Picture this: an open world game, featuring AAA-level graphics, with third-person shooter elements, Lovecraftian horrors from space, deeply intricate lore and Pokémon-like creatures to capture and utilize. The catch? The game is completely free to play.

“Once Human,” released July 2024 on Windows, breaks the board with its distinctive gameplay and meticulous details. Once Human is a free-to-play, post-apocalyptic, open-world survival game with elements of cosmic horror sprinkled in. Developed by Starry Studios, Once Human is consistently updated to keep the game fresh and intriguing for this game you can play with friends. The game is available for PC on Steam, and developers plan on releasing it to consoles in 2026.

Set in the near future after a cataclysmic event known as Starfall, the world is in turmoil. A substance called Stardust was spread across the planet. When life comes into contact with Stardust, it mutates it into Deviations. As the game is aptly titled, these are monsters who were once human. The game takes place on Nalcott, a diverse, biomed island the size of 10 real-life miles, entirely explorable. You, the player, are a metahuman (different from the metahumans of DC), who unlike others, holds the ability to survive Stardust exposure without turning into a brainless Deviation.

In the single game, “Once Human” features multiple scenarios, each with its own engaging storyline and special mechanics. Some scenarios count as Player versus Environment (PvE), while others utilize Player versus Player (PvP). The game used to have seasonal scenario server wipes with each new season, but as of an update in March 2025 (after player feedback), when the season ends, your progress is converted to a permanent server, so you never lose your progress and hard work. For the sake of length and both of our sanity, I chose to review the scenario that Once Human starts new players out with called Manibus.

Your tale begins inside a containment pod within an underground Rosetta lab, where you get taken to after being found unconscious with a strange “dagger” of unknown origin (as the scientist calls it) embedded in your chest. After an unknown spike of deviant energy occurs in the facility, you wake up with zero memory of your identity, pull the “dagger” out of your chest, and attempt to find a way out of the lab. 

As you wander through the sterile lab and loot a couple of already dead Rosetta agents, you enter a room with a strange device levitating in the center. After a mind-bending cutscene in which you see yourself with the device, now identified as a “Cradle” on your back, players encounter a mysterious bird who introduces himself as V. This V is a person whom Rosetta experimented on and turned into the strange talking bird you meet. 

The main protagonists in the game are the Mayflies, a group of rebels whom you join and help fight against Rosetta’s evil deeds. The Mayflies enlist you to aid them in defeating powerful–and terrifying–cosmic entity bosses known as the Great Ones. Each Great One is impressive, and the battles force you to think of new ways to defeat the boss. With five Great Ones in total, the bosses are spread across the map and take a varying amount of time to deal with, depending on the level.

Let’s talk shop: “Once Human” utilizes the most in-depth character customization settings I have seen in a game. With the ability to change every single aspect of your character’s appearance–down to the tilt of your eyes and the size of your hairline–you make the character your own; no two are alike. 

Out in the dangerous and weird wastelands, you craft everything needed to survive the Stardust-covered terrain. From armor to hundreds of different weapons and modifications, to even furniture to make your territory as cushy as it can be in the apocalypse.

With a fantastic, in-game radio system, one of the most enjoyable things to do when not fighting or completing storylines is to hop on your bike and turn on one of the five radio stations, then drive through the wastelands and ruins of the island. Each radio station is unique with its own style and bias. I highly recommend either listening to The Light or A Side of Fries radio stations. 

A massive part of the game is the capture and utilization of creatures called Deviants. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from a paper butterfly that you receive at the beginning of the game to a bipedal llama named Mr. Wish, who rocks a top hat and minigun. Deviants aid you in combat and gather resources for your territory. With over 40 different types, you can choose your favorite to carry around the island within the Cradle. My favorite Deviant is the Mini Feaster, a tiny, hooded creature with the ability to slam opponents into the ground with large void tentacles that deal massive amounts of damage.

As of the 2025 Dream Veil Update, “Once Human” now features a unique class system. The first three classes—Chef, Gardener and Beastmaster—are currently available for public testing. I personally enjoy using Beastmaster, as you automatically receive an animal companion and gain the ability to approach any animal without worry of getting attacked or the animal running away, which is especially helpful when exploring waterlogged areas, and you need to avoid alligators. 

Unlike other class systems, Once Human’s is not a rigid character template and weapon system—looking at you, Star Wars The Old Republic—instead, they are basically like jobs to keep the gameplay exciting and make character progress personalized to you. The developers plan to add more classes in the future, and if class play is not exactly your style, do not worry, as the option of Freelancer exists, where you do not have a class and instead are given an item that allows you to choose a class if you change your mind in the future.

Despite all of these features and extremely detailed graphics, “Once Human” runs surprisingly well for a game of its caliber, with graphic glitches few and far between. Once Human only requires 73 GB to install and has yet to crash my PC.

“Once Human” is an incredibly diverse game that has something for every species of gamer. “Once Human” tests your resolve and your ability to start with little more than nothing and end as a warrior of the apocalypse. 

Only one question remains: do you survive and overcome the horrors of our new world, or will you succumb to the Stardust wastelands like so many who came before you?

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