Clockwork Empires

43%
Game Brain Score Based on 508 reviews
  • gameplay
  • stability
  • graphics
Clockwork Empires Game Cover
Clockwork Empires has a solid foundation, but all of the events that should be challenging and tell memorable stories mostly end up being small blips on the game's radar.
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Take on the role of a Junior Bureaucrat (Colonial Grade), sent forth to seek fame, promotions, and natural resources to feed the ravenous maw of Imperial Industry & Commerce. Build a prosperous colony, fill it with magnificent factories worked by oppressed labourers, and harness the awesome power of steam through fearsome machines invented by determined men and women of Science! History is yours t…

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Reviews

43%
Audience ScoreBased on 508 reviews
gameplay28 positive mentions
stability70 negative mentions
  • Great mix of city planning and Lovecraftian themes, providing a unique gameplay experience.
  • The game has a lot of potential with interesting logistics ideas that just need tweaking.
  • The community is active and has created patches to fix many of the game's flaws.
  • The game is buggy, incomplete, and has been abandoned by the developers.
  • Many players experience frequent crashes and performance issues, making it frustrating to play.
  • The AI is often unresponsive, leading to a lack of engagement and progress in gameplay.
  • gameplay78 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and frustrating bugs, leading to a generally clunky and slow experience. While the core concepts and potential for fun are acknowledged, many players report issues with pathfinding, crashes, and a lack of polish that detracts from overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, some users express optimism for future updates and improvements, highlighting the game's engaging world and mechanics.

    • “I really enjoyed the gameplay; this game had so much potential.”
    • “The gameplay, the humor, everything but then the worst happened.”
    • “Witty and fun gameplay with an in-depth economy/crafting system.”
    • “Playing through the unpatched game, the tutorial shows you the absolute basics—no more than hints as to the mechanics and underlying strategies that you need to follow, and definitely no guidance as to the nuances of the game.”
    • “The core gameplay design has steadily gone downhill over the years, in my opinion, bordering on pure tedium at the expense of fun.”
    • “It takes ages to get anything done; villagers wander around aimlessly, there is no way to speed up gameplay, and the resource production, hauling, and consumption balances are completely screwed.”
  • stability70 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and an unfinished state that significantly detracts from the overall experience. Many players express frustration over the lack of developer support and the game's abandonment, leading to a consensus that it is not enjoyable in its current form. While some find potential in the game, the overwhelming sentiment is to avoid it until substantial improvements are made.

    • “The game is still far too buggy to be enjoyable.”
    • “Unfinished, buggy, abandoned.”
    • “Unfortunately the game is in a buggy unfinished state and so I can't recommend anyone actually spend money on it.”
  • graphics47 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique art style and cohesive aesthetic, particularly for fans of steampunk and simulation genres. However, many users criticize the graphics for being outdated, lacking refinement, and suffering from bugs that hinder gameplay. While there is potential for improvement, the current state of the graphics and user interface leaves much to be desired, with calls for better performance options and bug fixes.

    • “The art style is all very cohesive.”
    • “It's truly too bad as the graphics are amazing, the potential is unlimited.”
    • “The graphics are clean and very nice, and the humor is perfect for a Lovecraftian-steampunkish game.”
    • “The graphics suck, it's incredibly user-unfriendly and the colors actually hurt the eyes!”
    • “The game's graphics look like they need another round of refinement.”
    • “Graphics of items being carried disappear and reappear.”
  • humor34 mentions

    The game is praised for its dark and witty humor, reminiscent of Gaslamp Games' signature style, which keeps players engaged and entertained through clever quips and quirky character traits. While the humor adds depth and charm to the gameplay, some players note that the game is still in an unfinished state, with bugs that can detract from the experience. Overall, the blend of humor with challenging gameplay and a unique setting makes it a compelling choice for those who appreciate a comedic twist in their city-building and RPG experiences.

    • “If you're familiar with Gaslamp Games, it's dripping with their sense of humor, and even if you aren't familiar, the quippy tooltips are a flavor goldmine.”
    • “The humor is tongue-in-cheek and perfect, and the game has a surprising amount of depth to it where I keep discovering things I had missed during previous playthroughs.”
    • “That's pretty much it for the downsides to me, a great blend of witty humor, city building, and trying to figure out why my colonists are running around in robes and talking about murdering people.”
  • optimization22 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, especially as colony sizes increase, leading to stuttering and low frame rates even on high-end systems. Many users noted that while the game is playable, it suffers from bugs, poor UI design, and unresponsive task management, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, there is a consensus that substantial optimization and bug fixes are needed for the game to reach its full potential.

    • “The game needs to be optimized and some rough edges need smoothing out, but compared to a lot of early access games on the market, this one is good.”
    • “Great idea, great concept, and likely going to be a great game once feature complete, optimized, and fully debugged.”
    • “Many fixes and performance improvements to allow smooth running of the game and ruled out the majority of crashes.”
    • “It is playable but it has serious problems with omissions/bugs that make some features unusable (or require manual patching to fix them) and serious slowdown/optimization problems that hit you around mid-game.”
    • “The problem though is that the optimization isn't there.”
    • “Right now the low performance is a bigger problem than appearing crashes.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as fun and dynamic, with a spooky, ethereal quality that complements its Lovecraftian theme. However, some players find it less impressive compared to other titles in the genre, noting issues with the music options and volume controls. Overall, while the soundtrack has its appealing moments, it may not meet the expectations of all players.

    • “If you like these kinds of fast-moving strategy games with the music pulsing and all sorts of things to keep your eye on, then this game is for you.”
    • “The music is really dynamic and fitting.”
    • “There's music and maybe a bit of ambient sound.”
    • “The current iteration of the music loops through a few tracks which have a nice spooky, ethereal feel to them, very much in line with the overall Lovecraftian feel of the game.”
    • “Una pecca è la musica di fondo un po' tanto noiosa, e i suoni ma conto vengano migliorati man mano.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it can provide enjoyment and a sense of progression, it often devolves into a tedious and frustrating experience due to bugs, micromanagement, and repetitive tasks. Many reviewers suggest that the game's farming mechanics and overall management can become overly complex and time-consuming, leading to a recommendation for alternatives like RimWorld for those seeking a more streamlined experience. Despite some updates aimed at improving user interface and farming, the core grinding remains a significant drawback for many players.

    • “It's the only strategy that really works, and it turns the early game into a tedious, boring nightmare.”
    • “I could recommend this maybe if you are bored, have a lot of time, or are really patient as well as really love this type of game... honestly just buy RimWorld, and if you already have RimWorld and are looking for something else like it... get mods, this game is still too tedious.”
    • “But the workcrew stuff makes Clockwork Empires far too tedious.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique steampunk style, engaging writing, and immersive city-building elements, creating a captivating experience. However, many users note that the overall enjoyment is hindered by bugs and an unfinished feel, suggesting that while the atmosphere is strong, the game requires further development for a seamless experience.

    • “I love the atmosphere and flavor of this game so much.”
    • “It has its own great steampunk style and atmosphere; during your settlement growth, you will meet bandits, other nations, fishpeople, and mysterious creatures.”
    • “Lots of really enjoyable writing and atmosphere, as well.”
    • “Having at least two-story buildings would vastly help with customizing buildings and developing a more realistic atmosphere in the game.”
  • story7 mentions

    The game's story is praised for its depth and engaging storytelling, though it suffers from bugs and an incomplete narrative that requires a community patch to enhance the experience. Players appreciate the character development and the potential for a rich storyline, but note that the pacing can be slow without a fast-forward feature. Overall, the narrative aspect is seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's appeal.

    • “Love it! Overall, it's a great game; it has more depth and story than any other games of this kind that I know :)”
    • “It feels like there is enough content to get a good story going, but the lack of a fast forward feature means it takes a while to get moving.”
    • “Very buggy, storyline incomplete and it can't be played without the community patch 0.9.5 (huge thanks to those who made it).”
    • “Then there is the studio and their individual personality, mirrored in the story and character of the game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability through its diverse routes to success, challenging late-game scenarios, and a variety of increasingly difficult biome combinations. Players appreciate the developers' commitment to enhancing the dynamic experience, ensuring that each playthrough remains engaging and satisfying.

    • “The developers are working hard to make a dynamic and replayable experience.”
    • “The game is rich and satisfying, with an interesting late game, many different routes to success once your colony stabilizes, and increasingly difficult combinations of biomes (maps, basically) that open up for replayability and challenge.”
    • “The developers are working hard to make a dynamic replayable experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviews suggest that the monetization strategy relies heavily on advertisements, which some users find more enjoyable than the gameplay itself.

    • “The ads are better than the actual game.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative and ruins the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls that hinder progress unless you spend real money.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is marked by a sense of heartbreak, as players feel a deep connection to the developers' evident passion, yet are left disappointed by the game's incomplete state.

    • “Truly heart-breaking to see a game for which the developers clearly care be left incomplete.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

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Play time

50hMedian play time
70hAverage play time
20-149hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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