Hearthlands

Hearthlands is a fun walker-based city builder in the vein of the historical Impression Games series (Caesar, Pharaoh/Cleopatra, Zeus/Poseidon, Emperor) and the more recent Lethis. The cartoony graphics can be a bit deceiving; at first glance this might seem like a generic casual city builder. Hearthlands is definitely more than that. However, the city building/management is a bit simplified relative to titles like Pharaoh. Once you get the core gameplay figured out, it's all smooth sailing. For example, you don't have any building maintenance (fire/upkeep) or the five gods of Pharaoh. The production chains are also somewhat basic. The major difference between the Impression Games series and Hearthlands is a bigger focus on combat. You have an option of adding enemy buildings/creeps on the maps and the invasions feel a bit more challenging. All the combat features can be disabled/tweaked in the sandbox mode. I am generally pretty open to lofi graphics as long as the strategic gameplay is fun, but I do wish Hearthlands had larger variety of building sprites (especially the houses) and more decoration options. The setting feels a bit generic; it's your standard medieval fantasy type fare. More visual and gameplay variety between the four playable factions would improve the game. It's definitely not like playing Caesar or Pharaoh where you feel like you're part of the world. Even with lower production values and somewhat simplified gameplay, you still get a lot of engaging city building in Hearthlands. It's fun to plan out your city, manage production and optimize your residential and industrial building blocks. If you enjoye the old school Impression Games series or Lethis, chances are you will enjoy Hearthlands. And at a price of ~$7 you can't really go wrong.

Unexpectedly good. This is a city builder with walkers similar to the old Impressions games. Zone out housing, provide food, beer, medicine, and manufactured goods to make them evolve. Evolved houses send out cosmetic walkers dressed up in better and better clothes. More citizens means more money, which you need to upkeep your troops. You need troops to defend your city against on map monsters, and periodic invasions from neighbors. Send yours squads of archers and war pigs out against other cities to vassalize them and obtain tribute. Efficient supply chain management is a must. I only can eke out wins on the normal difficulty, but some have optimized it to be able to defeat it on the hardest difficulty. Don't be put off by the kiddy graphics. This is not a easy, kids game. This is a hard core city builder, probably on par with the harder provinces in the Impression city builder games. You will be well rewarded with a deep and exciting game. I like fights in my city builder, and this provides it in spades. For added bonus and replayability, the maps are randomly generated, rivals as well. You also get to play as 4 different cultures, each which play very differently. My favourite are the Russian themed Easterners, who eat sausages, drink cider, and breed war pigs for war pig rider mounted archers. They also get more labor out of their citizens. Northerners are Viking themed, Southerners seem Greek or Byzantine (wine drinkers), westerners get Wizards and eat Bread. Also any game with pigs gets a plus from me. These are some cute pink cartoon pigs from the farms. In short, don't let the kiddy graphics fool you, this is a challenging and rewarding city builder with a lot of fights. Closest similar game would be Knights and Merchants (also has pigs!), although the spell nuking seems similar to the nukes in Majesty.

The ever increasing complexity of this little city builder's economy systems makes this game a boring chore almost right at the beginning. You will quickly lose control of all your goods and services because of bad road planning or by bad city planning. Your farms will not tender the fields correctly and your walkers will be all over the city aiming endlessly to no clear destination. The map has too many elements, graveyards, warlocks, witches, dangers, dungeons and you will be there in the middle, struggling with your farmers for not being able to harvest turnips at the right season. If you love frustrating chores and pulling your hairs out of your head, this is the game for you. But not for me.

Fune game to pass some time on. Nothing fancy about it.

Unworthy price and gameplay too confusional