Founders' Fortune
- December 18, 2020
- Dionic Software
- 26h median play time
Get on Steam"Founders' Fortune" is a village-building simulation game where you manage colonists, build structures, and ensure their survival. With customizable designs for houses and furniture, create the settlement of your dreams. Keep your villagers healthy and happy, as their emotions and relationships affect productivity. Build a thriving community and expand your village over time.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a charming blend of colony management and character-driven gameplay, reminiscent of The Sims and Rimworld.
- Building mechanics are flexible, allowing for multi-story structures and creative designs.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates and improvements.
- The AI is frustratingly poor, often ignoring commands and leading to inefficient task management.
- The game lacks depth and content, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of long-term goals.
- There is no tutorial, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and systems.
- gameplay104 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a blend of colony simulation and life simulation, reminiscent of titles like The Sims and RimWorld, offering a mix of building, resource management, and character interaction. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and customization options, there are notable frustrations with the lack of depth in certain systems, bugs, and a feeling that the game is still in an early access state. Overall, the gameplay is considered fun and accessible, but it could benefit from further development and refinement to enhance its complexity and polish.
“I really like the looks of this game and you can customize everything so you can learn the mechanics while keeping colonists alive, then later replay with the war and hard stuff once you know how to survive... lovely game!”
“The gameplay is pretty easy to pick up, but they also have a tutorial.”
“The core game mechanics are solid and very well thought out.”
“Unfortunately, this game plays more like an 'early access' than it does a 'full release.' It definitely feels like they pushed the release earlier than they should have as there is no polish, lots of bugs, and mechanics that don't work properly.”
“The overall gameplay is okay, but the whole thing feels like it could be better. There are a lot of visual options but very little gameplay depth.”
“The gameplay is very easy to pick up, but it feels very alpha-like in that there is a single way to play.”
- graphics77 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their bright, colorful, and cartoonish style, which adds a charming and uplifting atmosphere to the gameplay. Many players appreciate the detailed 3D models and animations, noting that they enhance the overall experience, although some mention minor issues like blurriness in certain areas. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing to the game's appeal, especially for those who enjoy a more whimsical aesthetic.
“The graphics are very beautiful if you like bright colors and 3D detailed models, a nice change from most 2D sprite graphics of most colony simulators.”
“Beautiful graphics, lovely mechanics, and so much to do!”
“The graphics are quite cute and bright.”
“Some of the text and graphics are blurry when there's no reason for it.”
“- meh graphics, especially the animations.”
“The game makes up for it just for the sheer amount of gameplay that the bad graphics will just be an afterthought.”
- grinding58 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with players often feeling overwhelmed by micromanagement and the slow progression of tasks. Many reviews highlight the frustrating AI behavior, where colonists neglect essential farming duties in favor of less critical tasks, leading to a sense of futility in gameplay. While the game offers a mix of farming and colony simulation elements, the overall experience is marred by the need for constant grinding and the lack of engaging mechanics, making it feel more like a chore than a fun experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“And the game tries so hard to make your life hell spamming attacks and plagues that are not engaging at all, just more chores; and having to bury and build the graves of your enemies is just another brick on the wall of tediousness this game brings.”
“I have no idea why this game has a 'very positive' rating, I only have 10 hours on this but they were the most tedious hours I think I've ever had in a game and that's something coming from a guy that likes strategy, colony sims, and city-building games.”
“A promising premise of cute characters building a colony together, but horribly misinterpreted into the most tedious combination of game elements, leaving you reading a book for hours at a time waiting for the game to progress.”
- story34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players feeling that quests are often unfulfilling and frustrating. While some appreciate the random events and character interactions that add a semblance of narrative, the overall consensus is that the game lacks a compelling storyline, relying instead on player-driven experiences and construction mechanics. Despite this, the charming personalities of the colonists and the potential for memorable moments provide a glimmer of narrative engagement amidst the gameplay.
“Colonists' personalities bring some story and life to the base building mechanics.”
“Randomly generated story generator, your colony, the land they inhabit, and your colonists are random, which can lead to some entertaining and memorable moments.”
“I have played the majority of the games in this genre including RimWorld, Embark, Rise to Ruins, and this is the game that has the most complete storyline in terms of objectives and the least bugs of any of them.”
“I'll never know why the devs thought it was a good idea to make you feel like herding malevolent cats while tribes and pirates spam you with basically unfulfillable quests that lead to game-ending raids.”
“The AI needs to be tweaked; the game needs more in terms of story and building aspects.”
“How in the world is this game getting so many positive reviews? It's a cheap copy of Stonehearth with no multiplayer and a crappy game progression, extremely bad and stale fighting, with no real diversity for building houses—it's just rooms and decorations, single story.”
- stability19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 74 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches, including freezing issues and visual anomalies. While some users find the game playable despite these problems, others feel it lacks the polish expected from a 1.0 release, suggesting it resembles a beta version. Overall, while there are notable stability concerns, the game remains enjoyable for many players.
“I saw this as many did, years later, on 'Let's Game It Out', and as I love the colony sim genre, I gave it a shot, expecting the antics and bugs that Josh ran into; while it wasn't bug-free, I was shocked at how far and polished the developer made this title.”
“No buggy AI and pathfinding, the building system is easy to use and you can even move buildings after you place them.”
“It's a very nice looking game that runs great on my old dinosaur of a PC.”
“It freezes constantly.”
“It honestly feels like I'm playing a beta; there are weird visual glitches, missing text descriptions, and some odd grammar errors in descriptions.”
“The game is really buggy right now and has some critical flaws.”
- music14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and emotive, setting a relaxing and whimsical mood, though it can become repetitive over time. Some users noted that certain tracks have been reused from other games, and there are complaints about long pauses between songs. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience, it may not stand out significantly compared to larger titles with extensive soundtracks.
“Nice and emotive music too.”
“It looks wonderful, the soundtrack is lovely and sets the relaxing mood, and there's a skill tree to unlock new techs.”
“The soundtrack is cheerful and upbeat, perfectly complementing the game’s whimsical vibe.”
“The music stops for too long between tracks, and I hate gaming without background music.”
“The music becomes a little repetitive, but then again this is an indie game unlike The Sims with their massive soundtrack.”
“Some music has already been used in other games, especially one of the OST songs.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed among users. While some appreciate the potential for infinite play and the ability to apply lessons learned in new runs, others criticize the lack of significant endgame content and limited map variation, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness after initial exploration. Consequently, while there are enjoyable elements that encourage replay, many feel that the overall replay value is weak.
“This is kind of an 'infinite' game, so there is a lot of replay value in it.”
“I am looking forward to starting my next founder colony with all the hard lessons I've learned, so it's definitely replayable as is.”
“I chose the relaxing, more chill gameplay, while my husband went more hardcore... oh, and the replay value is priceless!”
“Enjoyable enough, though I am not sure how much replay value it has.”
“The game has little to no replay value even though the map is random since you play the game the same way regardless.”
“So there is a lot left to be done there, and with basically no map variation, there really isn't much to any replayability once you figure the game out.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Founder's Fortune" is characterized by the amusing antics of its quirky colonists, who engage in silly behaviors like kicking trees and rocks before using tools. Players find these moments both entertaining and endearing, leading to a mix of chuckles and facepalms as they navigate the game's charming and zany world. Overall, the game's humor adds to its engaging and delightful colony simulation experience.
“It's hilarious when colonists kick trees and rocks before getting tools.”
“These characters will have you chuckling, facepalming, and occasionally yelling at your screen as they go about their daily routines.”
“In conclusion, Founder’s Fortune is a hilarious, engaging, and charming colony simulation game.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while many users report good performance and smooth gameplay even on older PCs, some have experienced occasional pauses and note that further optimizations are needed. The user interface and graphics are generally well-received, contributing to a positive experience despite the optimization issues.
“Good performance; even on my quite old PC, it runs pretty well.”
“The UI is user-friendly, the graphics are pleasant on the eye, and my goodness, does this game run smoothly.”
“Great game, runs smoothly.”
“The game needs more optimizations.”
“Out of 11 villagers, only 7 have shown solid performance.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a deep emotional connection to the characters, often feeling a sense of attachment akin to raising them. The game's ability to evoke a range of emotions—from joy to sadness—enhanced by its beautiful music, creates a heart-touching experience that resonates strongly with players, leading some to restart the game to preserve their beloved characters. Overall, the themes of friendship and emotional investment are central to the gameplay experience.
“If you get emotionally attached to characters, especially if you basically raise them yourself, you may want to turn off lifespan.”
“Your pawns become happy, sad, emotional, downright pissed off sometimes, and even refuse to listen to your commands.”
“This game is heart-touching, and the music is beautiful. I can't wait to see more content. I have five characters with me, and I love them so much. The more you play, the more love you'll have for them. I lost one in battle, and I was really sad. Then sad music started playing, and I just had to restart to have him back with his little family. This game is all about friendship, sticking together, fighting, and experiencing a range of emotions. Please update this beautiful game with awesome content!”
