Odd Realm

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 692 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Odd Realm Game Cover
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"Odd Realm" is a survival city-building game set in a mysterious and procedurally generated world. Gather resources, build structures, and manage your citizens to ensure your city's survival and growth. Uncover the secrets of the realm and resist the strange and otherworldly events that threaten your civilization.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 692 reviews
graphics42 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • The game offers a charming pixel art style and a relaxing atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play.
  • It has a solid foundation with unique mechanics, such as multiple playable races and a z-level system, providing a different experience from other colony sims.
  • The developer is very active and responsive to community feedback, frequently updating the game and addressing bugs.
  • The tutorial is lacking, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and controls of the game.
  • The user interface can be cumbersome and confusing, with small icons and a lack of clear information about items and tasks.
  • The game currently lacks depth and content, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience once the initial setup is complete.
  • graphics121 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that many players find appealing, though opinions vary on its usability and clarity. While some appreciate the aesthetic and find it enhances the gameplay experience, others criticize the low resolution for making it difficult to distinguish between different elements and manage the game effectively. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant draw for fans of retro-style graphics, particularly those who enjoy games reminiscent of Dwarf Fortress.

    • “The graphics are impressive; everything is eye-candy.”
    • “Odd Realm is a wonderful colony management sim with loads of quality-of-life features, an intuitive interface, and very appealing visuals, all taking place in one of the most unique universes I’ve seen.”
    • “The graphics are simple yet charming with a lovely soundtrack.”
    • “It's also tentative because I think I really like it, but the pixel graphics, while cute, really work against the game that has so much stuff lying around on the floor.”
    • “And, since the graphics suck, you can't extract much joy from staring at what you have built because you can barely tell a kitchen, a foundry, and a smithy apart.”
    • “My main problem is that the graphics are even below DF tileset level in legibility if you want some actual info (terrain/trees do look nice though).”
  • gameplay93 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of colony management mechanics reminiscent of Dwarf Fortress, but lacking the depth and polish of its predecessor. While the core loop of building, farming, and surviving is satisfying and offers a relaxed experience, many players find the multitude of mechanics overwhelming and poorly integrated, leading to confusion and frustration. Despite its potential and charming aesthetics, the game currently feels incomplete, with several mechanics still in development and a steep learning curve that may deter newcomers.

    • “The core gameplay is relatively relaxed and satisfying, and the devs have included the 'bones' of a truly unique colony/empire management system.”
    • “It has lots of interesting and 'odd' mechanics that make for varied play.”
    • “Once I got the basics down, I found the gameplay loop to be as equally engaging as it is relaxing.”
    • “There doesn't seem to be a focus on any particular gameplay or theme, just a mix of half-implemented systems that don't really come together to make something interesting.”
    • “A lot of mechanics aren't even in the game yet despite being referenced within the game, and three of the five races are still barebones while the fifth race is yet to be added.”
    • “The difficulty in this game is due to its absurd fog of war on the basics of gameplay.”
  • music55 mentions

    The music in "Odd Realm" is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its relaxing and soothing qualities reminiscent of classic SNES soundtracks. While some players find the music a bit repetitive and suggest the addition of more tracks, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience. Many players consider the music a standout feature, making it a delightful accompaniment to the gameplay.

    • “A relaxing colony sim with charming art and music, and tons of potential.”
    • “Great music, lovely atmospheres, and the thrill of discovering what's around the next metaphorical corner make this game endlessly replayable.”
    • “The soundtrack sounds like Super Nintendo era sample music a la Secret of Mana and it's fantastic.”
    • “I have 5 citizens from the 'warden' start and they are quickly overwhelmed when attacked (I often have no idea I am being attacked other than the music changing).”
    • “The music is a bit repetitive but tolerable; it has an option to deactivate it for most of the time.”
    • “Currently, the only option is no music or the standard music.”
  • grinding23 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is often described as tedious and cumbersome, particularly in managing citizens' clothing, job assignments, and resource gathering. While some players appreciate the depth and variety of gameplay elements, many find the manual management processes overly complex and time-consuming, leading to frustration. Improvements in automation and user interface could enhance the experience by reducing the repetitive nature of these tasks.

    • “It is so tedious to manually set their clothing for every new citizen.”
    • “Currently the game is a bit too opaque for me, and managing the colony is unnecessarily tedious.”
    • “The only thing you're doing in this game is the most tedious and boring aspect that is automated in every other game.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game's stability has been a mixed bag, with many users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and AI pathfinding issues that can disrupt gameplay. However, some players note improvements with updates and commend the developers for their proactive engagement with the community. Overall, while the game is still considered buggy and unfinished, many find it enjoyable and worth the investment.

    • “It's buggy, unbalanced, and unfinished.”
    • “This tries to be a cross between RimWorld and DF, but too many systems are missing or buggy.”
    • “Designating storage containers inside rooms is at best obfuscated and at worst downright buggy and inconsistent.”
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story aspect is described as lacking depth and clarity, with players feeling that it primarily revolves around survival rather than a larger narrative or quest. While there are moments that create distinct experiences, the overall world-building and character development are underwhelming, leading to a more mechanical gameplay feel rather than an engaging story. Players express a desire for more guidance and events that could enhance the storytelling experience, especially given the game's early access status.

    • “Odd Realm is a fun and calm spin on the base builder and story generator genre.”
    • “Each time you play, a new story unfolds.”
    • “There are story moments - events that define your playthrough and ultimately end up giving you distinct and memorable experiences.”
    • “I've seen people say you can 'fight gods' in the review - cool, but there is not a hint of this or anything resembling a larger objective or quest other than survive.”
    • “It is still in early access so it currently doesn't have much in the way of balancing, late game content or general polish, and the characters are not as developed or differentiated as Dwarf Fortress dwarfs and RimWorld colonists, so you won't see the kind of Sims-like emergent soap-opera story generation you might be expecting - it can feel more like running an ant farm than a society of sentient beings.”
    • “So the game steals my controls to drive some sort of storyline but when I actually need to know where something is happening... I'm on my own.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its absurdity and charm, particularly in NPC dialogue and event interactions. However, some find the repetitive nature of certain phrases grating, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, creating enjoyable and memorable moments.

    • “It is also funny and occasionally absurd.”
    • “This game in its current state is pretty enjoyable and the little events that happen are all pretty fun encounters; even the attacks on your camp can be pretty funny right before the fighting happens due to the dialogue.”
    • “The art style is charming, the NPC dialogue is funny, and I often find myself caring about my settlers.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its cozy and immersive qualities, enhanced by a fantastic soundtrack, polished art, and charming animations. Players appreciate the delightful pixel art and attention to detail, which contribute to a vibrant and engaging environment reminiscent of titles like Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld. However, some find the repetitive humor detracts from the overall atmosphere, suggesting a desire for more narrative depth.

    • “Cosy colony builder with a fantastic soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “It has a delightful atmosphere and if you've played anything akin to Dwarf Fortress or RimWorld, you'll feel right at home with the overall gameplay loop.”
    • “Great music, lovely atmospheres, and the thrill of discovering what's around the next metaphorical corner make this game endlessly replayable.”
    • “This is just me but the humor is kind of grating - it’s pretty funny the first time but hearing traders say 'feast your face-orbs on this' or whatever every single time really takes me out of it, especially when they could be telling me about the world or creating an atmosphere instead, given that (to me at least) these kinds of games are about participating in a story as much as they’re about making one.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its distinct races, each providing a unique gameplay experience. While currently limited to two playable races, the promise of future updates and additional content suggests that replayability will improve as the game develops. Overall, players appreciate the engaging atmosphere and the potential for varied gameplay, despite acknowledging the need for more content in its early access state.

    • “Each race makes the gameplay entirely different, which only adds to the replayability of this game.”
    • “Great music, lovely atmospheres, and the thrill of discovering what's around the next metaphorical corner make this game endlessly replayable.”
    • “There are currently two races in the game that play quite differently, which adds to replayability.”
    • “2 of 4 races are playable right now.”
    • “I bought it with my eyes wide open knowing this is early development with limited replayability, but I'm actually quite surprised.”
    • “While only two races are playable so far, multiple player races are going to make this game really stand out.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it performs adequately on smaller scales and is relatively polished with few bugs, players report significant performance degradation as colonies grow larger. Some aspects, like the trading system and settlers, are noted as poorly optimized, suggesting room for improvement in processing and memory management.

    • “- Manual speed control and fairly well optimized instead of Dwarf Fortress' legendary jank that goes hyperspeed at the start but dies after a few hours.”
    • “It's fairly polished, only a few bugs, decently optimized (even for a 2013 prebuilt PC) and has a lot of neat content in the base game already.”
    • “I believe optimization could help both processing and memory concerns.”
    • “Settlers seem not very optimized.”
    • “The trading system is pretty bad because item pricing is very much non-optimized.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game's characters, often feeling sadness when they die, which enhances the overall experience. The game's design fosters a sense of attachment, making the loss of characters feel significant and impactful.

    • “My longest-lived colony was the most heartfelt and loneliest.”
    • “All this really helps build an emotional connection with the game's characters - it makes me really sad when one dies (and as of right now, they die fairly easily, but that's being worked on to allow them to make life-saving decisions and take action)!”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model of the indie game is praised for its absence of an in-game store and cash grab tactics, reflecting a commitment to a fair gaming experience without exploitative practices.

    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a complete experience without requiring additional purchases.”
    • “It's an indie game, which means there's no in-game store and no cash grab.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
6-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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