Once Human cover art

Once Human

Progressing through a contaminated open world by solving its scenario tech tree and optimising base builds.

On Steam ↗
Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION5 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE5 /10OPTIMIZATION7 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    5/10

    Third-person shooting and dodge rolls require real aim and timing

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    0/10

    Deviant creatures follow scripted attack patterns only

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    5/10

    Deviant spawn composition and loot tables carry meaningful randomness

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    7/10

    Scenario tech tree, base construction, and gear crafting are solvable

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

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Game details

Released
2024
Developer
Starry Studio
Platforms
Series X|S, Android, PC, iOS, PS5
Modes
Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
IGDB critics
85/100
IGDB users
66/100
ShooterRole-playing (RPG)StrategyAdventureActionSurvivalSandboxOpen world4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate)