Hearthlands
- April 28, 2017
- Sergey Pershakov
- 18h median play time
Get on Steam"Hearthlands is a single-player strategy game with excellent mechanics and good graphics, set in a procedurally generated medieval/fantasy world. As a king, focus on city-building, resource management, diplomacy, heroes, and magic. The game offers flexibility in creating your realm, from a powerful empire to a humble fishing village, with characters having their own minds and behaviors."
Mac OS
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Reviews
- Fun and engaging city-building mechanics reminiscent of classic games like Caesar and Pharaoh.
- Charming graphics and a nostalgic feel that appeals to fans of old-school city builders.
- Offers a good balance of resource management, trading, and combat, providing depth and replayability.
- Some players experience difficulty with the combat system, feeling it lacks control and strategy.
- The game can be unbalanced, with some mechanics leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Graphics and UI could use improvement, as some elements feel outdated or clunky.
- gameplay93 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the city builder is characterized by a charming art style and a mix of mechanics that offer both depth and complexity, reminiscent of classic titles like Caesar and Pharaoh. While some players appreciate the innovative ideas and rewarding challenges, others find the mechanics can be frustrating, particularly regarding supply chain management and combat controls. Overall, the game provides a solid experience with a helpful tutorial, though it may feel derivative to some due to its similarities with older games in the genre.
“Charming art style, surprising depth to gameplay, and interesting mix of mechanics that I haven't seen much in other games.”
“The small variations in gameplay you get from playing as the different factions is a welcome change to the formula as well.”
“The tutorial is really helpful to new players and explains the core gameplay features, making it easy to understand how the game mechanics work.”
“The gameplay is okay, but you'll spend most of your time trying to debug why your supply chain isn't giving a resource to the right building when you have 50!”
“Very shallow gameplay, repetitive... worth maybe $1.99”
“The tutorial is a lengthy but rather narrow overview of the gameplay/objectives; I feel it could be worked on a little bit as newer players and those unfamiliar with the likes of Pharaoh, Caesar, etc., will finish it only to get steamrolled in the actual match by hostile neighbors or a failed attack on a mob spawn.”
- graphics57 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming art style and retro aesthetics, while others criticize the visuals as outdated or lacking detail. Many agree that the graphics are functional and support the gameplay, but improvements could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a nostalgic nod to classic city builders, appealing to fans of the genre despite their limitations.
“Charming art style, surprising depth to gameplay, and interesting mix of mechanics that I haven't seen much in other games.”
“Neat city builder with cute graphics and sound gameplay mechanics based on producing and distributing a nice variety of goods.”
“For an early access game, it already offers a solid endless game mode, lovely graphics, and gameplay variety.”
“The graphical asset resolutions are bad for maximum zoom; either zoom should be limited or the assets should be improved.”
“The AI is very clunky, resources are not well balanced, the graphics are very poor, and maps are pretty blank.”
“Ok, so the issue is the graphics; they are awful.”
- story50 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for being weak or non-existent, with players noting that it lacks a cohesive narrative despite having a series of 12 missions with varying objectives. While the missions themselves are described as interesting and provide structured gameplay, they do not contribute to a compelling story, leaving players feeling that the game is more about city-building mechanics than storytelling. Overall, the absence of a strong narrative detracts from the experience, making it feel more like a simplified version of similar games.
“In the second mission of the campaign, you find yourself leading a tribe called 'Westerners' who create both bread and beer, and need furniture.”
“Overall, a very solid city builder which should appeal to those new to the genre and seasoned fans, and a successful early access story.”
“Unfortunately, there's no proper story, but then again, city building games with a story are pretty rare, while missions are actually pretty interesting.”
“But in Hearthland, the tutorial and first three missions in the game are basically identical to each other and, as far as I can tell from a quick custom mission, to the rest of the game.”
“The lack of other features, such as a campaign, missions and quests, and most importantly a multiplayer feature, just pushes me over the line of calling it a very flawed game that fills a gap in an under-represented genre.”
- music16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the great soundtrack and fitting sound effects, while others find it repetitive and lacking in quality. Although the individual sounds for buildings add a unique touch, many players describe the overall music as mediocre or just above average, with some tracks becoming annoying over time. Despite these criticisms, a few users appreciate the music's ability to complement the game's fantasy setting.
“The soundtrack is great, the sound effects are retro, and each building has its own individual sounds.”
“The graphics are nice and the music is also.”
“Sound is okay, the songs are midi-esque but certainly fitting.”
“The music becomes a smidgen repetitive after a while, and some of the sounds get quite annoying (like the winery pumps).”
“The sound design is mediocre at best; the music isn't noticeable and far from good.”
“The music is a bit lacking, so I put on relaxing video game music and it helps me concentrate too.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with diverse content and customization options that encourage players to return repeatedly. Its four distinct cultures and various gameplay strategies enhance the experience, allowing for different approaches to resource management and political interactions. Overall, players find the replay value to be a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game.
“Even without these features, the replay value is off the charts, and there will be plenty of content and customization options to keep players coming back for as long as they choose.”
“It has a really high replayability value, and you always think about a new way to approach the next try and optimize.”
“Four different cultures offer different production lines and military preferences, which provides replay value through mastering resource management in various ways, as well as the political map that allows the player to trade, do battle, or simply ignore other rulers.”
“Hearthlands is a casual game with a fair amount of replayability.”
“Four different cultures offer different production lines and military preferences, which offers some replay value through mastering resource management in other ways, as well as the political map which allows the player to trade, do battle, or simply ignore other rulers - whilst building a battle-ready settlement can take time and energy, it offers a meta game to an otherwise well-polished city builder.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find grinding in the game to be a necessary but tedious aspect, often requiring additional lives to manage resources effectively. The clunky interface complicates selling surplus items, leading many to prefer expanding storage instead. Overall, while grinding is integral to progression, it can detract from the enjoyment of city building and farming elements.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“If you do get a surplus of anything, you just sell it off, but the interface is so clunky and tedious that it's usually easier to just toss up more storage as you will eventually need the goods.”
“So don't just build a farming community and expect to be left in peace.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is highly praised, with users reporting very few glitches and bugs, primarily minor visual issues that do not hinder gameplay. While most problems have been addressed through updates, players are advised to check for potential new bugs when loading older saves, as some fixes may inadvertently introduce new issues. After recent updates, the game is noted to run smoothly.
“After two auto updates, the game now runs great.”
“The stability of the game has significantly improved with recent patches.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs since the last update.”
“Most of the glitches have been ironed out by now, and the designers are very responsive, but sometimes bug fixes create new bugs when you load old games. Some of those loading bugs can cost you half your city if they delete all your peddler tents or whatever, so if you come back to an old game, read the blog before you load it.”
“No encountered bugs, but there are some visual glitches now and again, though nothing that stops you from playing the game.”
“Glitches and bugs were extremely uncommon, almost to the point of being nonexistent altogether.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through its whimsical scenarios and character interactions, particularly in titles like "Beasts & Bumpkins" and the gang wars of "Mob Rule." Players appreciate the lighthearted approach, even as they navigate strategic challenges, with comedic elements woven into the gameplay experience. Overall, the humor adds a charming layer to the gaming experience, making it enjoyable despite any strategic limitations.
“There is no strategy besides 'select all your squads (individually, so pause while queuing commands) and click on whatever is looking at you funny.'”
“We've got ourselves juicy gang wars in mob rule (sequel to constructor, which didn't have a proper campaign in it), we've got a humorous fantasy tale in beasts & bumpkins, we've got settlers with all of its variants and, of course, we've got impressions games' caesar iii, pharaoh, zeus and emperor.”
“Funny thing”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent performance and well-crafted atmosphere, with cute animations enhancing the experience. Players find the gameplay engaging, particularly in strategizing building placements for optimal results.
“The performance is great, the atmosphere is very well done, and the animations are cute.”
“It's very fun and makes you think about where to place your buildings for the most optimized result.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the game's atmosphere for its impressive execution, highlighting the great performance and charming animations that contribute to an engaging experience.
“The performance is great, the atmosphere is very well done, and the animations are cute.”
“The game's atmosphere immerses you completely, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
“From the haunting sound design to the stunning visuals, the atmosphere creates a truly captivating experience.”
