Embark

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 256 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • stability
Embark Game Cover
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Embark is a single-player strategy game with a focus on colony management and complex simulation in a 3D world. Oversee colonists' needs, relationships, and daily activities, while managing water, food, and combat systems. Experience procedurally generated maps with various biomes and resources, but be prepared for numerous bugs and a learning curve during this Early Access title's 77-hour playtime.

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Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 256 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
stability16 negative mentions
  • The game has a lot of potential and offers a unique take on the colony simulation genre, blending elements from Dwarf Fortress, Rimworld, and Minecraft.
  • Frequent updates from the developers show commitment to improving the game and addressing player feedback.
  • The graphics and overall aesthetic are appealing, providing an engaging environment for players to build and manage their colonies.
  • The game suffers from significant bugs and glitches, including pathfinding issues and unresponsive AI, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Many mechanics, such as the job priority system and inventory management, are poorly implemented and can hinder player progress.
  • The game has been criticized for its lack of content and depth, making it feel incomplete and less enjoyable compared to other titles in the genre.
  • gameplay39 mentions

    The gameplay of this early access colony simulation game is engaging and offers potential, but it suffers from numerous issues, including repetitive mechanics, bugs, and a lack of quality-of-life improvements. While some players appreciate the depth of colony management and the game's unique features, many express frustration with broken mechanics, a confusing research tree, and inadequate tutorials. Overall, the game shows promise but requires significant refinement to enhance the player experience.

    • “After you take your time to learn the mechanics and needs of your colony (probably on your third try), you will find out that this game has much to offer, especially in colony management and building.”
    • “Amazing game overall with fairly complex game mechanics for those who like management-type strategy games.”
    • “The game itself is a very nice take on survival strategy game, and takes a lot from Dwarf Fortress - the simulation of course is not as deep as in DF, but the gameplay is very similar.”
    • “The graphics were also underwhelming, and the gameplay felt repetitive and uninspired.”
    • “The squad and battle mechanic feels very clunky, and with just small floating numbers signaling the damage done by all parties involved.”
    • “No real explanation of game mechanics, no tutorials to help you understand the controls or commands.”
  • graphics30 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the aesthetic consistency and decent visuals, while others criticize them as underwhelming, buggy, and even damaging to hardware. Many users note that while the game attempts to emulate the charm of titles like Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld, it falls short in graphical quality and polish. Overall, there is a consensus that improvements are needed to enhance the visual experience and performance.

    • “For the good: the graphics are well done.”
    • “There is a theme and consistency to the graphics and the music that are well blended.”
    • “So far the graphics are pretty good and the gameplay is mostly fun.”
    • “The graphics were also underwhelming, and the gameplay felt repetitive and uninspired.”
    • “Buggy, crashy, horrible graphics that also set your GPU on fire.”
    • “Aesthetically, it looks like it was made by a blind person or maybe someone slowly going blind.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, crashes, and frustrating controls that hinder gameplay. While some players acknowledge its potential and fun elements, the overall consensus is that it remains unfinished and too unstable for a satisfying experience at this stage.

    • “More frustrating than fun due to glitches.”
    • “Let me start this review by saying that this game is buggy, incomplete, and in early access.”
    • “The game is great and definitely on the right path, but as it stands now it is sadly far too buggy to play, so I can't recommend it to anyone in its current state.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, especially as the number of colonists increases. While some users report that the game runs smoothly at lower settings with fewer colonists, others find it laggy and unplayable on mid-tier machines. There is hope for future optimizations, but currently, the game's performance is a major concern for many players.

    • “Thus far at 50 colonists, it's continued to run smoothly with the lower settings.”
    • “The game world is huge, so you're unlikely to run out of room or resources. I have no idea how performance scales with 80 villagers, but the basics seem to have been done right.”
    • “It's an early access title, so your performance could be smoother, but there's plenty of content currently to be well worth the asking price, and the future potential is amazing.”
    • “But this game is poorly optimized.”
    • “However, by the time I reached around 33 colonists and 'stuff' all over the place, performance started to decline and I had to bump the settings down.”
    • “Also, this game is not at all optimized; I have stopped playing because it has gotten so laggy it's no longer enjoyable watching all my workers spacewalk and skip around on the screen.”
  • story5 mentions

    The game currently lacks a substantial narrative, with players noting a minimal storytelling element compared to titles like RimWorld. However, it successfully combines classic building mechanics with strategic planning, despite some frustrations with AI behavior. Overall, while the story aspect is underdeveloped, the gameplay offers engaging challenges that require thoughtful construction and management.

    • “One thing the game doesn't have yet is much of a story.”
    • “But there's no storytelling like there is in RimWorld.”
    • “I've never found a game that so perfectly unifies the classic builder games with dramatic storylines and the necessity for planning strong strategies.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly for newcomers who struggle with the complexity of crafting materials and inventory management. While the initial gameplay resembles typical colony-building mechanics, it evolves into a more intricate system that requires careful resource allocation and planning. However, the option to automate inventory maintenance can alleviate some of the grind.

    • “Crafting depth: for a rookie, it's a little tedious to try and understand the game's current crafting materials.”
    • “You also have to maintain your inventory for each and every craftable item. This may seem tedious, but the game allows you to automatically maintain a level of inventory set by you as long as you have the resources to do so.”
    • “At the beginning, it feels similar to a generic colony game: find shelter, get farming, build up some gear, get some workshops happening - but it quickly gets a lot more complicated than that.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its thematic consistency and integration with the overall experience, contributing to a solid atmosphere. However, some users have encountered technical issues, such as a malfunctioning music slider, which detracted from their enjoyment. Overall, while the music enhances the game's low-tech exploration and survival feel, there are some early access bugs that need addressing.

    • “There is a theme and consistency to the graphics and the music that are well blended.”
    • “There's a solid game here with some interesting activities, good music, nice voxel construction, and an overall good low-tech exploration and survival feel to it.”
    • “I loaded up the game, but simple things like the in-game music slider not working were enough for me to close it again.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from the absurdity of its mechanics, such as the quirky interactions between colonists named after friends, leading to amusing scenarios like trash-talking and flirting. Additionally, the generational tracking of colonists adds a layer of dark humor, highlighting the game's lack of genetic diversity in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Overall, while some aspects may not be intentionally funny, players find humor in the game's chaotic and unconventional elements.

    • “There's something funny about naming your colonists after your friends and watching them trash talk or flirt with each other.”
    • “I think generational tracking would make for some pretty hilarious charts too, as the colony is basically an incest den due to the lack of genetic diversity you get from starting with 5+/-2 colonists.”
  • replayability2 mentions
    • “Embark is a fun city management game with a high replay value.”
    • “The game lacks variety, making it hard to find motivation to replay it after finishing the main story.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back; the side quests feel repetitive and uninspired.”
    • “The limited choices and outcomes mean that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for its intrusive popups, which resemble ads found on low-quality websites, frequently interrupting gameplay with promotions for tools and random events.

    • “Popups, yes, goddamn popups! Just like ads on crappy sites, the game throws popups at you about tools and random events.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, constantly pushing you to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
    • “It's frustrating how every aspect of the game is tied to microtransactions, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sense of vulnerability and immersion, as players navigate their environment by interacting with tactile elements like cardboard boxes, which evokes feelings of caution and awareness of their surroundings.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

77hMedian play time
55hAverage play time
9-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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