Reviews - tdkpetrus

The game is horribly designed. It's underlying mechanics are way too simple to make a compelling simulation, and work in a sometimes incomprehensible and illogical manner. The tools to properly work on titles are either not present or inaccessible at the stages they would normally be available at to game developers. Pressure builds in a silly manner due to misdesigned systems interaction (workforce management versus results in a stupidly compressed timeframe). If you **** up, you can basically start over, because correcting your mistakes so that they won't hurt you two hours down the line is nearly impossible. The progression is also painfully static. It basically forces you to replay, but doesn't offer any replay value to incentivize this.

Overall, the game feels really horrible. It's unrewarding, the components are slapped together in a stupidly simplistic and obscure box with mediocre windowdressing.

You can get hundreds of current games that have a WAY better value at this price.

Very enjoyable despite a couple of minor annoyances with the UI, and an art style I personally don't like very much. It's a nice and simple entry drug before you get into its big brother. It's a civilization simulator that is very good. It does not achieve to ascend to the level of game that, thus far, is in its own genre: Dwarf Fortress.

Another comparable game would be Towns, and Gnomoria certainly surpasses that one in terms of complexity of simulation and engagement.

It offers many nice little improvements like an automatic queueing system for prerequisites of requested items (where in DF you'd have to wait for a manager and assign detailed work orders through him). It doesn't write its own insane stories, which seems to be the focus of DF, and puts the emphasis on the colony building side of things.

The options menu is devoid of even the most simple standard customization options. Not playable with any pleasure whatsoever, and pity points for "free as in beer" aren't fair to the consumer.