indiegame.fan
Bots to Mars header art

Bots to Mars

Idle empire parody: hire Optimax bots, launch rockets, and terraform whole solar systems. Multi-world campaign, hidden synergies, secret machine-world path, living 3D planets, and cozy-chaotic Cookie Clicker energy.

Steam Page
Developer
Publisher
Release
Coming Soon
Steam Reviews
No reviews yet

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed Bots to Mars?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published Bots to Mars?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is Bots to Mars self-published or published by Benybob?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Bots to Mars and Benybob funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Bots to Mars and Benybob?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of Bots to Mars?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

6 items

About the Game

Build a ridiculous space empire—one bot, rocket, and planet at a time

Idle empire parody meets cozy-chaotic progression. Hire Optimax bots, launch rockets, and terraform whole solar systems while your multi-world campaign spirals into increasingly absurd scale. If you love the loop of Cookie Clicker-style growth, clever automation, and “wait… that combo just broke everything” moments, this is your next obsession.

What you do

You run an empire that starts small and refuses to stay that way. Recruit Optimax bots to automate production and expansion. Fire rockets to push farther into space. Terraform planets and, eventually, entire solar systems. Every upgrade, hire, and launch feeds the same addictive cycle: do a little, unlock a lot, then watch the numbers—and the worlds—explode.

This is an idle empire-building game first: strong passive progress, active planning when you want it, and constant reasons to come back for “just one more” synergy.

Grow across worlds, not just meters

Progress isn’t a single endless bar. You’re on a multi-world campaign where each stage opens new systems, new pressure, and new ways to specialize. Expand your reach, retool your bot workforce, and turn raw industrial chaos into a polished (or gloriously unhinged) interplanetary machine.

Living 3D planets make that growth feel tangible. You’re not only reading stats—you’re watching worlds change as your empire digs in, industrializes, and remakes them.

Hidden synergies and a secret machine-world path

The obvious upgrades are only half the fun. Buried in the systems are hidden synergies: odd pairings, delayed payoffs, and “I didn’t know that stacked” discoveries that rewire your whole strategy.

And then there’s the secret machine-world path—a deeper route for players who dig, experiment, and refuse to play the safe line. Chase efficiency, chase weirdness, or chase both. The empire doesn’t care how tasteful your choices are, only that they scale.

Cozy chaos, serious scale

The tone is parody with a soft landing: approachable, playful, and a little unhinged, without needing a spreadsheet personality to enjoy it. Drop in for a few active decisions, then let Optimax bots and automation carry the grind. Come back later to a bigger map, better rockets, more terraforming power, and new combos begging to be abused.

Expect:

[*] Idle / incremental empire progression with active moments that matter

[*] Optimax bots to hire, assign, and automate your rise

[*] Rockets, expansion, and full solar-system terraforming goals

[*] A multi-world campaign structure instead of a single flat loop

[*] Hidden synergies that reward curiosity and experimentation

[*] A secret machine-world path for deeper, stranger progression

[*] Living 3D planets that visualize your conquest and conversion

[*] Cozy-chaotic Cookie Clicker energy with space-empire absurdity

Who it’s for

Perfect if you want an idle game with personality, a parody empire fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and enough systems under the hood to keep theory-crafters and chill clickers both happy. Build bots. Launch rockets. Terraform everything in sight. Then find the combo that makes the solar system politely give up.

Your empire is waiting. Optimax already printed the onboarding pamphlet. It may be slightly on fire.