dotAGE

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"DotAge is a single-player strategy game released as an indie turn-based title. With deep worker placement mechanics, players build and manage their village while discovering new buildings, professions, and resources. The game offers an intriguing story with a masterful soundtrack, plenty of humor, and high replayability, despite its grindy atmosphere."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,421 reviews

gameplay94 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

Engaging and addictive gameplay with a unique blend of turn-based strategy and city-building mechanics.
The game features a charming art style and humorous writing, making it enjoyable to play.
High replayability due to randomized tech trees, events, and different starting characters (Elders) that change gameplay dynamics.

Runs can be excessively long, often taking 10+ hours, which may lead to fatigue and a sense of tedium in the late game.
The game can feel punishing, with a single mistake or bad RNG potentially leading to a game-ending situation.
Some UI elements and mechanics can be unclear or unintuitive, leading to confusion for new players.

gameplay
268 mentions
35 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dotage is characterized by its addictive turn-based mechanics, which blend resource management and strategic planning with a roguelite progression system that gradually introduces new mechanics and challenges. Players appreciate the balance between accessibility and complexity, allowing for a rewarding experience even amidst the game's punishing elements. The charming visuals and engaging gameplay loop keep players invested, making each run feel unique and encouraging exploration of the various mechanics and strategies available.
- “The gameplay, UI, and tool-tips allow you to plan each resource and turn exactly, but with a fun mix of random events that keep you on your toes.”
- “The gameplay loop is rewarding and addictive.”
- “The mechanics are easy to understand yet complex and allow a variety of different approaches to the game.”
- “I would agree with other reviews that say the game at first feels a bit too much like a spreadsheet simulator, and I think a lot of that comes from the turn-based aspect of the game combined with the mechanics being too predictable.”
- “The gameplay starts off relatively simple, but without a decent amount of planning and game knowledge you will almost certainly lose.”
- “Like the idea, like the way it looks and sounds but find the gameplay to be frustrating, grindy, and a bit joyless.”
graphics
95 mentions
36 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and appealing animations, which contribute to an engaging and enjoyable experience. While some players note minor glitches and a simplistic aesthetic, the overall consensus is that the visuals effectively complement the gameplay, creating a delightful atmosphere that belies the game's underlying complexity. Many reviewers appreciate the nostalgic feel of the graphics, likening them to classic titles while highlighting their unique character and charm.
- “The graphics and animations are very appealing with a lot of charm.”
- “The art style is cute as hell too.”
- “The graphics are cute, and the gameplay is fun and quite addictive.”
- “Some of the graphics can be a little glitchy, like the prophecy meters at the top displaying completely incorrect percentages, and it can sometimes run really slowly.”
- “The graphics are a little bland, but the dev clearly put some time into animating the buildings and villagers (pips) to make them feel at least a little alive.”
- “Despite the simple looking graphics, nothing about it feels obvious or intuitive.”
music
59 mentions
41 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, energetic, and immersive qualities, often drawing from medieval tunes that enhance the overall experience. While many players find the soundtrack delightful and memorable, some report issues with audio bugs and repetitive tracks that can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the music complements the charming visuals and gameplay, contributing to a satisfying and engaging atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is purposely unique, fitting, and very catchy.”
- “At times, I caught myself humming or whistling the tunes from this game; they are so catchy and energetic for songs recomposed from over 500 years ago.”
- “The music is actually really good; it stands out enough to be memorable but isn't obnoxious.”
- “It's also not as easy to tell whether a location has a current worker as it should be, and there are frequent musical bugs that result in multiple songs playing over each other at the same time.”
- “Some transitions felt kinda glitchy, some menu options were a little too jarring, some song transitions weren't fully polished, and all these small things got me worried the game would be more amateur than I wanted it to be.”
- “- the music seems to bug out a lot from time to time, especially after doom events and day/night transitions.”
replayability
58 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its mix of randomized technology, alternate starting characters, and dynamic tech trees, which create diverse gameplay experiences across multiple runs. While many players find the variety and unlockable content engaging, some express concerns about potential monotony after several playthroughs. Overall, the combination of roguelite elements and strategic depth contributes to a compelling replay value that keeps players returning for more.
- “Replayability is positively impacted by the different types of technology randomly available to you in each run.”
- “The alternate starting characters and roguelike tech tree add a lot of replayability, and there are unlocks for days.”
- “Dotage is a surprisingly deep and replayable experience.”
- “I usually am the type of gamer who loves a replayable game (ranging from Factorio and Oni to crop rotation), but I am having a difficult time going for a second run in this game.”
- “The first run will have the least content, which is a shame since replayability is fairly low.”
- “It's not a bad game, but despite all of the replayability elements incorporated in it--the memories, the blueprints, the new characters, and the largest domain threat being different each time--I don't really see much replayability value in it... personally.”
humor
49 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated for its quirky and charming nature, often blending dark themes with lighthearted moments that keep players engaged. Many reviewers highlight the clever animations, funny dialogue, and amusing character interactions, which contribute to a captivating gameplay experience. While some find the jokes hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that the humor enhances the game's appeal, making it both entertaining and enjoyable.
- “The difficulty seems well-tuned to produce close calls and hilarious crises that are satisfying to resolve.”
- “Definitely can go a bit dark but the quirkiness and humor takes the edge off into something I've really been enjoying.”
- “The elder character always yelling about doom is kinda hilarious - as long as you've been keeping up on resources to avoid the doom, of course!”
story
48 mentions
25 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging and impactful, with a blend of quirky dialogue and memorable moments that enhance the city-building experience. Players appreciate the replayability offered by different storytellers and randomized events, although some find certain story elements tedious and wish for more options to skip them. Overall, the narrative is well-crafted, contributing to a charming atmosphere that complements the gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and memorability in later stages.
- “I think the events are impactful enough to feel like a genuine story about my village is developing when they occur.”
- “It's also a great story builder... in my mind, at least as good if not better than RimWorld... you get real interactions between the characters, and you feel the story of the village developing.”
- “Each game session feels like a new story being unfolded, thanks to the roguelite elements that keep the experience fresh and engaging.”
- “Story is basic but not even important for a game like this.”
- “Then the story elements become insanely tedious.”
- “This can make things a total slog at the end, where you just mash 'end turn' 50 times because you've already won in every aspect except storyline.”
grinding
32 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and often joyless, particularly in the late game where micromanagement becomes overwhelming and repetitive. While some enjoy the initial fun and addictiveness, many express frustration with the lengthy playtime and the need to constantly manage numerous tasks, leading to a sense of burnout. Despite these criticisms, a few players appreciate the balance of mechanics and the potential for replayability, suggesting that the grind can be mitigated with strategic play.
- “The late game becomes incredibly tedious and annoying more so than anything else, and I'm at the point where I probably won't even bother to finish my current run.”
- “The game is a tedious and boring slog.”
- “The repetitive illness, mass deaths, and the annoying luck spins that you start seeing every turn (and losing) because you have grown tired of trying to make the gauges favorable for any length of time is just tedious.”
optimization
21 mentions
29 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on lower-end PCs and offers an enjoyable experience, performance issues arise as the town scales, particularly with 100+ villagers, leading to stuttering and frame drops. Developers are actively working on improvements, and some players have noted enhancements in recent updates, but many still recommend waiting for further optimizations before purchasing at full price. Overall, the game shows potential but requires more refinement to handle larger populations effectively.
- “I think just some slim down and optimization on the game experience and UX would make this just amazing.”
- “The constant juggle of food, heat/cold, population, expansion, tech progression, city planning, and optimizations is so stimulating.”
- “Optimization feels very rewarding as it goes from barely surviving to going 'what totally unnecessary production chain do I want to add to this mess'.”
- “The game's performance is surprisingly going down at midgame, when around 40 pips are alive.”
- “I had to say though, the game starts to have heavy performance problems once you reach 100+ villagers, which is a shame because the whole point is to scale the highest possible and once you reach 100-150 villagers the game freezes all the time and drops to very low FPS.”
- “It seems to have performance issues as the town scales up which is a little concerning but hopefully this improves in the future!”
stability
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent freezes and bugs, particularly on the "work" screen and with audio issues. However, others report that the game runs well on their systems and appreciate the developer's quick response to problems and ongoing efforts to address glitches. Overall, while there are notable inconsistencies, many players find the issues manageable and commend the developer's engagement with the community.
- “I came upon this game by chance when searching for something to play on my MacBook Air, and it runs great.”
- “Complete, bug-free, tons of content, lightweight, no gacha/pay to win/lootbox, has a demo, and the developer is taking feedback from the community for balance and improvement.”
- “But it just released, developed by one person, and it has no glitches or bugs I could notice other than the zoom functionality not being bound correctly.”
- “Game is great but freezes constantly on the 'work' screen.”
- “The game is very buggy and contains many inconsistencies.”
- “I start trying to replace them, manage to get two adults up and going, and a third baby has just been born, when an early autumn event freezes three of them solid, including the newborn.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally impactful, experiencing a rollercoaster of feelings ranging from guilt to confidence and despair. The heartfelt messaging from the developer enhances the emotional depth, contributing to a profound sense of completion.
- “My last run was an emotional cascade from god-like confidence, shot down to panicked despair shifting in mere moments.”
- “Mostly because of the heartfelt messaging from the developer <3, but also for the sense of completion.”
- “A good, quirky and innovative game that made me feel guilty for playing it after a while.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy of the game is minimal, with some users expressing nostalgia for the presence of pop-up ads, suggesting that the current approach may lack engagement or revenue generation compared to more ad-heavy models.
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constant interruptions.”
- “I feel like I'm being pushed to spend money at every turn, which ruins the overall experience.”
- “The in-game purchases are so expensive that it feels like you can't progress without shelling out real cash.”