Abduct humans to put them on display in this theme park sim set in the same universe as a 27-year-old banger of a black comedy film

We're getting a theme park management sim based on the 27-year-old black comedy favorite Mars Attacks. This time around it's called Mars Attracts, and it launches in Steam Early Access next year.

Revealed with a trailer at Future Games Show at Gamescom Presented by Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII, we start with several shots of chaps throughout different time periods, from Rome to the Wild West. While random at first, what links them all is that they're on display at a theme park just for some rather familiar-looking aliens. Namely, the same ghouls you see in Tim Burton's black comedy flick Mars Attacks. This time, at the center of a game called Mars Attracts.

• Wishlist Mars Attracts on Steam now

Like many theme park sims, you aim to build a bustling business by building rides, hiring and training staff, and managing guest needs while keeping things to budget. Aside from the clientele being the residents of Mars, what sets this one apart is that the star attraction is the humans you abduct and research from various historical periods. Just strike a balance between appealing to your Martian guests and keeping your earthlings happy enough so they don't try and escape.

If you missed it, Mars Attacks was released in 1997 and is packed with A-list talent, from Jack Nicholson and Danny Devito to Jack Black and Tom Jones. The black comedy sees aliens who 'come in peace' land on Earth, initially greeted peacefully by the USA as foreign dignitaries before everything goes wrong and a scrap breaks out.

It's safe to say that things go slightly better for the aliens in Mars Attracts, which will be released in Early Access in 2025.

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.