Timberborn is a unique "post apocalyptic" city builder that replaces humans with industrious beavers. Despite it's great concept and charming aesthetic, I don't believe it's worth its current purchase price of $24.49. Factions: The two playable beaver factions are the Folktails and Iron Teeth, the latter having to be unlocked. While both factions share many similarities, they still offer some unique gameplay differences such as theme (farmers vs metalworkers), population size management, and different plantable crops. I would expect Mechanistry to add a third faction for the full release and further emphasize their unique playstyles. UI and Maps: The user interface is solid but could use refinement. Timberborn needs more official maps, and the map selection would benefit from a categorized system like their community map contests (small, medium, large). The game offers three difficulty settings, but most of the challenge occurs early on. Rather than providing a continuously scaling difficulty, the Easy/Medium/Hard settings mostly determine how carefully you need to play at the start of a map. While custom settings allow for additional challenge, the lack of a built-in, endlessly increasing difficulty mode is a missed opportunity. Gameplay & Customization: While the core mechanics of the game are enjoyable (especially the 3D water mechanics), I was disappointed by the limited decoration options for building aesthetically pleasing settlements. This was a huge drawback for me, but it’s something that could easily be improved. Overall, Timberborn is fun for many hours, but it feels like it falls short of its full potential. More meaningful customization and expanded faction and faction differences would greatly improve it. I'd recommend trying a different game due it's high early-access price tag, but then take another look once it's complete.
