Farlanders
- January 17, 2023
- Andriy Bychkovskyi
Get on Steam"Farlanders is a single-player turn-based strategy game set on Mars, featuring a good plot, spectacular gameplay, great graphics, and a memorable soundtrack. As a colony leader, build and manage residential areas, resource-producing factories, and terraform the planet for survival. Expand your colony underground to uncover new resources and rare minerals."
Mac OS
PC
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Windows
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Reviews
- Engaging and challenging terraforming mechanics that require strategic planning.
- Well-balanced gameplay with a good difficulty curve, making each turn feel impactful.
- Charming pixel graphics and a relaxing atmosphere, complemented by a decent campaign and sandbox modes.
- Randomness in terraforming cards can lead to frustrating gameplay, especially if players get unfavorable map layouts.
- The story is considered bland and uninteresting, with excessive dialogue that some players choose to skip.
- Resource management can become overwhelming, particularly in late-game scenarios where keeping colonists happy is difficult.
- story68 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it bland, juvenile, or uninteresting, while others appreciate its simplicity and the way it complements the gameplay. Many note that the campaign is relatively short, consisting of around 6-7 missions, and while some missions feel like a grind, others provide engaging challenges. Overall, the narrative does not significantly detract from the game experience, allowing players to enjoy the core mechanics without being overly invested in the story.
“There's a short but sweet campaign (with a decent story), three free-play scenarios with optional difficulty and a sandbox mode with adjustable parameters.”
“The story in the campaign is good, reminds me of Aven Colony and adds a fun dimension to the game.”
“Simple but engaging gameplay plus a surprisingly interesting campaign story.”
“The story is beyond terrible.”
“The story is pretty dumb.”
“It's your standard 'we're on a strange new planet, maybe the corporation is bad' affair with a dose of 'the plot needs to happen' stupidity.”
- gameplay62 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique blend of colony simulation and puzzle-like terraforming mechanics, where players must strategically manage resources while adapting to random challenges. The turn-based system allows for engaging planning and decision-making, with a gradual introduction of complexity that keeps the experience fresh and demanding. Overall, the mechanics are well-balanced and polished, providing a relaxing yet challenging gameplay experience that appeals to fans of strategy and simulation games.
“Terraforming is the central mechanic - every few turns, you get a random 'puzzle piece' of terraforming technology, allowing you to reshape certain arrangements of land tiles into other, more favorable land tile arrangements.”
“Compelling mechanics, fits well within the turn-based system and really scratches the itch of a 'turn-based city builder' quite well.”
“I love everything about this game, from the beautiful pixel graphics to the deep relaxing gameplay, an easy must-buy for strategy and sim fans.”
“Main mechanics revolve around a catch-22, where expanding one resource shortens another.”
“It's also one of those games that is over as soon as it's done introducing new mechanics.”
“A hate-inducing mechanic that just makes it so what you can do is limited by the game's RNG.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by charming pixel art that many players find visually appealing and reminiscent of classic titles like "Into the Breach." While the overall aesthetic is praised for its clarity and unique style, some users note that certain elements can be cluttered or confusing, particularly in distinguishing buildings. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's relaxing and engaging gameplay experience.
“Eye-pleasing art style, nice background music, and turn-based gameplay make it a relaxing experience.”
“The graphics are easily readable and remind me of other great 2D works like Into the Breach's visual style.”
“I love everything about this game, from the beautiful pixel graphics to the deep relaxing gameplay; an easy must-buy for strategy and sim fans.”
“The art style is a mishmash of different styles, none of them great, and the story is incredibly corny and juvenile, which feels really out of place.”
“The presentation did it no favors, as in contrast to the pretty pixel art used for the gameplay, the character artwork is bland and amateurish, suffering from a serious case of the same face syndrome.”
“My only gripe would probably be that graphically it gets a bit cluttered and I sometimes have a hard time pinpointing where I have built certain buildings, or if there are empty squares I can still build on somewhere in the center of my base.”
- music13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its pleasant and relaxing qualities that enhance the overall experience. While some users find it to be a standout feature deserving of awards, others feel it is merely adequate or less impressive compared to the demo. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions on its impact vary.
“Audio does the job and the music is pleasant, and it really doesn't need to be any better.”
“The hidden gem here however is the background music!”
“Great variability, deep gameplay, cool music, all on top.”
“I also had a peek at the music (turning it off is usually the first thing I do along with getting any game into a window of a size I like).”
“Sounds effects are fine, but the music I wasn't thrilled about.”
“Some bits remind me of a long ago game called Ascendancy (4X in space, turn-based), others of Jan Hammer, as well as a meditation music CD I have somewhere that someone gifted me in the early 90s.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the slow pace of resource management and the extensive terraforming required, especially in the early levels. While some improvements have been made to reduce tedium, concerns remain about potential grindiness in the later stages of the campaign. Overall, the experience can feel laborious, but some players believe the game may offer more engaging mechanics as they progress.
“Farming underground is not fast and it involves lots of terraforming.”
“The first couple of levels of the campaign amount to an elaborate tutorial and were a bit tedious, but the rest of the game was worth the slog.”
“After half of the campaign, I worry that this will become grindy towards the end, but I hope there are some extra mechanics coming later.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable replayability due to its simple yet deep mechanics and random elements, which can enhance the experience even with limited missions. However, some players feel that once the campaign is completed, the long-term replayability may diminish significantly. Despite this, many agree that the game's low price makes it a worthwhile investment for the hours of entertainment it provides.
“This game is simple, deep, well-balanced, challenging, and has good replayability.”
“Definitely worth it for the experience of playing through the campaign; not sure how its long-term replayability will hold up yet, but certainly enjoyable so far.”
“Relatively simple loop that has tons of replayability, even with its current limited missions.”
“I don't think there is much replayability once you have finished the campaign.”
“Sometimes it feels almost too random, but that will always feed its replayability in some way, so not a problem at all.”
“The game's price is so cheap compared to a potential of dozens of hours of replayability.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its focus on optimization, particularly in terrain management and adjacency bonuses, making it appealing for players who enjoy resource management and terraforming puzzles.
“If you love terrain optimization with adjacency bonuses as well as managing limited resources coupled with a terraforming puzzle, this game is definitely worth it.”
“The game is optimization-heavy, providing a deep and engaging experience for players who enjoy strategic planning.”
“The balance between resource management and terrain optimization creates a satisfying challenge that keeps you engaged.”
“The game is optimization-heavy, which can be overwhelming at times.”
“If you love terrain optimization with adjacency bonuses as well as managing limited resources coupled with a terraforming puzzle, this is definitely worth it.”
