Foundation

About

Foundation is a single player strategy game with historical and business themes. It was developed by Polymorph Games and was released on January 31, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

"Foundation" is a medieval city-building game that allows you to create organic, gridless cities. Focusing on resource management, monument construction, and organic development, you'll manage your population, extract resources, establish trade routes, and build monuments as you grow your settlement. Face narrative events and quests while constructing your prosperous city in this laid-back simulation experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 13,488 reviews

gameplay440 positive mentions

stability226 negative mentions

gameplay
1,556 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
The gameplay of "Foundation" is characterized by its unique gridless building mechanics and organic city development, allowing players to create sprawling settlements that evolve based on villager needs and actions. While many players appreciate the relaxing and strategic aspects of the game, some find the mechanics convoluted and poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and aesthetic appeal, but it still requires further refinement and depth to fully realize its potential.
- “Super cozy gameplay, lots to do.”
- “Wonderful mechanics that offer countless hours of replay value if you’re into aesthetics and success as a ruler.”
- “The gameplay strikes a nice balance between managing resources and making sure your villagers are happy, without feeling too stressful.”
- “Some of the game mechanics are equally frustrating.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is basically a shallow sandbox with very basic mechanics and no challenge other than fighting the unintuitive UI, the poorly implemented pathing of the villagers, and the horrible performance late game.”
- “The gameplay as a whole is okay, what annoyed me the most is my CPU staying in 93-97 degrees Celsius.”
graphics
1,306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the charming, cartoonish art style and vibrant visuals that create an aesthetically pleasing experience. While some users noted performance issues and occasional graphical glitches, the overall impression is that the graphics enhance the relaxing gameplay and organic city-building mechanics. The game's unique gridless layout and attention to detail in animations further contribute to its appeal, making it a visually engaging option for fans of city-building games.
- “Foundation’s graphics are charmingly rustic, with vibrant landscapes that make you want to dive into your monitor and frolic through pixelated meadows.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the in-game systems are very intuitive.”
- “The art style is gorgeous and the way the town grows organically due to how citizens choose to place their housing plots in relation to the organically developed 'desire paths' is fabulous.”
- “Graphics are low quality, building intersections with hills is terrible, lack of seasons, etc. feels like a mobile game.”
- “The graphics are from bug-free, and I regularly find game-breaking graphical errors, requiring a restart, possibly losing progress.”
- “I'm less than two hours in and I'm bored, the game graphics are from a cookie cutter engine that you find on your phone and the menu is from the year 2000 and clunky and some obnoxious.”
story
644 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
83%
8%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it feels minimal or even non-existent. While there are quests to guide players through the mechanics, they often lack variety and connection to the game's world, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, players express a desire for a more developed narrative and richer storytelling elements to enhance their gameplay experience.
- “The in-game tutorial as quests are a nice touch; it covers most aspects as you learn.”
- “There is at least a lot more scope for being creative compared to other games in the genre, but a well-built map and an engaging storyline keep me far more interested.”
- “The progression through the quest feels timely and balanced, so it keeps me engaged and always looking ahead but I'm not waiting forever for something.”
- “There is no story, no levels and eventually you find a meta strategy.”
- “The game doesn't provide much in the way of objectives (there's a handful of quests early on), and there are little threats to your development.”
- “The only problems I have had is the fact that there's no story in a world that is screaming for one.”
music
388 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the gentle, medieval-inspired soundtrack, which complements the charming visuals and creates an immersive atmosphere. While some note that the music can be repetitive, it generally serves as a pleasant backdrop that allows players to enjoy hours of gameplay without feeling overwhelmed.
- “The soundtrack, a gentle array of lutes and flutes, soothes the soul and makes the daily grind of managing a village feel like a pleasant afternoon in a renaissance fair.”
- “The music is calming and I love how it adjusts throughout my world.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal and the gameplay is so soothing.”
- “Foundation is a downgraded 'The Settlers VII' with worst models, worst textures, worst music, and less fun.”
- “The ui is a bit rough and the soundtrack, while good, is repetitive.”
- “Like after a bit more than an hour in the game, the music started cutting in and out, so I had to disable it.”
stability
258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
2%
88%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios when the population exceeds 300. While some users have noted that the game runs well on certain systems and is relatively bug-free in early stages, the overall consensus is that it remains unfinished and overly buggy for a full-price title. Players are hopeful for improvements as the game continues to develop, but many recommend waiting for further updates before fully committing.
- “If you're looking for a relatively bug-free medieval city builder in early access, look no further.”
- “No bugs, no glitches, it just works.”
- “Definitely far from feature complete, but the base game is very playable and mostly bug-free.”
- “The buggy and completely arcane pathfinding system for villagers is a dealbreaker for me.”
- “Waste 12 hours of your life only to be done in by the bugs and glitches.”
- “When this game is finished it'll be one of the absolute best city builders on the market, but right now it's too buggy to warrant the $30 asking price.”
grinding
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
10%
89%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages where resource management and building processes can feel repetitive and frustrating. While some appreciate the depth of strategy involved, others feel that the lack of efficient feedback and the need for constant micromanagement detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of stagnation and grind. Overall, players suggest that the game could benefit from streamlining certain mechanics to enhance the experience.
- “Gameplay is enjoyable, no tedious over management required.”
- “I have played for 42 hours and each and every game I have started has come to a grinding halt for this reason.”
- “During the early game especially, you spend a lot of time waiting for things to be finished building, or waiting for gold to come in, or materials to be harvested, etc. Due to this, I can spend 4 hours on a city just to barely make it to the farming part of the prosperity tree.”
- “Perhaps in a couple of months there will be enough game here to get more than 2 hours of fun out of it (after 2 hours, it gets to be nothing but tedious with no way to expand or improve -- just endless repetition and a population wall to run into).”
optimization
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
53%
17%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly in the late game and with larger populations. While some users report smooth performance on lower settings, others note that the game struggles with frame rates and stuttering, especially after a few hours of play. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance and address various bugs and inefficiencies.
- “It is a perfect balance of optimization and beauty.”
- “The game runs smoothly on max settings and the close all windows button is a nice feature to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed with all of the management windows.”
- “Although the game is still in early access, it feels very polished, full of content, and very optimized.”
- “Unfortunately, there's a video lag/stuttering problem that kicks in for lots of users a few hours into a game.”
- “For what the game does, optimization is far from acceptable and after a few hours of gameplay and town growth you'll see your FPS going down no matter your PC specs.”
- “The performance is tragically bad; I can pull 144 FPS in about everything (matching my monitor's refresh rate), but in this game I'm lucky to see 60 FPS, which seems hard to imagine, but they must have some extreme inefficiency somewhere, be it the engine or the scene management.”
replayability
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its potential for endless customization and varied gameplay through mechanics like map generation and village specializations. However, some users note that the current limited number of maps and gameplay elements can lead to redundancy after a few playthroughs. Overall, while there is significant replay value, especially with ongoing updates and modding support, the game still requires more content to fully realize its potential.
- “Overall, I highly recommend this game as its replay value, graphics, gameplay mechanics, and unlocks are familiar and unique to where each playthrough will be different and entertaining.”
- “This game is loads of fun with tons of replayability (with the mods).”
- “With the easy drag and drop components, it offers infinite replayability.”
- “Maps are generated with seeds and slider options, which while great for being available doesn't provide a lot of replay value at the current time as you will likely find yourself sticking to one playthrough.”
- “As it is, the replay value goes way, way down after you've played through each map once or maybe twice.”
- “There's just no replayability.”
atmosphere
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming and relaxing qualities, enhanced by a delightful art style and immersive sound design, including ambient sounds and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the harmonious and colorful environment that encourages creativity and screenshot-taking, making it a pleasant escape from more stressful gaming experiences. While some note a lack of complexity and atmospheric weather effects, the overall ambiance is considered a strong point that contributes significantly to the enjoyment of the game.
- “The sound design is also well-done, with ambient sounds like birds chirping and the clanging of hammers adding to the game's immersive atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and art style are charming and very relaxing and nice to look at.”
- “The atmosphere, the soundtrack, and the peacefulness are just what I need in these times.”
- “It's like the old Zeus games, minus the atmosphere, the warfare, the complexity, plus lots of bugs (e.g. buildings not working because people cannot enter them).”
- “I love the concept, the period, and the atmosphere of the game - but it feels like a barebones Banished at the moment.”
- “Overall, I feel the game's art style and atmosphere really allow for players to run a village of hundreds or even thousands of people without worrying too much about how you'll need to keep the village afloat with trading or resource management, but how you'd like to see it grow.”
humor
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
4%
The humor in this city builder survival game is widely appreciated, with players noting its charming animations, quirky character designs, and amusing gameplay mechanics that often lead to funny situations. Many reviewers highlight the lighthearted tone and developer's personality reflected in the game, making it a relaxing and entertaining experience, despite some bugs and UI issues. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, encouraging players to enjoy the whimsical aspects of city planning and management.
- “It's made with so much love and humor, and they include their player base in the process.”
- “I crack up laughing every time I build a new sheep farm.”
- “Another funny thing is that sometimes your fisherpeople won't have boats, so they will walk/glide upon the water like Jesus and show everyone how it's really done.”
- “I'm not an 'easy' reviewer; just check my past reviews to see how I have no problem bashing games that are too costly for what they offer or, simply enough, are not funny at all!”
- “The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
- “I expected a lot more laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally uplifting, particularly appreciating its wholesome and charming approach that evokes nostalgic feelings of childhood. Many have noted that it serves as a comforting escape during difficult times, helping to alleviate feelings of anhedonia and stress. Overall, the game's improvements over the years have enhanced its emotional resonance, making it a beloved choice for those seeking a positive gaming experience.
- “I've been in an emotional slump in life lately, another bout of anhedonia caused likely from a blend of ADHD, stress, and cyclothymia.”
- “This game made me feel like a kid trying desperately to upgrade just a few more homes into the patrician class before running out to catch my bus to school in the mornings.”
- “In contrast to games like 'Banished', Foundation aims for a more 'wholesome' and charming approach to the core gameplay, which I personally much appreciate.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Reviews highlight a growing concern over monetization practices in gaming, with some players feeling that many new releases are shallow and designed primarily for profit rather than player satisfaction. However, there are positive mentions of games that provide regular updates and avoid typical cash grab tactics, suggesting a desire for more genuine and fulfilling gaming experiences. Overall, players hope developers will prioritize player feedback and avoid exploitative monetization strategies.
- “All of the things that got me into gaming are so hard to find these days, where any yahoo who watched a 45-minute seminar on monetization, a 2-hour tutorial on Blender and Unity, and has access to a credit card for an asset store can release these so-called 'games' that are more like eating a candy bar: fun for exactly as long as it takes you to unwrap them and stuff them into your mouth, then unfulfilling, empty calories you'll forget by the next day.”
- “Let's hope they listen to the players and it's not a cash grab game.”
- “Great civilization builder that is getting regular updates, not your run-of-the-mill early access cash grab game.”