few players feel it is not a true metroidvania or becomes boring after a strong start. [9][10][11]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
I really want to like this game, but in its current state I just don't enjoy it. Honestly it just feels like a metroidvania made by someone who doesn’t really enjoy a lot of the most common aspects of metroidvanias. The art is fantastic and I consider that to be the strongest aspect of the game. In my opinion what holds the game back is a series of odd design decisions that diverge from typical metroidvania design. …
- [1]
Great game, I really enjoy how the little dinosaur companion (Sino) is playable and young-player friendly. As I have been playing with my young son. Since, he isn't really punished for learning, it allows us to enjoy the game. We have had a great time together. Thank you! I look forward to other games such as this with local coop.
- [2]
Amazing game, but this game is NOT family friendly despite what the 10/10 idea of a cute unkillable dino buddy would suggest. This game is dark. Within 30 seconds the cute dino becomes an orphan. An hour in, cannibals burn your village` 2 hours in, you watch your wife slaughtered . 15 minutes later, they get your daughter too. Then you're just.. there alone except your dino buddy in the wilderness emotionally …
- [3]
One of the most underrated games I've ever played. Metroidvania fans should be shouting about this one from the mountaintops. Everything is crafted with care here. The map, the mechanics, the progression and exploration. Everything feels super tight and polished. What's unique is that the world feels alive. Everything isn't sitting around waiting to react to you. Predators be predating and prey be preying. It's …
- [13]
Primal Planet is a Metroidvania in a fictionalized "prehistorik" setting... also: aliens are here^^ The Good: - pretty unique setting - very charming pixel-art with great animation - exploring, gathering and crafting is simple but satisfying The Bad: - combat is too hectic and chaotic to strategise, just level up and brute force - navigation could be a lot better, as you can't see the location names on the world map …
Summarised from 34 of the 256 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Primal Planet talk about beautiful pixel art and animations; those who didn't talk about poor navigation and lack of clear objectives. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 262 · most liked firstJust had a little poke around Primal Planet, and yeah, this one's legit. Kinda feels like it's at the intersection of a traditional metroidy style game and Rain World There's some light RPG elements and crafting, and a big focus on using versatile spears as weapons, platforms and ways to carry fire
positive · AI labelView post →My feelings on primal planet shifted around a LOT during my time with it, from a very solid opening hour to a frustrating middle part and finally a suprisingly fun later half. Which is why i'm recommending this one in the end but with a few caveats. You see the game has a very strong opening act, a simple premise of being a prehistoric hunter who gets separated from his wife and daughter by a T-rex attack. It doesn't take long before you're reunited but not much later a sequence of events…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to like this game, but in its current state I just don't enjoy it. Honestly it just feels like a metroidvania made by someone who doesn’t really enjoy a lot of the most common aspects of metroidvanias. The art is fantastic and I consider that to be the strongest aspect of the game. In my opinion what holds the game back is a series of odd design decisions that diverge from typical metroidvania design. The major story beats are so rapid and disruptive to gameplay that you are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New dinosaur game dropped, so of course I'm playing it tonight with @prettygrimgames.bsky.social are playing it. Sci-fi, dino game Primal Planet came out today, so let's see how it is! Join us for HOT MONDAY ENERGY! (sans hot) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXQk... @secondwindgroup.com is our home, baby!
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game, I really enjoy how the little dinosaur companion (Sino) is playable and young-player friendly. As I have been playing with my young son. Since, he isn't really punished for learning, it allows us to enjoy the game. We have had a great time together. Thank you! I look forward to other games such as this with local coop.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game, but this game is NOT family friendly despite what the 10/10 idea of a cute unkillable dino buddy would suggest. This game is dark. Within 30 seconds the cute dino becomes an orphan. An hour in, cannibals burn your village` 2 hours in, you watch your wife slaughtered . 15 minutes later, they get your daughter too. Then you're just.. there alone except your dino buddy in the wilderness emotionally drained, and adrift Brilliant game, but now I’ve got an inconsolable 6-year-old,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The fact that this game only has 350 reviews is a crime. The best I can do to right this wrong is leaving a review myself. Primal Planet is a gem. My wife and I played through the entire thing co-op and loved every minute of it. At first glance it's a Metroidvania. But, it changes things up and adds enough to be really fresh. For instance, trying to avoid dousing your torch in water as you navigate to a blocked path that can be burned clear, or the importance of consumable items that can be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't appreciate developers falsely advertising non metroidvanias as metroidvanias so this is getting a thumbs down as punishment for false advertising. As for what this game is, its another 2D survivalist game similar to rainworld, but more accessible
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet Steam / GOG Seethingswarm, 28 Jul, 2025 Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/... GOG: af.gog.com/en/game/prim...
neutral · AI labelView post →Primal Planet, a prehistoric pixel-art metroidvania with local co-op, is out today on all major platforms. Solid reviews, with some people raving about it. >Unveil a heartfelt story of family, dinosaurs, and UFOs! Craft, upgrade, and survive in a realm of primeval predators, savage tribes and... ancient aliens. Rise from a humble cave dweller to the planet’s last hope — alone or in local co-op. Welcome to the dinovania! 🎮 - [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/Primal_Planet/) -…
neutral · AI labelView post →But how could I have missed Primal Planet?! 🤩 🦕 🌴 A charming pixel art game set in a prehistoric world, featuring exploration, survival and crafting. And it even has a story and sci-fi elements! 🛸 (and co-op) #PrimalPlanet #Metroidvania #Prehistoric #SciFi #PixelArt
positive · AI labelView post →One of the most underrated games I've ever played. Metroidvania fans should be shouting about this one from the mountaintops. Everything is crafted with care here. The map, the mechanics, the progression and exploration. Everything feels super tight and polished. What's unique is that the world feels alive. Everything isn't sitting around waiting to react to you. Predators be predating and prey be preying. It's wonderful. Your progression is tied to leveling and it plays out perfect. Yes you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanna play bideo game when I wake up :) Got two indie dino/caveman/sci-fi games. Played "Theropods", short point and click. It's nice! Now playing Primal Planet! Exploration platformer with a caveman family and a pet sinosauropteryx ("Sino the Dino"!).
neutral · AI labelView post →I am open to changing my opinion in the future, but Primal Planet didn't manage to pull me in and, after a solid start, it quickly became boring. The premise drew my attention long before its release—the title made me theorize that the planet may not be Earth, explaining why humans and birds co-exist with dinosaurs. The chunky pixel art is a plus, and the sound is good too, especially the music that plays while underwater. It's a surprisingly violent game, as you can kill not just hostile…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Completed the game in 5 hours in 30 min. Honestly I enjoyed this metroidvania pre-historic style very enjoyable movements a bit of a grind to getting level up to getting upgrading skills but recovers it with having to give two skill points when getting to complete of each painting. It has a nice story without having any dialogue it pretty much express its emotion. Only issue is trying to find that missing cat that I saw in the beginning that is hard to find. I also like that you can hire one of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →But how could I have missed Primal Planet?! 🤩 🦕 🌴 A charming pixel art game set in a prehistoric world, featuring exploration, survival and crafting. And it even has a story and sci-fi elements! 🛸 (and co-op) #PrimalPlanet #Metroidvania #Prehistoric #SciFi #PixelArt
positive · AI labelView post →(Follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/42150626-Jarl%27s-Game-Treasury/]my curator for more reviews like this) This is an excellent metroidvania with a world that feels very dynamic due to the frequent infighting between different animals and a living ecosystem. You play as a caveman on a hunting trip with his family, who's attacked by a dinosaur. As you run away, you lose your family but find a baby dino companion. Your goal is to first find your wife and daughter, then find your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THIS Thursday (July 31st), I get to check out a new game thanks to @prettysoongames.bsky.social! Seethingswarm's Primal Planet is a metroidvania with DINOSAURS AND ALIENS!!! 🦖👾 Tune in at 4pm CST. See you there! 📹Stream twitch.tv/EarthToThien 🕹️ Game store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/... #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →5/10 you finished the first part of the game BAM!!! here you unlock the entire map, with no idea where to go save your daughter is the quest/hint info you will be working on for 95% of the game. once you save your daughter i guess the game is over? not telling me where else to go and ive unlocked every village person/ got almost every achievement. i guess i finished the game?? + meh map - map doesnt tell you if path is blocked - no way points ever as to what to do next need to finish the game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wonderful game, good progression, fun side quests, combat was fun, boss around dino's. Would love to see more
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Exploring, hunting, crafting, gathering my tribe, riding dolphins, watching animals hunt each other, or admiring the scenery 🌄 That’s my daily life in Primal Planet! 🛖 🦕 🌴 #PrimalPlanet #Metroidvania #SurvivalGame #Prehistoric #SciFi #PixelArt
positive · AI labelView post →Solid game mechanics however wasted on a lot of backtracking and lack of clear objectives. Game has potential but needs better markers to figure out what you are doing. Experience and leveling up is bland and boring. No major discoverable to keep you excited about exploration. Overall bland.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"earth isn't yours to conquer"
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's fun and simple BUT it's no Ori or Hollow Knight but it scratches the metroidvania itch for a little while. So after playing it for a little bit more I have beat the game in about 10 1/2 hours or so. Honestly the game was just too easy and being a Metroidvania there's just not enough going on your abilities are very much limited and you don't really have much to upgrade. So even though the initial part of the game is challenging for a little bit but once you kind of Max out your weapons…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best Metroidvania experiences I've had in a long time. This is without a doubt the most alive game world I've experienced. Pretty much from the start, you're going to encounter a variety of wildlife, some more wild than others and you are definitely not there to tame them. If you see something big with horns, you better run like your life depends on it. That harmless bird flying around? It'll leave you alone until you attack it and then it's like every other bird in a video…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →wouldve been better without the scifi. pure prehistoric games seem rare
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was so excited to play this. I think I've spent enough time to fully get it. And its kinda a let down. Unfortunately as you progress through the levels they all look the same. Nothing really changes. So you are left to grind in essentially the same stage, over and over. Running and jumping after little birds that dart around, trying to catch little small wisps. And the weapon swinging and dashing has this lag to it that makes it very frustrating when combined with all the little things you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Game] Primal Planet Dino Metroidvania, art, crabs, friends. :) #ENVtubers #Vtubers twitch.tv/dragonith
neutral · AI labelView post →I’m a sucker for anything with dinosaurs and metroidvanias are one of my favorite genres to play, so on those merits alone Primal Planet seemed worth my attention. Boy did it surpass my expectations. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the superb and expressive animations. It’s a joy just to look at how things move. Hopping about is responsive and natural, so I quickly got to moving about with ease. After some scripted sequences to establish the stakes (which is very well done) I get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet also features a day-night cycle, as well as various biomes and ecosystems. This game is full of surprises! 😀 In some ways, it reminds me of games like Prehistorik, Sapiens, EVO, and others 💕 🧵 2/ #PrimalPlanet #Metroidvania #Prehistoric #SciFi #PixelArt
positive · AI labelView post →If you are a fan of the old school early 2010s flash games, this will be your jam! I previously loved the creator of this game's other games such as Earth Taken series. I'm not gonna lie, this game is a buggy mess. One of the consistent problems I had with it was this bug where I couldn't go right easily! But the game more than made it up with gorgeous pixel art, vast, interesting world, and great gameplay. Combat can be stiff at times, but I think that's the point!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet is an indie game made with love. You are a caveman family who gets separated at the beginning of the game. You must find your family. The game plays across more than a dozen maps that are loosely connected. When I say loosely, I mean that because you went to the right side of the map for different exits, they don't necessarily lead you to the same map that is adjacent to you on the right. Using the map is key to understanding what to do in this game. The game offers you a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoy the game. I played with my niece and she went rabid as the little dino and killed everything. Most of the skill points went into her damage and she began taking down most of the big enemies and rapidly accelerated my leveling. For the little dino, healing and damage are linked so turning her into a hyper aggressive honey badger was pretty fun. In co op there were some difficulties with the camera due to the platforming in co op and her inability to do so effectively but overall I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Need more dinosaurs in your sidescroller? Here's ten minutes of gameplay from Primal Planet, an upcoming metroidvania where you navigate a jungle world with terrible lizards and some more outerwordly surprises. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SA2... #indiegames #PrimalPlanet #videogames
neutral · AI labelView post →The game feels cheap, fighting is boring and visual of locations stays the same, therefore you get lost on the level. It feels overpriced even with 50% discount.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I used the @crossplayblog.bsky.social review form to capture my dino-obsessed seven year old's thoughts on Primal Planet. When I asked him why he wouldn't recommend it he said "because I want it to be just our thing" and I had to explain that other people enjoying something doesn't take it from us 😅
positive · AI labelView post →Primal Planet is a Metroidvania in a fictionalized "prehistorik" setting... also: aliens are here^^ The Good: - pretty unique setting - very charming pixel-art with great animation - exploring, gathering and crafting is simple but satisfying The Bad: - combat is too hectic and chaotic to strategise, just level up and brute force - navigation could be a lot better, as you can't see the location names on the world map and there's no proper fast-travel The Summary: If you can appreciate a 2D…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game from every year I've been alive Day 38: Primal Planet (2025)
neutral · AI labelView post →Fun action platformer in the style of old games. The graphics are pretty cool looking, the controls are very responsive and movement is very precise. The gameplay loop is fun, although somewhat shallow. You gather resources simply to craft improvements (health items, damage items, environment resistance items, that sort of stuff). If you stick around and hunt down the largest dinosaurs, you'll have a ton of exp to gain a ton of skills, which, imho, are very useful for endgame content. Although…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet is a really weird dinosaur metroidvania about a caveman getting his kid back with the help of his pet dino. Beat it and 100%ed achievements in 11 hours using a game controller. Difficulty is Medium, but can be brutal in the beginning. Story - Dinos vs Aliens Vs Really Big Mosquitos, and you're just a dude with occasional food poisoning and a spear. The story was loose through most of it, but I'm glad the creator added more at the end to make it extra weird. Graphics -…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the aesthetics and gameplay, everything about it. But unfortunatly I can't recomend this to anyone. After the initial setup (say 4 hours) you get soooo lost. The maps are sooooo confusing, and not in fun way. It's crazy how badly the the navigation of the game is. It become quickly tedious and feels more like a difficult, and stressful day job rather than a fun game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet is the newest best game ever What other metroidvania will let you teabag a T. rex on its hunting grounds?
positive · AI labelView post →Ehh. Nothing special. It has limited upgrades, a very rudimentary skill system, and not much else other than kind of wonky hitboxes, especially with the bigger dinos.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Primal Planet also features a day-night cycle, as well as various biomes and ecosystems. This game is full of surprises! 😀 In some ways, it reminds me of games like Prehistorik, Sapiens, EVO, and others 💕 🧵 2/ #PrimalPlanet #Metroidvania #Prehistoric #SciFi #PixelArt
positive · AI labelView post →Good premise, good art, but badly let down by the combat. I got to some dinosaur boss battle where the thing is pacing back and forth, and you can run right through him, but only sometimes. Sometimes his tail movement is a hurt box. How big of a hurt box to avoid? No idea. Exactly what movements constitute an attack? No idea. Hitting him just makes him blink a little. I could have figured it out, but there's too many games and too little time to play one with combat like this. I happen to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a fantastic experience! I came into the game not expecting a lot, but what i found was a game made from the heart, with exquisite pixel art (that water dive splash is fantastic) and a very engaging, simple but yet challenging gameplay. Lets get one thing out of the way first, this game does very little to almost non-existent hand holding to the player. There will be very little details on direction, quest progression and how to finish the game. Exploration and understanding the world…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just cannot understand the decisions they made with the controls. The game would be 100x better if it had the standard WASD movement with mouse to aim/attack. It's so clunky as it is it feels like I'm playing a game meant for a controller on an emulator.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Explore day #474 of #Godot games using #GodotSteam! Today is Primal Planet by Seethingswarm! A dinovania game with incredible pixel that ticks all the boxes: great story, exploration, crafting, etc. Even has a local co-op mode to control your little dino pal. store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/...
positive · AI labelView post →Great game, simple old school style metroidvania.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dinosaurs vs Cavemen vs Aliens Had a lot of fun with this one! + Beautiful pixel art, backgrounds, locations, dinos visually look so good + Music, sounds, drums elevate everything creating that wild prehistoric era + Surprisngly emotional journey (nothing complicated, but enough to be invested) + No handholding, you need to figure out a lot of things and for me it was fun to do + Perfect optimization, great on controller, zero technical problems + Short enough, took me 10 hours to 100% and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wonderful game.. Primal Planet is like a Metroid game where unlocking the map depends more on RPG progression than discovery of power-ups. Progress is mainly gated by your ability to overcome the enemies/terrain in each area. I finished the game in ~12 hours and while I struggled at first, I was set after about 2 hours and loved the rest of my time with it. Highly recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game was fun but I somehow got a bug where I could not get the blue keycard, it shows on the map and I defeat the enemy that should drop it but I didn't get the item. So I can't progress any further and I don't feel like starting over. It seems like a perfectly fine game but stuff like that annoys me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot understate how much I love this game. It would definitely make the list of my favorite metroidvanias of all time. I was worried when I saw the game had crafting, as I always found the process of gathering materials in other games to feel like an annoying waste of time, but that is not an issue here. Resources are plentiful and they respawn whenever you enter a new area or rest at a campfire. What I loved about this game was how open it was. In this game you get stronger by Leveling…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun pixel platformer, with dinosaurs and enough of a story (with a few surprises) to make it interesting
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun little metroidvania of cavemen vs dinosaurs vs aliens. Primary gameplay is fun with hunting creature with your little dino buddy and a variety of different dinosaurs bring quite a few interesting environments to life. While there is a lot that tries to expand the normal gameplay of hunt and bash including crafting and leveling skills, none of it really felt like it helped improve things. A few points in you and your buddies life points and standard club skill and your basically set…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far, so good. Couple hours in, and past the refund limit, not regretting buying this. Nice pixelart, and movement feels fluid. Bit lost about where to head to next. UPDATE: After getting to the end (or at least close to it), I unfortuntely have to rewise my grade to "not recommended". TLDR: A fantastic looking pixel-art game, with wide variety of enemies and movement, watered down by the confusing objectives on where to head next. After going through the map a couple of times when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game I’ve been enjoying: Primal Planet. Dinosaurs, hugs, protect BB. store.steampowered.com/app/2350270/...
positive · AI labelView post →If this game had been bad from the start I would've genuinely been happier. The real problem here is that the game does fell like it has potential. It feels like it's going to go somewhere, never does, and leaves you confused and disappointed. But my grievances in a nutshell: Only one objective. The ONLY real objective you're given in the game is to find your daughter. They mark her on the map. There is NOTHING else. No direction. After you find your daughter there is no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I generally had a good time but the ending sequence left a bad taste in my mouth. I'll try to describe what happened accurately, maybe someone had a similar experience. SPOILERS INCOMING I finished the main quest, rescued the daughter, escaped the facility through a portal, I thought, okay, that was it. But then I get nothing, no prompt what to do next. So I have to look it up. Turns out there's a path in the facility (not part of the main path, so I never found it) with a portal you need…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seemed fine in the beginning. The game introduced some mechanisms for baiting dinos and swarms of insects by throwing things around, and gave me the expectation that it would be some sort of survival adventure, but really, in the end even the biggest dinos fell just by mashing club and dodging to their rear. The mid-game was really a drag for a while as I started to feel there actually was not much to find besides more "skill points" in the areas. Found one special ability and that's it. All…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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