Black Forest

About

Black Forest is a single player and multiplayer survival turn-based strategy game. It was developed by Lemuria and was released on September 23, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Black Forest" is a survival/building game where you manage a medieval village surrounded by a haunted forest. Assign peasants to tasks, manage resources, and build defenses to protect your village from supernatural threats. Every decision is final and mistakes can lead to permadeath, adding a layer of tension and challenge to the gameplay.You are responsible for building and repairing structures, managing resources, and assigning tasks to your peasants to ensure the survival of your village in the face of supernatural threats.

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 301 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game has a unique focus on defense and survival, creating an intense and immersive experience.
The developer is actively engaged with the community, regularly releasing updates and addressing bugs.
The graphics and atmosphere are appealing, contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, making it frustratingly difficult to progress.
There are numerous bugs and clunky mechanics that hinder gameplay, such as villagers getting stuck and the inability to save progress effectively.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with limited options for defense and resource management.

gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues such as clunky mechanics, a poorly designed UI, and frustrating job reassignment processes. While some appreciate the potential and promise of the game, particularly with upcoming defense mechanics, others feel that the current gameplay lacks depth and innovation, making it feel unrefined and at times frustrating. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, many players believe that substantial improvements are needed for a more fluid and engaging experience.
- “Love how constantly it is being worked on and the gameplay is awesome!”
- “Overall, the gameplay is fantastic, I love the work that has been put into each building and how some buildings go hand in hand with others!”
- “Right now the game concept is pretty simple, but they've mastered the balance and mechanics to the degree that it's very enjoyable.”
- “Incredibly poor game, from the UI the size of ant eggs to the mechanics.”
- “Bugs, clunky commands, bad mechanics, you name it.”
- “There's not much to show in terms of gameplay and it doesn't really bring anything new that would click with the genre's gamers, to a table that is heavy with similar game types.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant bugs and performance issues that hinder progress, particularly in story missions. While some appreciate the potential for engaging narratives and choices that affect gameplay, others find the dialogue tedious and the overall storyline lacking depth. Overall, the story mode shows promise but is marred by technical problems and a need for more thoughtful development.
- “I have a gripe, but it's minor... in a sense... as you will learn in story mode that there are consequences for your choices.”
- “I enjoyed the mechanics for the most part as well as the little story.”
- “I have only played the first story mode so far and I am hooked!”
- “The story is kind of dull and the dialogue drags on too long, but the gameplay is interesting, and I will be looking forward to the improvements.”
- “Just be warned, there's a lot of useless text that didn't need to be in the tutorial and the storyline itself.”
- “Promising, but something is very wrong with the second story level.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they feel outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles, while others appreciate the art style and find the visuals appealing for an indie game. Performance issues are highlighted, particularly with frame rates dropping in higher resolutions, and the user interface is described as well-designed but more suited for mobile devices. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are considered adequate for the game's early access status and enjoyable by some players.
- “The graphics are quite beautiful.”
- “While this is very early access, it does have some fun aspects and the graphics are really nice.”
- “Not bad indie game... more than ok graphic details for a one-man developer indie game...”
- “The graphics are primitive, and the game goes through day and night cycles. At night, it gets dark (obviously), and there isn't much you can do because your peasants are asleep.”
- “In most of the other maps, the frame rate dropped down into the 40s in 4K resolution with an RTX 3080 and i9 processor, even when setting the only graphic setting to medium.”
- “Oversized icons are more suitable for a mobile game, yet the actual graphics are too small for a mobile device, so it's not good for either PC or mobile.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on larger maps or with higher graphics settings, while others report smooth gameplay on their setups. Many users acknowledge that the game is still in development and express cautious optimism for future improvements, though concerns about AI and resource management remain. Despite the optimization challenges, the engaging gameplay keeps players invested.
- “The game is still in development and requires a lot of optimization and balancing, but the concept of resource management and survival got me hooked; I'm cautiously optimistic regarding development and I'm ready to be patient and see where it goes.”
- “I've seen some say they've had performance issues but I have not noticed any yet; I get over 144 fps with my setup and frame rates seem steady.”
- “The concept is really good, it's free and the performance is top-notch, not a single hiccup on my 1700x + 1660 Super, so it at least seems like it's well optimized.”
- “Seems to not be optimized as my RTX 2070 was maxed out playing this, which honestly shouldn't be the case since Ark: Evolved doesn't max out my GPU, and that game is in desperate need of optimizing.”
- “Another issue I had with this game is the lack of optimization.”
- “On the downside, there are obvious performance issues as the village increases and more is going on, but the graphics are lovely and it has that addictive 'one more turn/day' effect.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lack of graphical representation for status updates and the constant need for wall repairs. Many feel that the rewards for grinding are insufficient to sustain the population and resources, leading to a desire for more control over monster spawns and a general sense that the grind is excessive.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The status of the peasants is provided via long text lists of names and status and data without any graphical representation, which is tedious at best.”
- “I agree with another review I noticed: the constant repairing of your walls is a bit tedious, but it could be worse.”
- “I think it would be a good idea to have some options on what kinds of monsters can spawn, how many, etc. I don't think there are enough rewards for how much you're grinding to keep the population alive and have extra resources for repairs and new buildings.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been a point of contention, with users noting persistent bugs even after three years since its release. While some players have experienced improvements over time, others still find it buggy, indicating that it remains a work in progress. Overall, the development team has made strides in addressing these issues, but stability remains a concern for many.
- “A game that has been out for three years should not be this buggy.”
- “The game is weird and buggy.”
- “The game is still a bit buggy and it is still in development.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a dark and immersive environment, enhanced by the presence of various attacking creatures. Players find it to be a simple yet relaxing experience that effectively contributes to the overall ambiance of the game.
- “I like the dark atmosphere and the different creatures that attack you.”
- “It's a simple, relaxing, immersive, atmospheric strategy game.”
- “It really adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its self-aware absurdity, with players finding amusement in its intentionally poor graphics and the expectation of making comical mistakes. The blend of realism and humor creates a lighthearted experience that resonates well with players. Overall, it is described as a funny and entertaining game.
- “It's realistic, humorous, and you are expected to screw things up big time.”
- “Funny little game xd”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is generally described as relaxing and easy to listen to, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users note that the current version lacks a variety of sound effects and music, indicating that it feels underdeveloped and unpolished.
- “The music is very relaxing and is easy to listen to.”
- “I enjoy how the actions are organized, the music, and the flashlight you are given at night.”
- “It has only a part of the features the final game will have, only one test level. It is not polished or balanced, and there are very few sound effects and little music.”