Life is Hard
- August 14, 2021
- Pirozhok Studio
Get on Steam"Life is Hard" is a survival simulation game where players must manage the needs and wants of a character in a post-Soviet setting. Gather resources, craft tools, and maintain relationships to ensure survival in a harsh, oppressive society. Experience the struggles of daily life, grinding work, and bureaucracy in this grim, yet realistic depiction of life in the former USSR.
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Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and offers a unique blend of mechanics that can be very engaging.
- The pixel art and atmosphere are visually appealing, creating an enjoyable environment for gameplay.
- The developers are responsive and actively working on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs that can make it unplayable, including UI issues and game-breaking glitches.
- Many players feel the game is unfinished and lacks essential features, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- The learning curve is steep, and the tutorial does not adequately prepare players for the complexities of the game.
- stability28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of game-breaking bugs, such as characters getting stuck, unresponsive interfaces, and issues with building upgrades. Many players find the game unplayable at times due to these glitches, despite acknowledging its potential and enjoyable aspects. Overall, the consensus is that the game remains in a frustratingly buggy state, particularly in its early access phase, leading to a lack of confidence in its current playability.
“The game is still buggy beyond belief, and the dev has shown no intention of trying to fix the bugs that are currently in the game over introducing new content.”
“It is an interesting game with a lot of promise, however the current state of the game is a buggy nightmare that is an unplayable mess.”
“But, bugs and glitches make the game unplayable after a certain point in the game.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating its novel mechanics and fun building placement, but many expressing frustration over bugs, confusing controls, and an inadequate tutorial. While some enjoy the challenge and atmosphere, others find the gameplay hindered by technical issues and overly complicated menus, leading to a recommendation to approach the game with caution. Overall, the potential is recognized, but significant improvements are needed for a more polished experience.
“Love the game, however I wish there was a wiki on PC or a better guide in-game, and a keybinding menu. Other than that, it's great and I love the gameplay!”
“It has novel mechanics and a great atmosphere.”
“The gameplay itself is very fun (as a big fan of hard games, such as Darkest Dungeons/Banished, and city building/management games, such as City Skylines/Banished again, this game fits right into my loves) with a very nice feel to placing buildings, and the expansion, while somewhat constrained, feels great (with the constraint helping the building in a good way).”
“Everything stops working once in a while from the UI to mechanics, and you need to restart and hope that the bugs won't carry over to your new game.”
“But buyers beware, it's ridden with bugs that manage to ruin the gameplay very frequently, so purchase at your own risk.”
“There is a laundry list of unintuitive gameplay controls and mechanics.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and sometimes frustrating, with some noting that early fights can feel repetitive. While the game offers a rich atmosphere, the lack of automation in resource management, particularly farming, detracts from the overall experience and makes the gameplay feel clunky.
“The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
“Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
“While there are moments of grinding, they are balanced by engaging gameplay and rewarding loot.”
“It's not fun, it's tedious.”
“So with the other minor and annoying glitches and grinding gameplay, I still can't recommend this.”
“The game feels clunky (the interface is subpar at best), and only a few parts of the resource management can be automated, which is not great for a 'strategy' game.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and suitability, with distinct tracks enhancing the atmosphere of various areas, particularly appealing to fans of medieval fantasy. While many players find the soundtrack pleasantly surprising for an indie game, some note that certain pieces may feel unfitting in specific contexts. Overall, the music contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“This game's music is very wonderful, and the different tracks for different areas (such as underground/enemy camps/your town) are exactly what I would want for each area and comparing to each other.”
“I'm personally also a huge medieval fantasy fan (played D&D/Pathfinder for almost 2 decades now) and this art style (along with the music as listed above) is again perfect for that genre for me.”
“Really pleasant music, I was really surprised to hear such soundtracks from an indie game.”
“The military units stop to execute attack orders, the building denial doesn't work, the mines have invisible walls that block miners from going deep, and even the soundtrack melts after a long playthrough.”
“Somewhat unfitting music.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's graphics have transitioned from hand-drawn to pixel art, which some players appreciate for its fit within the medieval fantasy genre. While the artwork is generally well-received, comparisons to other titles like "Kingdom" highlight that while the pixel graphics are nice, they may not stand out as the best in the genre.
“I'm personally also a huge medieval fantasy fan (played D&D/Pathfinder for almost 2 decades now) and this art style (along with the music as listed above) is again perfect for that genre for me.”
“Life is Hard looks like Kingdom art style-wise, and I imagine a lot of people compare it to it, but that's where the similarities end.”
“Nice pixel graphics, but I have seen better.”
“It's been so long since I played it, but it seems they changed the art style from hand-drawn to pixel art now.”
“Life is hard looks like Kingdom art style-wise, and I imagine a lot of people compare it to it, but that's where the similarities end.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic qualities and the significant effort put into creating an immersive experience, despite some minor early-game challenges. While it features innovative mechanics, some players feel that certain aspects, particularly in comparison to similar titles, lack the same atmospheric depth. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience.
“Great game with a lot of effort and atmosphere; other than some small tedious fights early on, the effort is well worth it.”
“It has novel mechanics and a great atmosphere.”
“It manages to recapture an atmosphere from games of yore.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story aspect is centered around a retelling of the classic "Jack and the Beanstalk" narrative, which follows Jack's adventure after he trades his cow for magic beans that grow into a giant beanstalk leading to a giant's castle. This familiar tale is characterized by themes of bravery, adventure, and the pursuit of fortune.
“The story feels like a rehash of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk tale, lacking originality and depth.”
“The narrative is predictable and fails to engage the player, making it hard to stay invested.”
“The plot twists are uninspired, leaving the overall story feeling flat and unexciting.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever and amusing wordplay, such as quirky phrases like "has got more damage," which adds to its charm. Players appreciate the comedic approach of characters who excel at playing the game in unconventional ways, making for an entertaining experience without veering into frustration.
“Some questionable wording (which I love) makes this game hilarious, such as a towns person who does more damage being notified as 'has got more damage.'”
“He is really good at playing games in horribly 'wrong' ways and is quite funny, but thankfully not stupid, so he can be watched without frustration.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with players reporting frequent issues such as resource wastage due to beer explosions and an unreliable saving system. These problems contribute to a frustrating late-game experience, overshadowing the enjoyable aspects of combat and faction management. Overall, the game is seen as poorly balanced and in need of significant optimization improvements.
“Not to mention 80% of the time you produce beer, it results in a beer explosion, wasting valuable resources to repair two buildings on either side of it. You're constantly repairing around the brewery, and when you finally do have beer, 70% of your village becomes intoxicated and sick. It's just the worst and most horrible late game I've ever experienced. The game claims to be challenging, but it's not; it's just poorly optimized and balanced in those areas. Combat is difficult but fun to manage, but that's about the only enjoyable aspect I found, alongside its factions.”
“It could use a lot of optimization because, from my experience, the saving system is unreliable.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the emotional impact of gameplay, highlighting moments of unexpected failure and absurdity, such as a character dying from minor interactions, which can lead to feelings of anger and disappointment.
