Lifeless Planet is a game where the player controls an astronaut who signed up to a one-way mission to explore an inhabitable planet far away. After travelling for fifteen years, he crashes/lands and discovers it is a barren wasteland instead of the lush scenery that was promised. His crew is gone and they seemed to have moved on before him in the exploration. There is no time to waste, as an oxygen leak presses him to move fast. He discovers traces left behind by his crew and then finds out the planet may not be uninhabited at all; there is life and he quickly discovers an abandoned town of Russian origin.
The character can be moved around freely in a large and seemingly boundless environment. The game is divided into about 20 areas, each with their own type of scenery set on the surface and underground, with both natural and artificial environments. Movement is accompanied by jumping and short bursts of jet pack fuel to travel farther. A mobile robotic arm is also discovered, allowing the astronaut to handle objects that cannot be touched directly or handled with his suit. The focus is almost entirely on exploring, covering a lot of distance on foot, and solving minor platforming-based puzzles. Interaction with the environment is provided by pushing objects, and the player's thoughts can be read in a log through his Holo Tab.
