Landnama

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 205 reviews

gameplay27 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Landnama offers a charming Viking-themed experience with beautiful graphics and a relaxing soundtrack, making it enjoyable for casual play.
The game features a well-balanced mix of strategy and resource management, requiring players to think critically about building placement and resource allocation.
Replayability is enhanced by different clans with unique advantages and varying map layouts, providing a fresh experience with each playthrough.

The game can feel repetitive after a few playthroughs, as the core gameplay loop remains largely the same, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
Random elements can lead to frustrating experiences, where players may feel that their success is heavily dependent on luck rather than skill.
Some players find the difficulty curve to be steep, with higher difficulty levels feeling punishing and potentially discouraging for new players.

gameplay
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay of Landnama is characterized by a simple yet engaging survival and resource management loop, where players build and explore while managing limited resources against seasonal challenges. While the mechanics are easy to learn and offer depth beneath their simplicity, some players find the experience can become repetitive over time, especially with limited variety in gameplay elements. Overall, the game is praised for its charming aesthetics and addictive mechanics, though it could benefit from additional content and variety to maintain long-term engagement.
- “The blend of survival, building, and village management mechanics is refreshing, adding versatility to the gameplay.”
- “Landnama is an absolute treat for strategy and exploration enthusiasts, combining a unique viking-themed setting with challenging gameplay and loads of replay potential.”
- “It's important to remember that Landnama is not a conventional city-building game, but rather a thoughtful blend of puzzle and strategy mechanics.”
- “Some people might find the game slightly boring after the first playthrough, because even with different tribes and locations, it still has the same core gameplay loop.”
- “The simplicity of the resource mechanics makes it really easy to learn, but it also offers complexity below the surface.”
- “You can't restart easily when you get stuck by the RNG; the UI design is built to punish you for trying, including some pointless saga mechanic.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience and immersion. Many players appreciate the relaxing soundtrack that complements the beautiful graphics, creating a pleasant ambiance that encourages extended gameplay. While some find the music slightly monotonous, it generally supports the game's theme and atmosphere effectively.
- “A wonderful and enchanting video game with beautiful graphics and a wonderful and relaxing soundtrack.”
- “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 (I happily leave the game paused just for the vibes lol).”
- “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!”
- “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
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
19%
12%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charm and simplicity, with many reviewers highlighting the enchanting art style and immersive visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. While some suggest that the map could benefit from larger buildings for better orientation, the overall aesthetic is described as captivating and relaxing, complemented by a well-matched soundtrack. The game's visuals are noted for their detail and appeal, making it a delightful experience for casual players.
- “The art style is simple but gorgeous.”
- “A wonderful and enchanting video game with beautiful graphics and a wonderful and relaxing soundtrack.”
- “The graphics are captivating, immersing players into a visually stunning world that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
- “Graphics are ok, but it would be easier to orient around the map if the buildings were a bit bigger.”
- “This is a quite casual game with cute graphics - don't expect many hours of gameplay.”
- “Graphics are okay, and I must say that I can see this game running well on an iPad as well, like Northgard does.”
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 quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth. Many reviewers note that although the game has potential for replayability, it may not sustain long-term interest for all players, especially those familiar with the genre. Continued updates and expansions from the developers could enhance replay value in the future.
- “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%
38%
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 hostile 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%
25%
38%
The game's story is presented through a series of six missions in a viking-themed saga, offering a light narrative experience rather than a deep storyline. Players appreciate the seamless integration of storytelling elements, such as learning about Icelandic landmarks, but those seeking a complex plot may find it lacking. Overall, the game provides engaging short narratives that enhance the gameplay without requiring a significant commitment to the story.
- “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 guys' story and I really am hoping that you continue with your skills, take the notes from your players, and make your next game a smash hit!”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious and lacking excitement, yet they appreciate that it respects their time and doesn't feel overly burdensome. The gameplay loop can be quickly understood, leading to a grind that feels more like a routine than a chore.
- “It is fairly grindy, with little excitement; it's a good base though.”
- “Ie: you solve the gameplay loop in a few hours, and then it feels just like grinding.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as fair yet challenging, enhancing the overall enjoyment, although 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%
Overall, players report a positive experience with optimization, noting that they have not encountered any performance issues or crashes during gameplay.
- “I have played the game for about 2-3 hours and haven't faced any issues like performance or crashing.”