A lot of the things I criticize about this game are - I'm sure - intended by the developers. - It's meant to be an uphill battle - It's meant to present you with unforeseen obstacles - It's meant to be a 'Lord of the Flies' scenario That's fine. I guess I shouldn't have played it then. Yet, I have played survival games, I have played management sims. I've played and suffered through Darkest Dungeon for f***'s sake. This one hit different. The game loves to take control from you, the player. It's arbitrary to a point of utter frustration, contradicting it's gameplay elements. Like, the developers make you sit through a combat situation, where you have to(!) lose by default. At other times, they throw 'goodies' at you, like items and such, completely out of the blue. It's a game that has to be played from the vantage point of hindsight - where you need to know what happens when in order to plan accordingly. For example (light spoiler): You're tasked with providing water in a very large amount. I kept my supply steady, only to have a 'rainy day' before the event that would have stocked up my water supply without any work put into it. Now the game is laughing at me for preparing and wasting my precious resources. The game giveth, the game taketh - It's all about the game and what it arbitarily throws at you, not you, the player and your choices. That's a rookie mistake game masters make on a roleplaying table. Make the game about the players, let them have agency, even in dire situation - especially in dire situations. If you're in a bad place mentally, like I frequently am, do not play this game (do not play it all, I'd argue). I had bad thoughts after playing, it dragged me down. This game should come with a mental health warning.
