Forager

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 12,460 reviews
  • grinding
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Forager Game Cover
Forager is a fiendishly addictive incremental game with crisp, low-fi visuals, compelling game play loop and clever pacing. Just make sure you don't have to be anywhere before you begin playing!
Starting at $5.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store Get on Xbox Games Store Get on Apple Store

Forager is an open-world exploration and crafting game. Gather resources, level up skills, and build your base as you unlock new islands and dungeons to explore. With a variety of quests, puzzles, and secrets to discover, Forager offers a charming and engaging experience for players who enjoy resource management and base-building.

  • iPhone
  • Cloud
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
  • iPad
  • Phone
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 12,460 reviews
gameplay305 positive mentions
grinding982 negative mentions
  • grinding1,005 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Forager" is a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as both tedious and rewarding. While some enjoy the satisfying progression and find the grind enjoyable, especially in the early game, others feel that it becomes excessively repetitive and unfulfilling, particularly in the late game when aiming for 100% completion. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding mechanics, but it may deter players who prefer a more balanced gameplay experience without prolonged grinding.

    • “There's no grinding - economics are reasonable, and the game moves quickly.”
    • “Amazing art style and mechanics; if you like farming resources, you would love this game as much as I do.”
    • “No tedious combat mechanics, nothing frustrating to wrap your head around; you just use your weapons and they work correctly, which is great!”
    • “The last few achievements can be very grindy and boring if you care about 100% the game.”
    • “The endgame content involved a lot of grinding so I stopped there but overall it was a pretty amazing game for me.”
    • “The game seems to teeter between moments of very addictive and fun gameplay and tedious grinding that doesn't feel good or rewarding.”
  • gameplay781 mentions

    The gameplay of Forager is characterized by its addictive loop of resource gathering, crafting, and exploration, which keeps players engaged for hours. While the initial experience is fun and rewarding, many players note that the game can become repetitive and grindy in the late stages, leading to a decline in enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a charming aesthetic and simple mechanics that appeal to fans of casual sandbox gameplay, but it may lack depth and replayability for some players.

    • “From the moment you start, the game hooks you with its charming pixel art and simple yet satisfying gameplay loop.”
    • “The game also offers a surprising amount of depth with its skill tree, allowing you to tailor your gameplay experience to your liking.”
    • “The gameplay loop is addictive with the resource gathering, building, crafting, and exploring the other islands, keeping you engaged and constantly rewarded.”
    • “The gameplay is tedious.”
    • “Gameplay is dull and highly repetitive.”
    • “After some hours of gameplay, you just realize that everything is pointless and the game has no real goal and gives you 0 motivation to keep going, you just gather resources and craft stuff to be better at gathering resources and crafting stuff.”
  • graphics455 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute pixel art style, which many players find appealing and nostalgic. The visuals are described as colorful and vibrant, contributing to a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. While some players note that the simplistic graphics may not cater to everyone's taste, the overall aesthetic is considered a strong point of the game, making it enjoyable for fans of indie titles.

    • “The game's colorful and pixelated art style is reminiscent of classic retro games, and the whimsical soundtrack sets the perfect tone for the game's playful and engaging world.”
    • “With its charming pixel art style, captivating gameplay, and endless possibilities, Forager provides hours of engaging entertainment.”
    • “The graphics are cute and clean, the sound design is incredible but not too distracting, and the overall aesthetics are really pleasing.”
    • “While Forager's graphical style is undeniably charming, it may not cater to everyone's taste, particularly those who prefer more realistic or detailed visuals.”
    • “The graphics are really unoriginal though, besides the overused pixel art style a lot of the sprites are extremely similar to Stardew Valley.”
    • “At first, everything feels new, but the lack of content burns the player out very quickly; the art style doesn't feel new or unique and gets tiring to look at.”
  • story313 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of a cohesive narrative, with many players noting that it primarily consists of simple fetch quests and minimal character development. While some appreciate the developer's personal backstory included in the extras, the overall consensus is that the game lacks a significant plot or engaging storyline, making it more of a casual, grind-focused experience rather than a story-driven one. Players enjoy the gameplay mechanics and quests but express a desire for a more substantial narrative to enhance their experience.

    • “The story behind the game itself and its developer is awesome.”
    • “I really enjoyed the story about the developer and his trek to create a game everyone would love in the extras; it just goes to show the heart of the developer and makes you want to get behind him and support his cause.”
    • “The developer's story told through little extras really resonated with me.”
    • “This game has nothing: no story, thrill, excitement, joy, and no real interesting progression.”
    • “There's no story, no point to it, really - just the satisfaction of turning ores into ingots into steel into royal steel into electronics into void steel into cosmic steel into nuclear machinery.”
    • “Forager lacks that story and charm - the NPCs are just one-time quest-givers and the only goal is to industrialize.”
  • music158 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience. However, some players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, particularly in the late game, leading to a desire for more variety. Overall, the combination of delightful tunes and cute graphics contributes to a captivating and immersive gameplay experience.

    • “The soundtrack helps add to the atmosphere of it as well.”
    • “Endearing art style and music: the game's adorable pixel art and charming soundtrack create a delightful and relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The music enhances the gameplay experience, creating an enjoyable and immersive audio-visual journey.”
    • “The characters are glorified fetch quest givers, 2 or 3 music tracks at most play in the main area and it gets repetitive and annoying fast.”
    • “Forager has ok music, but it does get repetitive very fast.”
    • “The music is calm and kind of dull.”
  • replayability140 mentions

    The replayability of Forager is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying its initial fun and addictive gameplay but expressing disappointment in its long-term replay value. While some highlight the potential for replayability through different playstyles and updates, others feel that once the game is completed, it lacks the depth and variety needed to encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game offers a decent amount of content but is often criticized for becoming repetitive after the first run.

    • “In short, Forager is a delightful, endlessly replayable experience that offers a perfect blend of relaxation and challenge.”
    • “Beyond its engaging gameplay, Forager also offers a great deal of replay value, with its procedurally generated world ensuring that each playthrough is unique and offers new challenges and opportunities.”
    • “The freedom to choose your playstyle and the endless possibilities for growth make Forager a highly replayable and enjoyable experience.”
    • “The game is very fun for a one-time playthrough but has completely zero replayability.”
    • “Unfortunately, the challenges in the game are mostly puzzles that, once solved, have no replay value.”
    • “The game does not have a big volume, and although it tries to introduce some replayability, after the end of one playthrough you are likely to get bored with it.”
  • humor104 mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its lightheartedness and charm, featuring funny NPCs, witty dialogue, and amusing references that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the quirky and colorful aesthetic, which complements the engaging puzzles and gameplay mechanics, making it a fun and addictive title. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the game, keeping players entertained and invested.

    • “The game's humor also adds to its charm.”
    • “The audio and visual feedback make every action feel meaningful and enjoyable, and the game's humor adds just the right amount of levity to keep things fun.”
    • “I enjoyed the puzzles, and the witty humor & references to various other games were a nice touch.”
    • “The fourth wall 'jokes' are just not funny.”
    • “The humor feels forced and falls flat throughout the game.”
    • “I expected clever wit, but the jokes are stale and unoriginal.”
  • stability87 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players express frustration over the lack of updates and fixes, indicating that the game feels abandoned and unfinished despite its fun and addictive gameplay. While some acknowledge that the game has potential, the overwhelming consensus is that its stability issues significantly hinder enjoyment.

    • “107 hours on mobile only to find out the Steam version is pretty much bug-free.”
    • “Runs great on Linux with Proton.”
    • “After 100% this game, I've learned that this was a buggy mess and not worth the price.”
    • “It's filled with bugs and glitches, to the point where I even lost a 40-hour save file.”
    • “While not game-breakingly buggy, multiple things blatantly don't work fully as intended.”
  • optimization43 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, particularly on higher refresh rate monitors and during late-game scenarios. While some enjoy the addictive gameplay and potential for optimization within the game mechanics, the overall experience is marred by low frame rates, bugs, and a lack of quality-of-life features, leading to frustration for many users. Despite its charming art style and engaging gameplay, the consensus is that the game feels unfinished and poorly optimized.

    • “The progression is slow at first and quickly ramps up to an insane degree, that allows for a lot of optimization.”
    • “There's a lot of optimization and production built into the game, and it was very enjoyable to keep expanding on bigger and bigger setups.”
    • “If you like anything with resource management, crafting, and optimization along with actual gameplay and combat elements then this is the game for you.”
    • “Unfortunately, the dev seems to have unoptimized it with a recent patch because the game I played this week and the game I played 4 years ago ran completely differently. Although there's nothing wrong with how it plays right now, it feels sluggish.”
    • “There's a severe performance drop when running on a monitor with more than a 60Hz refresh rate.”
    • “The game doesn't have any optimization features, so you can't decrease the graphical load on your end, nor can you get rid of resource-intensive processes like looting from the mobs you just killed, which all add up to your character moving half a centimeter a second for 30 seconds.”
  • emotional41 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and wholesome qualities, with many players expressing feelings of joy and nostalgia while engaging with its charming art style and touching development story. However, some players also report feeling conflicted or guilty during gameplay, particularly when faced with tasks that involve harming cute characters, which adds a layer of emotional complexity. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke strong positive emotions, making it a memorable experience for many.

    • “Forager is a delightful and heartwarming game that captivates players with its unique blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and resource management.”
    • “The development story of this game made me cry; this game is a passion project, and it shows through its addicting gameplay.”
    • “Also, the developer's story that is in the extra menu made me shed a tear for how beautiful that story was. Thank you, developers, for making such a beautiful fun game.”
  • atmosphere17 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by its charming pixel art, delightful soundtrack, and light-hearted dialogue, creating a whimsical and relaxing environment for players. Users appreciate the endearing visuals and sound effects, which enhance the overall experience and encourage exploration and engagement. The atmosphere is often described as cheerful and nostalgic, reminiscent of games like Stardew Valley, allowing for a laid-back and enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “The quirky dialogue and amusing character interactions contribute to the game’s light-hearted atmosphere, making it a joy to explore and engage with the world.”
    • “Endearing art style and music: the game's adorable pixel art and charming soundtrack create a delightful and relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “Much like Stardew Valley, this game creates a chill atmosphere and allows the player to progress at their own pace.”
    • “Totally bizarre shift in atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is charming and the puzzles are challenging.”
    • “☐ atmosphere is there”
  • monetization12 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and ads, likening it to a mobile game experience without the typical annoyances. However, there are concerns about the game feeling like a cash grab, particularly with the developer's focus on creating a sequel instead of providing free updates. Overall, while the lack of aggressive monetization is praised, the perception of it being a cash grab dampens the experience for some players.

    • “Luckily, if you don't heed the warning and do buy this game, there aren't any microtransactions, so it doesn't abuse (even though it very well could) your inability to stop playing it.”
    • “Also, props for no microtransactions whatsoever.”
    • “Well, the best way to describe it is like a mobile game but without the annoyance of a mobile game; full feature, not microtransactions, the developer is implementing features and listening to the player base.”
    • “This is a key element where so many games miss the mark now, they instead enslave themselves to monetization models that reduce playing the game to being an actual chore.”
    • “To summarize, I give it a negative opinion not because it is bad, but because it feels like a cash grab.”
    • “So instead of putting effort into and releasing a 'cash grab' free update, he is instead going to make a Forager 2 for people to buy again, without telling the vast majority of owners that these updates have been canceled.”
  • character development3 mentions

    The game features an adorable art style and strong character design, making it highly recommended for fans of character development. It successfully combines combat, exploration, crafting, farming, and mining, with enjoyable tier progression in character development through tools and technology/magic.

    • “Highly recommend it if you like character development games; it's a perfect mix of combat, exploration, crafting, farming, and mining.”
    • “Exploration is done well, with fun tier progression in character development through tools and technology/magic.”
    • “Adorable art style with great character design.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Forager

Play time

17hMedian play time
25hAverage play time
15hMain story
41hCompletionist
10-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 154 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News