Landnama

About

Landnama is a single player survival strategy game with a historical theme. It was developed by Sonderland and was released on July 30, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Landnama is a single-player historical strategy game with compelling gameplay, good graphics, and a delightful soundtrack. As a Viking leader in the 9th century, you must settle Iceland, managing your resources wisely and surviving harsh winters. With only one resource, Heart, you'll need to explore, build settlements, and make tough decisions in this roguelike tower defense game."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 225 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Challenging yet relaxing gameplay that combines elements of strategy, city building, and survival, making it engaging for various player types.
Beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack enhance the immersive experience, creating a charming atmosphere that players enjoy.
The game offers a unique Viking-themed setting with interesting mechanics, providing a fresh take on the roguelike genre that encourages strategic planning.

The game can feel repetitive and lacks sufficient content, leading to a sense of having 'seen it all' after a few hours of play.
RNG elements can be frustrating, as they often dictate the outcome of runs, making players feel that their strategy has little impact on success.
Some players find the progression and goals unclear, which can lead to confusion and a lack of direction in gameplay.

gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a simple yet engaging loop focused on resource management and survival, where players must collect hearts to prepare for winter. While the mechanics are praised for their depth and balance, some players find the experience can become repetitive over time, with a desire for more variety and content. Overall, the game offers a charming aesthetic and addictive gameplay, appealing to fans of strategy and exploration, though it may feel shallow for those seeking more complexity.
- “The gameplay and mechanics are very interesting, and perfectly capture the vibe of being an early settler.”
- “Despite that apparent simplicity, there's a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay - managing that one factor is your only concern as you try to survive each coming winter, with every building and exploration demand cutting into your reserves but ultimately being an investment you can't afford not to make.”
- “Landnama is an absolute treat for strategy and exploration enthusiasts, combining a unique viking-themed setting with challenging gameplay and loads of replay potential.”
- “Unfortunately, the developers only release in six months, where they improved localization rather than gameplay updates.”
- “As a result, the game feels abandoned with no significant gameplay changes.”
- “The simplistic mechanics do not allow for player inventiveness and nor do they allow the player much agency in adapting to the map's circumstances.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
28%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a relaxing soundtrack that complements the beautiful graphics. Players appreciate the ethereal and ambient soundscapes, which create a wholesome vibe and support the game's immersive atmosphere, although some note that it can be a bit monotonous. Overall, the combination of charming visuals and well-crafted music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful choice for players looking to unwind.
- “Lovely design and music, good puzzle concepts, not overly complicated, a nice one to chill out to.”
- “The relaxing soundtrack and cute visuals will make you say 'just one more game' and it's the end of the night before you noticed!”
- “The music and overall presentation is beautiful, which is great when you're playing a game where you pause a lot to ponder your next strategy.”
- “My only criticism is that not having Ólafur Arnalds on the soundtrack is a huge missed opportunity.”
- “The soundtrack?”
- “Also, the soundtrack and the sound effects somehow make you play the game in a rhythm - hard to describe.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
24%
10%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and enchanting art style, often described as simple yet gorgeous, fitting a cozy and melancholic theme. While some players noted that the visuals could benefit from larger building sizes for better map orientation, the overall aesthetic is considered captivating and immersive, complemented by a relaxing soundtrack. Many reviewers appreciate the attention to detail and the game's ability to create a visually stunning experience that enhances gameplay.
- “Took me a bit to get the hang of it, but it's a unique, challenging city builder with charming graphics.”
- “The graphics are captivating, immersing players into a visually stunning world that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
- “A wonderful and enchanting video game with beautiful graphics and a wonderful and relaxing soundtrack.”
- “Graphics are ok, but it would be easier to orient around the map if the buildings were a bit bigger.”
- “Graphics is ok and must say that I can see this game running well on iPad also, like Northgard does.”
- “Very decent graphics, calm and relaxing soundtrack, yet still matching to the gloomy environment.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the randomness and variety offered by different clans and tile discoveries, others feel that the content becomes repetitive after a short time. Many reviewers note that the game has potential for replayability, but it currently lacks depth and challenge for seasoned players. Developers are encouraged to enhance replay value in future updates to attract a wider audience.
- “Decent replayability due to advantages you can choose as well as different tile discovery probabilities on different maps.”
- “The different clans and the RNG provide a good amount of replayability.”
- “Great game with simple mechanics but complex gameplay with infinite outcomes and replayability.”
- “Played 2 hours and it seems like I've more or less discovered all that the game had to offer: there's basically no replayability.”
- “Landnama could remain as it is: casual, simple, low-replayability, feeling like a mobile game.”
- “The concept is good, but there is way not enough replayability or difficulty if you are used to this kind of game.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
37%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and calming qualities, enhanced by stunning 2D art and a supportive soundtrack. Players feel a strong connection to the setting, likening it to the experience of settlers in a beautiful yet challenging environment. Overall, the atmosphere is described as innovative, polished, and detailed, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The 2D art and music in the game are amazing, making the experience relaxing yet atmospheric, as if I am one of the settlers on the faraway, hostile but beautiful Iceland.”
- “The concept and atmosphere are innovative and very polished for the first game by a new indie developer.”
- “The atmosphere is great, and I love the visuals.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's story is presented through a series of six missions in a viking-themed saga that offers engaging, albeit shallow, narrative experiences. While it captivates players with its immersive setting and short storytelling segments, it lacks a complex plot, making it less suitable for those seeking a deep narrative. Overall, players appreciate the seamless integration of storytelling with gameplay, particularly the cultural elements related to Iceland.
- “The game will really draw you in the first couple of plays through a 'saga', which is a stitched-together campaign of six missions, each of which takes 10-40 minutes.”
- “I also really like the short bits of storytelling and how seamless the overall experience is.”
- “Learning about Iceland through the story, the landmarks, and special tiles.”
- “The flair of the game is heavily influenced by this Viking setting, but it does not require you to follow a deep storyline.”
- “If you want a complex campaign or deep story, though, this is not the game.”
- “Even though this might not be the best game to debut with, I'll continue to follow your story and I really hope that you continue to improve, take notes from your players, and make your next game a smash hit!”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious and lacking in strategic complexity, leading to a sense of monotony. However, some appreciate that the game respects their time, allowing them to quickly understand the gameplay loop, which can make the grinding feel less burdensome. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some enjoying the base mechanics despite the grind.
- “This ends up being more tedious to deal with rather than there being some strategic complexity to engage with.”
- “It is fairly grindy, with little excitement; it's a good base though.”
- “You solve the gameplay loop in a few hours, and then it feels just like grinding.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, highlighting how the art and ethereal background music contribute to a wholesome and immersive atmosphere.
- “The art and ethereal background music create an overall wholesome vibe.”
- “The story deeply resonated with me, evoking a range of emotions that I didn't expect.”
- “I found myself genuinely caring for the characters, feeling their joys and sorrows as if they were my own.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as fair yet challenging, enhancing the overall enjoyment, though it is not clearly communicated in the game's descriptions or advertising.
- “But they are going about it in a way not reflected in any of the game's description or advertising, at least right now.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a positive experience with optimization, noting that they encountered no performance issues or crashes during their 2-3 hours of gameplay.
- “I have played the game for about 2-3 hours and haven't faced any issues like performance or crashing.”