Let’s start by saying that while the game is still early access, it has been playable for years. It first released in 2021, and has been continuously updated since (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timberborn#Development). To be fair, with what is possible in the game now, I would consider it a complete game.
I’m not the best at game critics, so I’ll just try to tell what’s good, what can be improved, and whether I recommend it. Keep in mind I only started playing it this week-end, so I’m quite new, but hopefully this is still relevant.
For the context, I’m a very heavy Caesar III fan, and have been looking for a long time for a modern game that would give the same relaxing feeling of “solve one issue at a time” that C3 is (also, for C3 fans, check out Augustus, it’s amazing)
Definitely a solid game for people who like this type of city/base-builders
A gaming community free from the hype and oversaturation of current releases, catering to gamers who wait at least 12 months after release to play a game. Whether it’s price, waiting for bugs/issues to be patched, DLC to be released, don’t meet the system requirements, or just haven’t had the time to keep up with the latest releases.
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My point was 50% that the game is still too new for this sub and 50% that “early access” is ridiculous, LOL.
Still, I’m pretty sure the game genuinely isn’t feature-complete yet. They only implemented the “real” water flow algorithm (allowing for aqueducts and underground pipes) a month or so ago, after all.
Your comments made me curious what our threshold for “too new” is, my first guess being 5 years. (Thanks XKCD.)
It’s actually
according to our sidebar. But you pose a good question if Early Access release counts as release, especially if it’s been in EA for this long.
Early Access games feel out of scope. Half of the point of patient gaming is waiting for a feature-complete product.
I feel like there’s “real” Early Access, where major features and other wholesale changes like replacement of placeholder art are still being implemented, and “fake” Early Access, where the devs just avoid calling the game “finished” for some reason (possibly because they overpromised and have abandoned it). Timberborn is very much in “real” Early Access.