FantasyMapSimulator
- September 4, 2024
- Vexero
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"FantasyMapSimulator is a single-player historical strategy game with around 2 hours of playtime. Create and customize your own fantasy world, watch as nations diplomatically interact, develop, and wage wars over hundreds to thousands of years. With a unique wallpaper mode, witness the rise and fall of dynasties as you work or rest."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers endless possibilities for creativity and world-building, allowing players to simulate the rise and fall of nations.
- It has a solid foundation with frequent updates and a promising roadmap for future features, making it an exciting early access title.
- The ability to run the game as a wallpaper while watching the world evolve is a unique and enjoyable feature.
- The user interface is clunky and needs significant improvement to enhance usability and accessibility.
- Map creation can be confusing and lacks intuitive controls, making it difficult for players to customize their worlds effectively.
- Currently, the game feels more like a simulation with limited player interaction, which may not satisfy those looking for deeper gameplay mechanics.
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game offers significant potential for storytelling, allowing players to create and simulate historical narratives over long periods, akin to a puppet-master guiding nations. While it currently serves as a worldbuilding tool, users express a desire for more advanced storytelling features and controls to enhance their creative experience. With additional tools and depth, it could become a standout option for writers and strategists alike.
“The way I'm using it is as a worldbuilding tool, giving me a total historical timeline of the world's nations, simulating it up to the year I want my story to take place.”
“Great potential for storytelling: for writers or those looking to simulate historical scenarios, this game offers tons of possibilities.”
“Whether you're making a world for a story or just want to explore your imagination, this game gives you the tools to bring your ideas to life.”
“☑ no story”
“With more depth in progression, storytelling tools, and control options, this game could easily surpass other war simulators and strategy games.”
“So it is a fun little map simulator; I just wish I had more tools that could help me direct the action more, make maps (definitely be nice to import maps), and more tools for overall storytelling.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as a world simulation that allows player interaction, but many users feel it lacks depth and clarity, with mechanics appearing hidden or underdeveloped. While some find it visually and mechanically engaging, others criticize it for not providing a traditional gaming experience, suggesting that it needs more features and refinement to enhance immersion and enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay is seen as fun to watch but lacking in excitement and complexity.
“In terms of gameplay, it's a world simulation you can affect.”
“This would really make the gameplay more immersive.”
“- Visually and mechanically engaging: the game’s visual style is solid, and the mechanics, like how armies move and clash, are uniquely engaging.”
“Not really a game, so if you're expecting exciting gameplay, this is not for you.”
“I know it's just released, but it's definitely in that stage where a lot of the features and inner workings are hidden from the player, so you can't tell if all the mechanics are working or shallow and cosmetic.”
“But, the developer needs to refine the already existing mechanics and expand upon them with new ones before I can truly recommend, as it feels rough around the edges.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are praised for their superior quality compared to similar titles, with exceptional map integration that enhances the visual experience. However, some users express a desire for more detailed graphical options and richer cultural and demographic representations within the game. The ability to use the game as a wallpaper is highlighted as a unique feature that showcases its aesthetics effectively.
“It's almost identical in terms of simulation to Galimulator, but I would say this game has far superior graphics to it, though Galimulator's UI is a fair bit easier.”
“Exceptional map integration: the ability to run the game as a wallpaper is a standout feature that not only showcases the game's aesthetics but also allows for continuous engagement without interrupting other tasks.”
“What I would add: a new graphics button that can change the way the game performs.”
“Religion is limited, culture is limited, no demographics, no nothing.”
“Clickable cities with details of their population, key people, history, key buildings, demographics, etc.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users report great performance, others find it poorly optimized and in need of further refinement, particularly regarding UI and specific gameplay mechanics. Overall, there are indications that the foundational elements are solid, but additional work is necessary to enhance the experience for players with varying hardware capabilities.
“It very much reminds me of the Azgaar fantasy map generator, but optimized for simulating the course of history over generating a map.”
“Great performance-wise, though that's a bit obvious.”
“Either the game is really poorly optimized, or there is something fishy going on.”
“It's still a little rough around the edges and needs more optimization and some UI work, but the bones are definitely there.”
“The only two issues that I really have is that I wish the game would only spawn rebellions of the previous nations on the map (maybe some coring system like in AOH with this?) and to keep things running well with performance (that's mostly because of my bad PC though).”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic cinematic quality, enhancing the overall experience and atmosphere. While some users noted minor issues, such as the music volume not saving, the soundtrack is generally considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and gameplay.
“I'm perfectly content watching the tribal alliance of Tolosania and the Empire of Piedmontia duke it out for global domination while I enjoy the epic cinematic soundtrack and multitask on other things on my second monitor.”
“The UI, borders, and design are very pleasant to the eyes; the music adds to the general epic vibe.”
“The music is quite nice.”
“The music volume is not saving.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely time-consuming, often requiring significant dedication to activities like farming, mining, fishing, and hunting, leading some to feel it demands an unrealistic amount of time investment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Farming, mining, fishing, hunting, etc. - it all feels like endless repetition.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly discussed in the review, but the user's extensive experience with similar games suggests a strong interest in the game's potential for growth and success, indicating a positive outlook on its monetization strategy.
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users generally find the humor in the game to be effective and enjoyable, contributing positively to the overall experience.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, noting that the game frequently glitches and can become unresponsive, often remaining stuck as a background task without any visible output.
“It glitches out before getting stuck as a background task with nothing to show.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experience constant lag and freezing, which ruins the overall experience.”
