Outlanders

About

Outlanders is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Pomelo Games and was released on March 7, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Outlanders is a single-player strategy game with exceptional gameplay and sensational visuals. As a town-builder, you'll guide charming folk in search of a simpler life, managing resources and jobs while respecting their individual desires and personal goals. The game features a unique system where you cannot control characters directly, but instead, create an environment that guides them towards success. The campaign provides a rich and immersive experience, making Outlanders a must-try for strategy enthusiasts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 268 reviews

graphics30 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Outlanders offers a charming and engaging city-building experience with cute graphics and expressive citizens, making it a delightful game for casual and strategy gamers alike.
The game features a well-structured campaign with unique challenges and objectives, providing a satisfying mix of resource management and strategic planning.
Players appreciate the relaxing atmosphere, soothing music, and the ability to play in short sessions, making it a great option for unwinding or casual gaming.

Some players have reported technical issues, including crashes and performance problems, particularly on certain hardware setups.
The game can become repetitive over time, with some levels taking a long time to complete, leading to potential frustration during longer gaming sessions.
There are concerns about the AI and prioritization mechanics, which can lead to inefficiencies in resource management and task execution.

graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
36%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, described as cute and visually appealing. Players appreciate the relaxing and immersive experience created by the stunning visuals, which complement the engaging gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “Outlanders stands out with its original graphics that create a pleasant visual experience.”
- “The game's rich sound design and uplifting soundtrack perfectly complement its stunning visuals, making for an immersive and memorable gaming experience.”
- “Superb graphics, loads of little details, all go to making this very compulsive indeed... highly recommended!”
- “The graphics are quite cute.”
- “The graphics are very cute.”
- “The graphics and the way this game was made are just adorable.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The game's story is characterized by unique and engaging narratives for each mission, complemented by optional quests that enhance replayability and challenge. While the base game lacks a cohesive overarching story, the DLCs introduce serial narratives that add depth and enjoyment. Overall, players appreciate the charming storytelling and strategic resource management within the context of a calming yet challenging city-building experience.
- “The story for each level is unique and engaging.”
- “Set in the picturesque outlands, this charming town-building game offers a unique blend of compelling storytelling, intricate strategy, and a refreshing sense of harmony.”
- “There isn't a cohesive story per se in the base game, but that is simply due to the nature of the game's design. (Note: there is somewhat of a serial narrative in one of the DLCs, which was an interesting and engaging way of explaining the challenges.)”
- “This is both a calming game and a stress-inducing game if you want to finish all the goals; it is yours to make with sandbox and story modes.”
- “The campaign mode is an absolute delight, as it unfolds through a series of increasingly complex mission-based levels.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The gameplay of the game is praised for its engaging and relaxing mechanics, combining simple strategic management with beautiful graphics and charming aesthetics. Players appreciate the balance of challenge and ease, with a lengthy campaign that allows for both casual play and deeper immersion. While there are minor bugs and some unclear mechanics, the overall experience remains enjoyable and addictive, making it a standout in the strategy genre.
- “The best strategy game I’ve played, incredibly peaceful and just the right amount of difficulty, amazing graphics and gameplay.”
- “Adorable aesthetics, fun gameplay, a lengthy campaign that can get pretty challenging, great game to either chill with for a bit or get sucked into for hours.”
- “The visuals and music are very relaxing while you get into a city-building gameplay that may look easy at the beginning, but gains complexity as you keep going from level to level.”
- “But there are currently a few minor gameplay issues which disproportionately undermine the fun.”
- “I'm sure there's some underlying mechanic dictating how this works, but it's super unclear.”
- “The visuals and music are very relaxing while you get into a city building gameplay that may look easy at the beginning, but gains complexity as you keep going from level to level.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the therapeutic experience of gameplay. Many players appreciate the rich sound design and uplifting soundtrack, which complement the stunning visuals and create an immersive atmosphere. However, some users noted issues with the music's abrupt transitions between day and night, leading to repetitive cycles of sound and silence, while a few found the music unremarkable and opted to turn it off.
- “The game's rich sound design and uplifting soundtrack perfectly complement its stunning visuals, making for an immersive and memorable gaming experience.”
- “The music is soothing and relaxing.”
- “I fell in love with the unique character design and the calming music.”
- “The music also rather jarringly ends at night, restarting at dawn, so if you're playing on high speed you get about 30 seconds of music, 30 seconds of silence, repeated ad nauseum.”
- “Sound and music is unremarkable but no complaints there (I tend to turn off music anyways).”
- “The design is beautiful, and the soundtrack and sound effects blend very well to create a relaxing environment.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The atmosphere of "Outlanders" is widely praised for its soothing soft colors and vibrant landscapes, creating an immersive and charming experience. Reviewers highlight the game's original graphics and engaging gameplay, noting that it offers a relaxing environment perfect for casual city building. Overall, the game's aesthetic and atmosphere leave a lasting positive impression on players.
- “The soft colors used in the game are soothing to the eyes, adding to the immersion and charming atmosphere of the adventure.”
- “Visually, Outlanders is a feast for the eyes, with vibrant, atmospheric landscapes that draw you in and leave a lasting impression.”
- “If you're looking for a casual city building game with a relaxing atmosphere and creative challenges, you'll like Outlanders.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it offers engaging settlement building and farming mechanics, some users note that implementing desired changes can become tedious. The absence of combat or other challenges contributes to a focus on repetitive tasks, which may not appeal to everyone. Overall, it is recommended for fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy farming sims.
- “But there are a few cases where it's tedious to implement the changes you want.”
- “There's no combat, no scares, and mostly just farming and eating so far.”
- “It's more than just a farming simulator.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent freezes that require restarting the game after 30-60 minutes of play. This persistent problem detracts from the overall experience and hampers gameplay.
- “The only problem is the game constantly freezes and never unfreezes.”
- “I can play for 30-60 minutes until the game freezes again and I have to close out of the game and reopen it.”
- “Buggy”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Players note that while the game offers a structured level design that provides new challenges and a sense of progression, some experience a sense of redundancy over time, which may impact long-term replayability. Overall, the digestible levels contribute positively to the game's playability, making it easier to engage with repeatedly.
- “The fact that the game is broken up into digestible levels makes it a lot more playable for me, because you are always faced with a new challenge. Once you accomplish the task, you move on to the next level instead of trying to figure out what you want to do next.”
- “However, in terms of replayability, I found that after playing for a while, some redundancy sets in.”
- “The fact that the game is broken up into digestible levels ends up making it a lot more playable for me, because you are always faced with a new challenge.”
- “Once you accomplish the task, you move on to the next level instead of trying to figure out what you want to do next.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging and wholesome, particularly enjoying the ability to connect with followers and share in their daily activities. This aspect makes it a recommended choice for those seeking a heartwarming experience in civilization simulation games.
- “I love following some of my followers to see what they're doing throughout their day, which is incredibly wholesome.”
- “I recommend this game for anyone wanting to get into the civilization sims, try something new, or just need some wholesomeness.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the reviews highlight appreciation for the unique character design and calming music, they do not provide specific insights into character development itself. Overall, the focus seems to be more on aesthetics rather than the depth or growth of the characters.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a delightful and creative sense of humor that enhances the overall experience, with multiple clever implementations throughout.
- “It also has a nice touch of humor, presented in several creative ways.”