Phoning Home

You play as ION, an exploration robot stranded on an alien planet after a crash leaves its ship badly damaged. To survive and find a way to contact home, ION sets out to explore the planet and eventually teams up with ANI, another stranded robot.

Travel through varied regions, including forests, snowy mountains, deserts, canyons, oceans, and volcanic areas. Search the landscape for resources and investigate remnants of an alien civilization as you uncover clues about the planet.

Manage supplies and equipment, craft tools and improvements, and protect ANI from harsh weather and temperatures. Create portals to cross the landscape, solve logic puzzles, and choose whether to fight or avoid some threats.

Players who enjoy the game often highlight exploring its varied alien landscapes, discovering remnants of a lost civilization, and the story and companionship between ION and ANI. The atmosphere and music also appeal to some reviewers. Others find caring for ANI, long resource-gathering trips, navigation, or awkward movement frustrating, and several say travel can drag.