Ever wanted to go to Mars? Spiffing! Us too, which is why It’s Anecdotal’s charming Victorian adventure sends you up there. I say!

39 Days to Mars

This is a chuffing adventure from the New Zealand and Canadian indie studio. Interesting merger, eh? What next, a Russian and Welsh indie studio?!

Anyway, this indie game (first released in 2018) is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Just one with posh English accents.

It’s also very much a co-op game, but can still be enjoyed alone. Although having two people around is the whole purpose here.

You control Sir Albert Wickes and the Right Honourable Clarence Baxter. They’re 19th century sorts and fond of a spot of exploring.

They build the HMS Fearful and plan to leg it up to Mars to have some tea and biscuits. Proper English style, I say!

The objective is to pilot the ship along, interspersed with arranging the jigsaw-like puzzles around on screen.

Which is where the co-op element is particularly useful, as you work together to shift bits and bobs around.

And that all plays out as our intrepid heroes engage in proper English banter.

As you travel along, all sorts of issues arise and it’s your job to sort them out. Otherwise the protagonists die horribly. Good, eh?

With its steampunk aesthetics and easy charm, 39 Days to Mars is a striking little adventure—although it’s absolutely not for everyone.

Reviews are a bit mixed from the gaming press, but Steam reviews are much more happy about it. There’s a 9/10 rating right there to see.

It’s a very short game, no doubts. Capping in at a mere 40 minutes, it’s not one that you’ll labour over.

But that’s the point. It’s supposed to be short, sharp, cheeful, and breezy. Which the indie studio accomplished rather spiffingly. We like it. It’s cute and fun.