Common'hood
- July 11, 2023
- Plethora Project
- 40h median play time
"Common'hood" is a business platformer game that can be played solo or with up to two players in cooperative mode. The game features community building and economy management, with highly customizable base building tools. Players must scavenge for materials, grow food, craft tools, and meet the needs of their settlers to build a thriving community. Automated technology and unique creation materials are also available to help with the hard work. The game currently has some bugs, but offers a detailed building system and the ability to grow a self-sustaining food supply.
Reviews
- The game has a charming concept and engaging storyline that draws players in.
- Building mechanics are unique and allow for a high degree of creativity and customization.
- The game features interesting characters and a community-building aspect that adds depth to the gameplay.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs that can break progression and lead to frustrating experiences.
- NPCs often become unresponsive or stuck, rendering the community-building aspect ineffective.
- The user interface and crafting mechanics are clunky and unintuitive, making gameplay tedious and confusing.
- story68 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as captivating and engaging, with players appreciating its themes of community building and personal quests. However, many reviewers note significant issues with quest clarity and bugs that hinder progress, leading to frustration. While the narrative has potential, some players feel it lacks depth and resolution, particularly towards the end, leaving them wanting more from the overall experience.
“The story is captivating, and without that, the game would suck.”
“The main focuses of the game are automating production and optimizing energy, building better shelter for you and your friends, fulfilling their personal quests, and exploring the whole factory to find out the truth of the terrible accident in which your parents lost their life.”
“This game has a fantastic story and build to proceed process and gameplay.”
“Based on my experience with the game in January 2023 (I'm near the end of the story), I think most players will find this game more frustrating than fun.”
“I finished the game minus a few characters and quests due to bugs. The game is short and seems unfinished; maybe they have plans for DLC, I don't know, but it's not worth what it's at right now. If you can pick it up on sale for $5, then it's worth it; otherwise, without all the crafting, the story itself with gameplay is 10 hours or less.”
“It's so buggy I'd expect it to be in early access, and I'm surprised it's not, but I'd almost be willing to accept the general glitching if there weren't multiple instances of a character bugging out and not giving you quests or uncompletable quests.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is marred by significant bugs and clunky mechanics, particularly in crafting and building, which detracts from the overall experience. While the central idea and graphics are praised, many players find the gameplay tedious and frustrating due to broken core mechanics and a lack of polish. Despite some enjoyable aspects, such as free-form building and community creation, the persistent issues make it difficult for players to fully engage with the game.
“Love its progression and mechanics.”
“So the game takes place in a big abandoned factory, where your character can research stuff, gather resources, craft things, and gather followers, with gameplay revolving around the destiny of the homeless people living in the abandoned factory and how you can create hope for them by creating a community where they can be useful and follow their dreams.”
“If you enjoy building and crafting, with nice graphical scenery, then this is a great game for that type of gameplay.”
“I want to like this game, but it has major bugs in the core gameplay mechanics that have no clear workaround.”
“So many bugs with placement, items can just disappear into the ether if you hit the wrong button, and the core gameplay feature (creating a community of NPCs that all work together) is flat out broken.”
“This game is bad, very broken, and near impossible to play with the crazy building/crafting mechanic; don't waste your money...”
- stability13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, leading many users to describe it as feeling unfinished and akin to an early access title. While some players find ways to work around minor issues, significant problems such as quest bugs and freezing during gameplay detract from the overall experience. Overall, the stability is a major concern, with many hoping for future updates to address these persistent issues.
“It's so buggy I'd expect it to be in early access and I'm surprised it's not, but I'd almost be willing to accept the general glitching if there weren't multiple instances of a character bugging out and not giving you quests or uncompletable quests.”
“The concept is there, but it's far from ready and frankly needs an early release sticker because I would not have paid £20 for this; it's buggy and messy and needs work.”
“It's an unfinished buggy mess.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are generally praised for their pleasing aesthetics, charming art style, and immersive environments that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users have noted issues such as clunky visuals, texture problems, and technical limitations like resolution support. Despite these minor drawbacks, the graphics contribute positively to the game's addictive storyline and community-building mechanics.
“Game with an addictive storyline, interesting large locations, and good graphics.”
“Pros: great central idea, good graphics, some interesting game mechanics and opportunities.”
“If you enjoy building and crafting, with nice graphical scenery, then this is a great game for that type of gameplay.”
“The graphics are too clunky.”
“Beyond these minor issues (graphic settings not saving on relaunch, some texture problems with workbenches, and no support for 21:9 resolutions), the game is pretty good.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is viewed as both a challenge and a source of tedium, heavily dependent on player patience and engagement with the story. While the building and crafting systems are praised for their versatility, they require significant effort and can be hindered by unpolished mechanics and AI issues, leading to a repetitive experience where players often end up managing tasks themselves due to non-functional NPCs. Overall, the game shows potential but currently feels tedious and incomplete.
“So this game isn't perfect with some clunky game mechanics and also a lot of grinding in creating items.”
“This game has potential but right now it's not a full game and too tedious to play.”
“It's supposed to have a base-building component, but there's no point in building anything, because the game is segmented into areas, and your entire community follows you from area to area, resetting all bed assignments and farming each time.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its quality and thematic relevance, contributing to an engaging narrative experience. Additionally, the artwork complements the soundtrack, enhancing the overall atmosphere and community-building aspect of the game.
“I really like the theme of the narrative and the wonderful soundtrack.”
“It has some strengths like good music and artwork, an interesting community-building concept, and a nonviolent approach to player progression.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is noted for being power-hungry and poorly optimized, leading to frequent crashes; however, many players still consider it one of their favorites despite these issues.
“Despite its power-hungry nature and occasional crashes, this game remains one of my favorites as long as you can overlook the optimization issues.”
“The game offers a rich experience, but it does require some patience due to its optimization challenges.”
“While the optimization could use some work, the overall gameplay experience is still incredibly rewarding.”
“Yes, it's power hungry, yes, it's unoptimized, yes, it crashes, but it's still easily one of my favorite games as long as you can get past that.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features an engaging story that resonates deeply with players, culminating in an emotionally impactful ending that evokes strong feelings, even leading some to tears.
“The story was engaging, and the ending almost made me cry.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters, and their struggles resonated with my own experiences.”
“The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me long after I finished playing.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming aesthetic and a relaxing environment, enhanced by a flexible building system that allows for creative freedom. Despite some bugs, players find the overall experience enjoyable and worthwhile.
“The game has a really charming core that is well worth it if you enjoy the aesthetic, the relaxing atmosphere, and the freedom that the building system gives you.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab by some users, suggesting dissatisfaction with its approach. However, there are also voices questioning the validity of these complaints, indicating a divide in player sentiment regarding the game's financial model.
“The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it feels like they prioritize profit over player experience.”
“It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it nearly impossible to progress without spending real money.”