Hammerting
- November 16, 2021
- Warpzone Studios
- 12h median play time
A fiddly take on management, survival and city building that you can still lose a weekend to.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Hammerting" is a fantasy role-playing game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op gameplay for 2 players. As a dwarven mining colony sim, you'll manage a clan, craft weapons, and delve deep into mines for resources and glory. The game features stunning visuals, a good soundtrack, and a unique atmosphere, but be prepared for a grind, optimization issues, and bugs. Help your dwarves establish a legendary mining operation, crafting weapons and supplies for allies in need.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay with a charming art style and atmosphere.
- Complex crafting system that allows for customization of tools and weapons.
- Active development with regular updates and community engagement.
- Poor AI pathfinding leading to dwarves getting stuck or idling unnecessarily.
- Lack of meaningful endgame content and progression feels shallow.
- Abandoned by developers, leaving many features unpolished and bugs unresolved.
- gameplay250 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Hammerting is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and significant issues, including bugs, unfinished features, and a lack of polish. While the game offers a deep and sprawling experience with elements of colony management and crafting, many players find the mechanics underdeveloped and frustrating, leading to a gameplay loop that can feel tedious and unbalanced. Overall, it shows potential but is marred by its current state, making it more suitable for those willing to overlook its flaws or wait for further updates.
“The gameplay is fun and engaging.”
“Very cool combination of gameplay mechanics.”
“The game is sprawling and the mechanics are incredibly deep.”
“The first thing you notice is how unfinished everything is and how poorly thought out the mechanics are.”
“Game-breaking bugs hundreds of times within the first 15 minutes of gameplay.”
“The current state of the game is borderline broken with unfinished assets, balancing issues, unfinished core mechanics, etc., and since those won't change anytime soon, I'd avoid it.”
- story202 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 92 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story and quest system are criticized for being underdeveloped and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the lack of meaningful narrative and engaging missions. While the concept has potential, the execution feels unpolished, leading to a grindy experience that detracts from enjoyment. Players desire a more compelling storyline and improved quest mechanics to enhance the overall gameplay experience.
“I wish there was a story campaign; that would make it more compelling to keep playing.”
“There is a good deal of room for improvement, namely in stockpile management, expansion of systems such as the overworld & farming, pathfinding & labor assignment - and most importantly: storytelling.”
“I've found it enjoyable to gather resources, complete quests, and explore to gain lore.”
“Factions have no personality or storyline aspects, and the 'war' has nothing to make it compelling or interactive.”
“There are regular crashes, no urgency in the gameplay, the story doesn't make sense, and frankly it is not a lot of fun; it turns into a grind.”
“In the meantime, the only win condition is amassing a truly enormous amount of money (again, only achievable through tedious repetition), because the devs removed the main storyline 6 updates ago.”
- graphics190 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of Hammerting are generally praised for their unique art style, colorful and cartoonish visuals, and attention to detail, creating an appealing atmosphere that enhances gameplay. However, many players report significant issues, including graphic glitches, placeholder assets, and performance problems, particularly after updates, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are considered a strong point, the game's lack of polish and unresolved technical issues leave it feeling unfinished for some players.
“The graphics, the music, and atmosphere are all very beautiful.”
“Hammerting is a base builder with colorful and cartoonish graphics, which gives a sense that this game is meant for a casual player, yet it contains depths that appeal to less casual players.”
“The graphical style of this game is something that deserves praise.”
“Stepped away for a few months, learned the devs are not updating it and now my graphics are so distorted I can't even play a basic game.”
“The game now gives graphic errors and appears to be abandoned.”
“Edit: this was a big graphics issue across the player base that never got addressed and the game is no longer receiving updates.”
- grinding108 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with players describing it as tedious, laborious, and often frustrating due to poor AI, complex crafting systems, and micromanagement requirements. Many reviews highlight that the game demands excessive repetition for resource gathering and crafting, leading to a lack of enjoyment and engagement. While some recent updates have improved certain mechanics, the overall sentiment remains that the game feels overly grindy and in need of further refinement to enhance the player experience.
“There is next to nothing you could call content in this game and after slamming into the wall of lag, poor AI pathing, bugs, and pointless grinding, I can say with confidence that this was the most disappointing game I have played in years.”
“The other problem I have with the game is if you want to win, you have to do some serious grinding.”
“Meaning I used more time grinding than I did enjoying the gameplay.”
- optimization86 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to significant performance issues, especially in the late game where lag becomes unbearable and gameplay is often unplayable. Players report frequent stuttering, AI pathing problems, and bugs that hinder control and task management, with many expressing frustration over the game's abandonment and lack of updates. Overall, the game is deemed fun in its early stages but becomes a test of patience due to its poor optimization and numerous technical flaws.
“There is depth in random places, like the RPG aspect of dwarf levels and the ability to min/max tool performance with special parts.”
“Logistics/item management is quite tricky and there's loads of planning involved if you want an optimized base.”
“This game is a lot of fun, but it needs some major work on AI and optimization.”
“Abandoned at your own risk -- the game is playable until mid to late game when AI pathing and task handling are very poorly optimized, and the game just starts to lag even with a fairly good PC.”
“These performance issues make it a feat of absolute patience to reach any of the end-game goals or get any of the harder end-game achievements unless you are willing to slog through horrible performance for endless hours of fast-forward at 5 fps just waiting on the game to be done lagging.”
“The game needs optimization as it lags after you reach a certain amount of dwarves and structures built to an extent that it becomes unplayable.”
- stability82 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting it as unfinished and plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including game-breaking issues and crashes. While some players have experienced minimal problems, the overall consensus is that the game feels abandoned and is not currently playable in a satisfactory state. Despite its potential, many recommend waiting for significant updates before considering a purchase.
“My experience has been bug-free for the most part, with only minor AI glitches.”
“Cool game... bug-free.”
“Abandoned in unfinished and buggy state.”
“You are better off with literally anything else, which is painful because this game is beautiful but is an unfinished buggy mess.”
“From buggy UI that simply doesn't work to randomly spawning elite monsters from the ether that wipe out your entire colony in the first few minutes, Hammerting is nowhere near a playable game nor worthy of having left early access.”
- music42 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and visual style. While some players find it repetitive and occasionally melancholic, many appreciate its ability to draw them into the gameplay experience. There are suggestions for a more diverse soundtrack, particularly one that aligns better with the dwarven theme, to provide a more uplifting alternative over extended play sessions.
“Great gameplay, great music, a great feel-good vibe.”
“Moreover, the calming music track enhances the graphics’ colorful, cartoonish, and lighthearted setting.”
“The music and ambient design is very fitting for this game and even after hours of play it still is a joy to listen to.”
“When loading the game, I expected thumping music and a dark atmosphere akin to what you should expect from Tolkien-inspired dwarven society.”
“Instead, I was introduced to calming and repetitive music, which looped from the main menu into the actual game.”
“The current music might be annoying after 22 hours, but in general I like the feeling.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics and music, creating a chill and immersive experience. Players appreciate the art style and the thematic elements reminiscent of a Tolkien-inspired dwarven society, enhancing the overall enjoyment of managing dwarfs and exploring underground environments. Overall, the atmosphere is described as nice and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The graphics, the music, and atmosphere are all very beautiful.”
“When loading the game, I expected thumping music and a dark atmosphere akin to what you should expect from Tolkien-inspired dwarven society.”
“Pretty fun game; I really enjoy the art style and the chill atmosphere.”
“When loading the game, I expected thumping music and a dark atmosphere akin to what you would expect from a Tolkien-inspired dwarven society.”
“Then you can build structures with more atmospheric issues, like needing warm clothes in cold biomes and such.”
- humor20 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by the quirky and often absurd behavior of the dwarves, leading to amusing situations such as their comical failures in battle or their antics while performing tasks. Players find joy in the unexpected, like dwarves falling into voids or engaging in silly movements, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay despite some frustrations with mechanics. Overall, the blend of humor with the game's challenges creates a unique and entertaining experience.
“It has gotten a lot better, but there are times when a dwarf either runs back and forth in a hilarious impression of butthead dancing, or simply refuses to move until a 'dig' or 'mine' command is issued close to him.”
“Dwarves have some quirks that lead to hilarious situations.”
“Some random fiends invading and/or some kind of random events would be great: (both serious and funny ones like a dwarf getting wasted in your tavern and being unavailable to work for some time).”
“There is so much micro it is not funny.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and see potential for improvement with future content, many express concerns about the current lack of content and customization options that hinder replay value. Despite being more playable in its early access state, issues like pacing and missing endgame elements contribute to a perception of low replayability.
“The replayability is fantastic.”
“The game is in a much more playable and enjoyable early access state now.”
“Replayability worries me, but I'm sure the future content you'll add should take care of that.”
“The game is fun, but because of the lack of more content, it is not really replayable.”
“It had a lot going for it, and it was reasonably playable, but still missing the major items that are needed for replayability along with the majority of the endgame content.”
“My main concerns are pacing problems and very low replayability.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players labeling it a "cash grab" due to its reliance on AI-generated art and questionable advertising practices. However, others appreciate the developers' active engagement and commitment to addressing issues, suggesting that the early access model is being handled responsibly. Overall, while there are concerns about monetization tactics, there is also recognition of the developers' passion for the game.
“Run, it's a cash grab; run yet my hours are short.”
“This is a buggy, janky mess that leverages its genre for hype in what looks to be a blatant cash grab.”
“Another thing is the website for the game itself; they use AI images for the 'art' and even weirder is that they have AI art ads for Serbian and New Zealand casinos.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features significant character development, drawing comparisons to "Oxygen Not Included" but with a stronger focus on combat and interactions within a broader external world for trading and engagement. This emphasis enhances the depth and complexity of character progression.
“It reminds me in many ways of 'Oxygen Not Included,' but with more emphasis on combat and character development, as well as an overarching outside world to trade and interact with.”
