Astroneer

This is a scene from the video game "Astroneer." The Catholic News Service classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rating is E -- everyone. (CNS photo/System Era Softworks)

The creators of this colorful title imagine the 25th century as an Intergalactic Age of Discovery, a time when space explorers roam the galaxy. As one such voyager, players terraform planets, mine resources, craft machinery and discover strange ruins. Violence is kept to a minimum. Players can die, but then they respawn. Though the gorgeous artwork is vivid, the graphics occasionally glitch, causing characters or vehicles to clip through the ground. And the terraforming mechanic is clunky and unintuitive. Still, it’s worth putting up with these frustrations to enjoy the tranquility of this survival sandbox game. Playable on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows. Mild cartoonish violence.

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