Against the Storm

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 14,288 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Against the Storm Game Cover
Against the Storm is a well-designed, charming, enthralling roguelike city builder.
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"Against the Storm" is a roguelike city-builder set in a hostile, procedurally generated world. As the Everstorm looms, you must construct and manage a resilient settlement, balancing resource production, technology research, and citizen satisfaction. Each playthrough brings new challenges and opportunities as you strive to survive and thrive against the relentless storm.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 14,288 reviews
gameplay975 positive mentions
grinding241 negative mentions
  • gameplay2,794 mentions

    The gameplay of "Against the Storm" is characterized by its innovative blend of city-building and roguelike mechanics, creating a highly addictive and engaging experience. Players build and manage settlements under time constraints, facing unique challenges with each run due to randomized resources and mechanics, which keeps the gameplay fresh and dynamic. While the game introduces complexity gradually, some players find the learning curve steep and the reliance on RNG can lead to frustration, but overall, the game is praised for its depth, strategic planning, and satisfying progression system.

    • “The core gameplay loop consists of fitting together your buildings in as efficient a way as possible to support eco and upgrade paths.”
    • “The gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying, setting things up then knocking them down and doing it all over again, with random elements to keep you on your toes.”
    • “The gameplay is engaging, tight, and thoroughly enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay loop consists of fitting together your buildings in as efficient a way as possible to support eco and upgrade paths.”
    • “The gameplay is a repetitive loop of surviving the timer with just enough randomization and luck to your choices to make the roguelite/like fun and challenging without being overly harsh.”
    • “The gameplay loop is just the right level of slow burn vs roguelike repetition, and there's a good level of worldbuilding to keep the environments feeling lived-in and compelling.”
  • graphics976 mentions

    The graphics of "Against the Storm" have received widespread praise for their charming art style, which evokes nostalgia reminiscent of classic games like Warcraft 3. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, detailed environments, and the atmospheric visuals that enhance the overall gameplay experience, creating a cozy yet engaging atmosphere. While some critiques mention that the graphics may not appeal to everyone, the general consensus highlights the game's unique aesthetic and its ability to run smoothly even on lower-end hardware.

    • “The world building is fun and the aesthetics and general feel have tons of personality, and meshes great with the game mechanics.”
    • “The graphics are incredibly beautiful, the game mechanics challenging but not impossible, and no two games are alike with the landscape ever changing.”
    • “The hand-drawn visuals bring the game world to life, with its lush landscapes and detailed structures.”
    • “The graphics are quite a downside for me, even after 400 hours I still think it looks outdated and old.”
    • “The colorful Warcraft 3-style artwork undermines the intended atmosphere and the dreary, monotone music and constant rain ambient gets very tiresome, very quickly.”
    • “The graphics could look better, but this is just my personal opinion that does not affect the gameplay in any way.”
  • story815 mentions

    The story aspect of "Against the Storm" has received mixed feedback from players. Many reviewers note that while the game features a minimal narrative framework centered around completing missions for a queen and managing resources, it lacks a deep, overarching plot or character development, which some players find disappointing. However, others appreciate the game's focus on gameplay mechanics and the randomness of missions, suggesting that the lack of a strong narrative allows for a more engaging and varied gameplay experience, with each mission feeling unique despite the absence of a traditional story.

    • “The story is engaging but soon takes a backseat with only occasional text boxes.”
    • “The game's attention to detail in world-building and storytelling drew me into its fantasy realm, while its accessible interface and strategic depth ensured an engaging experience.”
    • “The depth, story, mechanics, and the layers of complexity truly shine in this game and give me a run for my money every day I fire up for a run.”
    • “There's not much of a plot let alone spoilers to worry about, so I'd recommend checking out a game or two on YouTube to get a feel for it.”
    • “There is no story to the game and no multiplayer, both of which the game desperately needs since the strategic depth and variety is so shallow.”
    • “The narrative is almost non-existent and you are kind of left wondering why you do things in this game, but an irrelevant story is better than a bad one.”
  • music786 mentions

    The music in "Against the Storm" has been widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively complementing the game's visuals and gameplay. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as soothing, enchanting, and fitting for the game's themes, with a blend of serene and melancholic tones that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted a desire for more variety, the majority found the music to be a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's charm and replayability.

    • “The music is actually quite nice too; I never really like to listen to game music, so I'll turn it off or way down, but Against the Storm has music that really suits the gameplay and isn't overwhelming.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredibly soothing, and the gameplay is intuitive but addicting.”
    • “The music is fantastic, and the lore of the game world is so intriguing.”
    • “The music is so melancholic during the rain it gives you literal depression.”
    • “The music gets boring pretty fast and there is no voice over or anyone talking at all.”
    • “The colorful Warcraft 3-style artwork undermines the intended atmosphere and the dreary, monotone music and constant rain ambient gets very tiresome, very quickly.”
  • replayability632 mentions

    The game "Against the Storm" is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, attributed to its unique blend of city-building and roguelike elements. Players appreciate the dynamic challenges, procedural generation, and varied strategies required for each run, ensuring that no two games feel the same. While some users note potential for repetitiveness after extensive play, the overall consensus is that the game offers a rich, engaging experience with nearly infinite replay value.

    • “Absolutely amazing city builder with infinite replayability.”
    • “Against the Storm is a truly unique game that combines city-building with roguelike elements, offering endless replayability.”
    • “The replayability is off the charts here.”
    • “A game like this hinges itself on replayability and it just doesn't deliver.”
    • “Even in spite of its rogue-like concept, this game suffers a bit from a replayability problem.”
    • “While also this game has a really big random factor, that in any way doesn't affect your chances to win, so it's not random that decides you win or lose, but determining the game style and on big difficulty forcing you to think how should you play to win in exactly these conditions, making replayability almost endless!”
  • atmosphere268 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Against the Storm" is widely praised for its captivating blend of dark fantasy visuals, immersive sound design, and a unique "rainpunk" aesthetic that creates a cozy yet tense environment. Players appreciate the game's beautiful art style and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the overall experience, making it both relaxing and engaging despite the underlying challenges. The constant presence of rain and storm elements adds to the game's charm, creating a compelling backdrop for strategic gameplay.

    • “As a viceroy of the city, the dark stormy fantasy setting is incredibly atmospheric, and the pressure of the ever-looming storm keeps the pace tense along with the queen's patience running thin with every passing moment!”
    • “The atmosphere, the graphics, the design, and the music of this game all help build the experience, and everything is designed so well!”
    • “The dark fantasy setting and unique art style, coupled with the constant in-game rain, gives the game an amazing atmosphere.”
    • “The colorful WC3-style artwork undermines the intended atmosphere, and the dreary, monotone music and constant rain ambient gets very tiresome, very quickly.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and general gameplay is very interesting and compelling, but until the game is more strategic rather than Russian-roulette-esque, I can't recommend it wholeheartedly.”
    • “The graphics are very detailed, the music, the flavor text on everything really sell the atmosphere of a hopeless, crumbling world.”
  • grinding257 mentions

    Reviews of the "grinding" aspect in the game reveal a mixed sentiment among players. While some appreciate the game's ability to keep runs engaging and avoid the tedium often associated with city builders by wrapping up before reaching a grindy late-game phase, others find the meta-progression and resource management to be excessively tedious and repetitive, requiring significant grinding to unlock upgrades and achieve objectives. Overall, the game strikes a balance between enjoyable mechanics and the potential for grind, appealing to those who enjoy a roguelike experience but may frustrate players seeking a more streamlined or less labor-intensive gameplay.

    • “The story is just enough to be interesting, but not tedious.”
    • “They are constantly adding more to the game and progression feels challenging but not too grindy.”
    • “This game is basically somebody asking, 'you know how a lot of people's favorite part of a city builder is the early game, when resources are tight and the micromanagement is important but not tedious?'”
    • “It's unfortunate, but the game feels very grindy.”
    • “The only negative I have about the game is that as you progress, it becomes increasingly tedious to micromanage everything.”
    • “The gameplay loop of starting a settlement, not making it look good, just getting what you need, and moving on as quickly as possible gets very tedious very quickly.”
  • optimization124 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally praised, with many players noting smooth performance and a polished experience, especially for an early access title. The roguelike mechanics help avoid the tedium of late-game optimization, allowing for engaging gameplay focused on resource management and strategic decision-making. However, some users report occasional performance issues and suggest that further optimization could enhance the experience, particularly on lower-end systems.

    • “The roguelike aspect ensures you go through only the crunchy, hard parts of city-building, and ends the city just as you get bored from your over-optimized engine.”
    • “Against the Storm is a very well-balanced game with a streamlined UI, intuitive controls/functions, and smooth optimized performance.”
    • “This game, for me, solves the problem inherent in city builders of goal setting and bogging down in some kind of optimization hell end game.”
    • “The difficulty isn't in knowing how to optimize, it's in actually executing that optimization again and again.”
    • “I love that you have only a very basic set of buildings to start out in each settlement and choose what advanced buildings to unlock over time; it makes its own set of challenges and optimization play - not every biome has every resource, you won't always get the building you need to make what you want, you really have to make impactful choices throughout every settlement.”
    • “Great game.. a lot of fun and I have high hopes for it, it's well worth the money; however, it's very poorly optimized. I mean it literally broke my PC fan, it makes my fans spin so fast one of them now wobbles and rattles. It's the only game I have that does this, it also crashes on startup repeatedly and tells me there's a Unity playback issue or something like that.”
  • stability47 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many users reporting it as surprisingly bug-free for an early access title. While some minor glitches and issues have been noted, the majority of players experience smooth performance and appreciate the developers' active updates. Many reviewers highlight its polished feel and solid performance, particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck.

    • “It is artistically beautiful, stable, and bug free.”
    • “Despite being early access, the game feels polished and bug free.”
    • “The fact that this game is in early access is mind boggling; it's already more polished, in depth, bug free, good looking, and just straight up more fun than almost any released games I've played in the past couple of years.”
    • “Also, it's very buggy; sometimes planks just disappear from your storage even if they have been created.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, this game can be really buggy and crashes a lot, but it's an early access game, so hopefully these technical problems will be resolved.”
    • “Its still buggy and lacking in a lot of features.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    Players express a range of emotional responses to the game, highlighting a sense of nostalgia and connection through shared struggles with in-game challenges, such as battling storms alongside villagers. While the transient nature of city-building may limit long-term attachment, the immersive experience and attention to detail foster a deep emotional investment, making players feel like true settlers. The combination of art, music, and gameplay creates a wholesome atmosphere that elicits feelings of pride, relief, and even anxiety, enhancing the overall emotional engagement with the game.

    • “In comparison to other city builders that go on forever, the cities you built will only be around for perhaps 30 minutes to 1 hour max. There might not be any emotional connection once you're gone, but the memories of fighting against the storm with your villagers will always feel special.”
    • “Beyond the engaging gameplay alone, I think what really makes me emotionally invested in this game is how the experience of being inside of its fiction becomes so beautifully immersive.”
    • “Frostpunk featured a combination of art, music, and ambience that was perfected to produce an emotional attachment to the survivors.”
  • humor21 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky characters, amusing difficulty scaling, and lighthearted gameplay elements, such as the comical interactions of beavers and NPCs. Players find the blend of challenge and humor engaging, often laughing at their misfortunes and the game's whimsical presentation. Overall, the game is described as a hilariously addictive experience that balances skill-testing mechanics with a fun, colorful aesthetic.

    • “🤣💡 In conclusion, 'Against the Storm' is a hilariously challenging take on city building and survival.”
    • “Your beavers are living the life of luxury, snacking merrily away on some jerky and laughing around the campfire.”
    • “I was pleasantly surprised at this game and it can be challenging, but once you get the ropes, it's hilariously addictive!”
  • monetization20 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of predatory microtransactions and grind mechanics, while others criticize the lack of engaging content and the presence of in-game purchases. Many users commend the developer for focusing on gameplay rather than monetization gimmicks, highlighting a commitment to player experience. However, there are concerns about the game's depth and originality within the city builder genre, with some players feeling that it does not offer anything new despite its appealing premise.

    • “No predatory monetization.”
    • “No modern monetization tricks.”
    • “This is a small indie studio that has created a wonderful game and is very committed to providing the best product they can, tailoring it to a truly personal player experience - no gimmicks, no systems focused on monetization or bloat; just centered on gameplay and shaped by players' preferences.”
    • “Come on, this is a single player game without microtransactions; there's literally zero reason as to why players should be held and forced to grind before being able to progress further.”
    • “Update: don't give your money to yet another greedy developer that only publishes microtransactions hidden behind a facade of grindfests.”
    • “☐ It's free but loaded with microtransactions.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its charming and whimsical design, complemented by a well-crafted world that balances lightheartedness with underlying themes of pressure and existential threat. The animations and overall aesthetic contribute to a rich and engaging experience that enhances the characters' depth.

    • “Everything from the animations, character design, events, etc. exudes a type of tongue-in-cheek lightheartedness while contrasting it with light nudges of pressure and existential threat.”
    • “I really like a lot of the character designs, world-building, the setting, and general look and feel of the game.”
    • “The environments, character design, and general look and feel of the game are lovely.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

91% average critic score

Buy Against the Storm

Play time

35hMedian play time
75hAverage play time
12-92hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 172 analyzed playthroughs

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