FortressCraft Evolved

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,345 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • stability
FortressCraft Evolved Game Cover
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FortressCraft Evolved is a voxel-based sandbox game focused on creativity, exploration, and combat. Gather resources, build structures, and create intricate machinery to automate tasks. Venture into alien ruins and battle aggressive creatures, using a variety of weapons and defenses to survive. With extensive modding support and a dedicated community, there's always something new to discover in this ever-evolving world.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,345 reviews
gameplay86 positive mentions
stability101 negative mentions
  • FortressCraft Evolved combines elements of Minecraft and Factorio, offering a unique blend of exploration, automation, and tower defense.
  • The game features a vast world with deep caverns and a complex tech tree, providing hours of engaging gameplay and opportunities for creativity.
  • The developer is active in the community, regularly updating the game and responding to player feedback, which enhances the overall experience.
  • The tutorial is poorly designed, leaving new players confused and overwhelmed, with little guidance on how to progress.
  • The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to navigate and manage resources effectively.
  • The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and immersion.
  • gameplay333 mentions

    The gameplay of Fortresscraft Evolved is characterized by its deep automation mechanics and complex resource management, appealing to fans of games like Factorio and Minecraft. However, players frequently note a steep learning curve due to a poorly designed tutorial and a confusing user interface, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers hundreds of hours of potential gameplay, many users express frustration with its slow progression and inconsistent mechanics, suggesting that it requires patience and a willingness to navigate its intricacies.

    • “The gameplay is fun and having an automation-based game in a 3D space theme is a fun situation in my opinion.”
    • “If you love complex builders that will suck up tons of your time figuring out the mechanics and how to optimize mass automation, this will always scratch that itch.”
    • “The basic gameplay loop - find resource, mine resource, automate crafting with resource - is incredibly satisfying, and the occasional break for tower defense elements blends together surprisingly well.”
    • “The game suffers when it attempts to do too many differing, half-baked mechanics at once.”
    • “Unfortunately, the complete lack of explaining basic mechanics starts from the main menu and gets worse into the 'tutorial.' Added to this is the fact that the UI is terrible, switching quickly and wildly inconsistently between diegetic and not.”
    • “Overall, very badly designed game, a wannabe Minecraft-like game with advanced tech but at the end is more annoying, with highly confusing gameplay and don't forget many hotkeys; you basically need to use the whole keyboard to do one thing.”
  • graphics254 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear outdated and can suffer from performance issues, such as low frame rates even on modern hardware. While some appreciate the colorful and retro aesthetic reminiscent of late-90s games, others criticize the visuals for being overly busy or poorly optimized, leading to graphical glitches and a lack of polish. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are often described as charming or decent for a voxel-based game, with potential for improvement in future updates.

    • “The commitment to a distinct aesthetic, engaging mechanics, and subtle environmental storytelling showcases impressive game design intent.”
    • “Graphics for a voxel game are amazing with day/night cycles, real-time shadows, screen-space reflections, reflection maps, diffuse lighting, and more, enough to make even a top-notch PC cry with settings maxed out.”
    • “The sheer level of effort put into the visuals is very noticeable, and the torch light in underground areas is pretty cool, giving a real sense of exploration.”
    • “The graphics are dull, with everything painted in gloomy colors.”
    • “The graphics are horrible, UI and controls are whacky, there is no real goal beside farming resources, and even that is implemented only in a very basic way (for an automation simulator).”
    • “The UI and graphics are very poorly and lazily made, also the dev has abandoned the project.”
  • stability104 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, crashes, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players express frustration over the game's unfinished state, citing that despite some improvements since its early access, it remains riddled with glitches and optimization problems, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players find enjoyment in the game despite these issues, the consensus is that it is still far from polished and may not be suitable for those sensitive to technical problems.

    • “Tons of fun, and runs great on Linux.”
    • “After playing the game non-stop for a few days, I have to say this game is one of the best voxel games. It's still being created at this time, but so far I've come across no glitches myself.”
    • “The game is buggy as hell.”
    • “A buggy, glitchy mess where adding new features was more important than fixing the old ones.”
    • “Very buggy in many places, especially multiplayer, and also not very optimized yet.”
  • grinding103 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages where players must manually gather resources and set up automation. While some players find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the eventual rewards of automation, many express frustration with the clunky UI, repetitive tasks, and the overall lack of meaningful progression. Despite some attempts to mitigate grind through settings and automation, the consensus is that the game can feel overwhelmingly grindy and unbalanced, especially for those not inclined towards such gameplay.

    • “The grind in FCE is present, of course, and is very adjustable... so much so that it feels like you're not grinding at times.”
    • “Not grinding through the building process yourself.”
    • “Everything is tedious, from belt placement, inventory management, finding ore without being blinded for no reason but to annoy you, setting up mining outposts to have them depleted in 5 hours (and believe me, 5 hours is just ridiculously fast in this game), to defense, collecting loot from defense, mining resin... I'm forgetting half the stuff, but all these things could be fun, but aren't. You are just fighting against the UI, the clunkiness of the block placement, and dying because the hook pulled you in a funny way this time.”
    • “The game is extremely grindy and the progression is almost non-existent.”
    • “It feels like playing Factorio, if Factorio were 3D, extraordinarily slow-paced, tedious, and unsatisfying in every way.”
  • optimization87 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent bugs, and frame rate issues, especially in later stages of gameplay. While some updates have improved performance, the overall experience remains inconsistent, particularly for users with lower-end hardware. Despite these challenges, players who prioritize factory optimization and problem-solving may still find value in the game, though they should be prepared for a rough experience.

    • “If you loved factory building games and overall optimization sims, you're selling yourself short by not getting this.”
    • “The features that drew me into this game are automation, exploration, research, and optimization.”
    • “It's already extremely well optimized and well put together as-is.”
    • “Just to say it shortly, the game is very buggy and really badly optimized.”
    • “This game is horribly unoptimized and crashes more often than I can say 'spare me from this misery.' I tried playing it time and time again, but it always manages to aggravate me so much with all of its awful choices.”
    • “It's poorly optimized, has many visual and game-breaking bugs, and the dev isn't putting enough resources into actually improving the game, but instead adding/working on content that he can sell as DLC.”
  • story59 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and primarily revolves around a survival premise where players crash on an alien planet and must gather resources to escape. While some players appreciate the environmental storytelling and the freedom to create their own narratives, many find the lack of a structured plot disappointing. Overall, the game emphasizes gameplay mechanics over a traditional storyline, with missions serving more as guidance than a narrative drive.

    • “The game employs environmental storytelling.”
    • “The story of how this game came to be is very interesting.”
    • “The premise of the survival mode is a mix between Factorio and Minecraft, where your mission is to basically collect resources and build infrastructure with the end goal of automating the collection of resources to let you build more stuff.”
    • “Narratively, like many other sandbox games, FortressCraft Evolved doesn't have a traditional story.”
    • “Don't expect there to be much of a story or scripted gameplay.”
    • “Not much plot or story; if that's what you're looking for, it's not here.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance gameplay, while others criticize its lack of variety and polish. Many users express frustration over the absence of customizable music options, leading to a repetitive experience, and some lament the removal of a previously enjoyed soundtrack. Overall, while the sound design is noted as decent, the music often feels amateurish and detracts from the overall experience for several players.

    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
    • “The sound design is decent, the effects get the job done, and some of the background music is nice.”
    • “The game is a brilliant indie game with loads of fun things to do, and has loads of replayability; the graphics are next level and the sound and music are great.”
    • “The game still has no music. I looked into this further and saw Djarcas's post about legal problems and YouTube takedowns. While I don't fault the removal of the amazing FortressCraft OST, the game benefited greatly from having it, and replacing it with actual music should have happened before it was 'finished.'”
    • “My biggest complaint is lack of polish, including user customization; for example, the music is often just whistling tones, begging to be turned down or off. There's no setting in the options to adjust only the music volume, nor a setting to disable music all of the time - it must be switched off every time you play. Just little things like this drive home that this is an indie game that needs some more love around the edges.”
    • “As of 1/18/2018, although I still play this game every once in a while, the removal of the soundtrack music from the game makes it even more dull and boring to play.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining elements from titles like Minecraft and Factorio with eerie and haunting environments. Players appreciate the effective use of weather effects, lighting, and sound design, which enhance the exploration experience, particularly in underground settings. While some users express a desire for visual improvements, the overall consensus highlights the atmosphere as a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

    • “Weather effects, including snow and fog, add to the atmospheric immersion.”
    • “The world is awesome and scary with very eerie and haunting atmospheres, and I keep half excitedly and half terrified exploring it bit by bit.”
    • “Whether it's a freezing cavern or a scorching lake of magma: particles, fog, UI and sound effects are effectively used to convincingly portray the atmosphere.”
    • “Update2: there is an 'atmosphere' mod for this game which makes the sky light blue and the light that hits the ground is more earth-like - it's an improvement at least.”
    • “The ugly snowy atmosphere doesn't make it better, but you can easily spend a week of intense playing until you get to that point.”
    • “Atmosphere is very important to a game, and I really just want to make it clear that this:”
  • replayability19 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, with features like random generation of maps and a variety of gameplay mechanics that ensure no two playthroughs are the same. Players report investing hundreds of hours and express eagerness to restart for improved experiences, highlighting the game's engaging learning curve and ongoing content updates. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most replayable titles available, offering endless fun and challenges.

    • “With random generated maps, the replayability is limitless.”
    • “If you like challenging gameplay, building a base, making complex factories, and dealing with logistics, all with infinite replayability, this will be your dream game too.”
    • “The replayability is a huge factor of this game; after completing it, I couldn't wait to have another try.”
    • “Replayability is endless in this game, as no two playthroughs will ever be the same.”
    • “There's a lot of replayability in this game, and with constant updates and many features being planned, it is always a new experience.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding the forced humor in item descriptions grating, while others appreciate the developer's personality and the comedic elements of gameplay, such as quirky mechanics and funny interactions. Despite some frustrations with the game's clunkiness and UI, many users report that the humor shines through as they become more familiar with the game, leading to enjoyable moments and laughter. Overall, while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it contributes to a fun and engaging experience for many players.

    • “The game has a bit of a learning curve to get into it, but once you get rolling you'll be laughing.”
    • “It's a good game in pretty much all aspects (if a little buggy at times. I'm looking at you, spiderbot on hills. But that's just hilarious) and great in others.”
    • “It's a lot of fun to find and set up the ore sites and play around with machines and conveyor belts and lifts and funny robots.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with players feeling overwhelmed by constant DLC advertisements and perceiving the approach as a cash grab. Many users express frustration over the intrusive nature of these ads, which detracts from the overall gaming experience, while others argue that the core game is complete and not merely an early access title.

    • “This looks like just a cash grab.”
    • “Also, there are DLC ads on every other menu, and there are not very clear explanations on how everything works.”
    • “Let them enjoy the game for at least five minutes before you shove huge ads for DLC in their face.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits strong reactions, with players expressing feelings of heartbreak and joy, often leading to laughter and tears. However, some users feel compelled to voice their disappointment, indicating that their emotional investment in the game has been marred by frustrating experiences, ultimately affecting their willingness to continue playing.

    • “Severely heartbreaking...”
    • “I laughed, I cried.”
    • “I hated to give a thumbs down, but I felt compelled to emotionally.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that character development suffers from poor design choices, leading to a lack of depth and coherence in character portrayal, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
    • “I was hoping for more depth in the characters, but they all seem one-dimensional and forgettable.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression makes the experience feel linear and unengaging.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

160hMedian play time
233hAverage play time
15-500hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 52 analyzed playthroughs

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