FortressCraft Evolved

Starting at $4.69Buy now

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,058 reviews

gameplay134 positive mentions

grinding178 negative mentions

FortressCraft Evolved offers a unique blend of automation, exploration, and tower defense mechanics, providing a deep and engaging gameplay experience.
The game has a vast world with significant vertical depth, allowing players to explore and mine resources from various biomes.
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 and does not adequately guide new players, leading to confusion and frustration.
The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to navigate and manage resources effectively.
The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
566 mentions
24 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Fortresscraft Evolved is a complex blend of automation, resource management, and tower defense mechanics, offering a deep and engaging experience for players who enjoy intricate systems and strategic planning. However, many users criticize the steep learning curve, lack of clear tutorials, and a poorly designed UI, which can make the initial experience frustrating. Despite its flaws, the game provides hundreds of hours of potential gameplay, especially for those willing to invest time in understanding its mechanics and exploring its vast world.
- “Very clever gameplay.”
- “When it was released, the market was saturated with voxel-based games, yet Fortresscraft Evolved carved out a niche due to its unique blend of genres, automation-focused gameplay, and exceptional depth in its mechanics.”
- “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.”
- “Even when you find out what you're doing after going through all the inaccurate documentation, you're still stuck in a terrible gameplay loop where the game doesn't actually start until you get lithium, which is about halfway through material progression.”
- “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.”
- “The game overall is fun but has some very annoying mechanics; the most annoying is the inconsistency in research machines and unlocks.”
graphics
426 mentions
27 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the voxel art style can be visually appealing, it often suffers from glitches, dull colors, and a lack of polish. Some users appreciate the game's unique aesthetic and innovative mechanics, but others criticize the overall graphical quality as outdated or inconsistent, especially when compared to similar titles like Minecraft or Factorio. Overall, while there are moments of impressive visuals, many players feel that significant improvements are needed to enhance the graphical experience.
- “The graphics, while based around cubes for the terrain, are actually pretty good.”
- “Graphics: for a voxel game the graphics 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 graphics are fantastic and every machine I've used so far has very clean animations.”
- “The strange graphics, general lack of explanation of anything, redundant features, and inconsistent GUI visuals make it seem like somebody downloaded too many random mods.”
- “The graphics are dull, with everything painted in gloomy colors.”
- “The UI and graphics are very poorly and lazily made, also the dev has abandoned the project.”
grinding
182 mentions
1 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and clunky, particularly in the early stages where resource gathering and automation setup can feel overwhelming. While some appreciate the grind as a necessary part of the game's progression and find satisfaction in eventual automation, others criticize it for being overly time-consuming and lacking meaningful rewards. Overall, the game is described as grindy, with a steep learning curve that may deter players seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “The grind in FCE is there, of course, and is very adjustable... so much so that it feels like you're not grinding at times.”
- “The grind in FCE is there, of course, and is very adjustable... so much so that it feels like you're not grinding at times.”
- “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.”
stability
170 mentions
4 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting it as extremely buggy and poorly optimized, leading to frequent crashes and frustrating gameplay experiences. Many players have noted that they often spend more time troubleshooting issues than actually playing, particularly in multiplayer modes, which are described as especially problematic. While some acknowledge the game's potential and express hope for future improvements, the consensus is that it currently feels unfinished and unpolished, making it difficult to recommend to those who are sensitive to technical issues.
- “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 runs great, but I can't play multiplayer without constantly getting bugs and it randomly crashes.”
- “Just to say it shortly, the game is very buggy and really badly optimized.”
- “A buggy, glitchy mess where adding new features was more important than fixing the old ones.”
- “Very buggy game, I'd say it isn't finished and should still be in beta.”
optimization
144 mentions
17 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent bugs, and frame rate issues even on high-end hardware. While some updates have improved stability and performance, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, particularly in later stages of play and with complex factory setups. Despite these challenges, players who prioritize factory optimization and gameplay depth may still find value in the experience.
- “If you loved factory building games and overall optimization sims, you're selling yourself short by not getting this.”
- “From what I can tell, this game is optimized extremely well.”
- “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, despite the totally genuine absolutely valid positive reviews that this game.”
- “It's also worth mentioning that this game is an absolute resource hog and is very poorly optimized; my GPU was running at 85% the entire time (GTX 1050ti OC), which is odd considering it plays GTA V and other demanding games just fine at 1080p.”
story
90 mentions
9 % positive mentions
82 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story in FortressCraft Evolved is minimal and primarily revolves around a survival premise where players crash on an alien planet and must gather resources to escape. While the game lacks a traditional narrative, it employs environmental storytelling and a mission system that provides some direction, allowing players to create their own experiences. Overall, the focus is more on gameplay mechanics and exploration rather than a deep, scripted storyline.
- “The game employs environmental storytelling.”
- “It has such a gigantic world for exploration, mining, design, automation, tower defense, and discovering a plot involving the mysterious crash of your shuttle onto this world.”
- “The story of how this game came to be is very interesting.”
- “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.”
- “Survival mode is more just an altered creative mode with a lackluster story and poor gameplay.”
music
48 mentions
13 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of a proper soundtrack and the presence of amateurish sound design. Users have noted the absence of customizable music options, leading to frustration as they are unable to adjust or disable the music easily. Overall, the removal of previous soundtracks has left the game feeling dull and lacking in polish, detracting from the overall experience.
- “I still love its music to this day.”
- “The sound design is decent, the effects get the job done, and some of the brief and intermittent background music is nice.”
- “Good music.”
- “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 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.”
atmosphere
32 mentions
56 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining elements reminiscent of Minecraft and Factorio, enhanced by dynamic weather effects like snow and fog. Players find the world both eerie and captivating, with a strong emphasis on lighting, sound effects, and environmental details that create a haunting yet engaging exploration experience. While some critiques mention the snowy atmosphere as less appealing, overall, the atmosphere is considered 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.”
- “Update: 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:”
replayability
30 mentions
33 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The replayability of FortressCraft Evolved is highly praised, with players noting that the random generation of maps ensures no two playthroughs are the same, leading to limitless replay potential. Many users report investing hundreds of hours into the game, enjoying its challenging gameplay, base-building mechanics, and continuous updates that add new content and features. Overall, the game is considered one of the best in terms of replay value on Steam, making it a compelling choice for players seeking a long-term gaming experience.
- “With random generated maps, the replayability is limitless.”
- “If you like challenging gameplay, building a base, making complex factories, and dealing with the logistics of finding raw ore, smelting it, sorting it, storing it, making it into things, defending your base from aliens, teching up via a cool research system, 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.”
- “Not only that, but the sheer amount of replayability is staggering.”
- “There's a lot of replayability in this game, and with constant updates and a lot of features being planned, it is always a new experience.”
humor
16 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find joy in the quirky mechanics and the developer's personality, others feel that the forced humor in item descriptions can be grating. The game has a steep learning curve, but once players get accustomed to it, they often find themselves laughing at the absurdities and challenges presented. Overall, the humor is present but can be hit or miss depending on individual preferences.
- “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 lot of fun to find and set up the ore sites and play around with machines and conveyor belts and lifts and funny robots.”
- “While this may be true to some point, lots of things do revolve around him and he is a big part of the game; for something that is nothing as some would say, it's funny you can buy DLCs that reskin him.”
monetization
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as overly aggressive, with frequent and intrusive DLC ads that disrupt gameplay and diminish the overall experience. While some users argue that the main game is complete and not a cash grab, the constant promotion of additional content detracts from enjoyment and clarity.
- “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.”
emotional
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional response to the game, describing experiences that range from heartbreak to laughter and tears. The intensity of these feelings is so profound that some users feel compelled to downvote the game despite their reluctance, indicating a deep connection to the game's narrative or mechanics. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, with players feeling both joy and sorrow throughout their gameplay.
- “Severely heartbreaking...”
- “I laughed, I cried.”
- “I hated to give a thumbs down, but I felt compelled to emotionally.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that character development suffers from poor design choices, leading to a lack of depth and relatability in the characters, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and lacking depth, which made it hard to care about their journeys.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development made the experience feel linear and unengaging.”