Patron
- August 10, 2021
- Overseer Games
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"Patron is a single-player, historical open-world survival city builder game with phenomenal graphics, delightful music, and a spectacular atmosphere. The game excels in its intricate social dynamics, where each citizen has unique needs, desires, and issues, creating a complex society to manage. However, Patron can be quite grinding and buggy, requiring patience from players."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Patron offers a beautiful and relaxing city-building experience with charming graphics and a soothing soundtrack.
- The game features a deep tech tree and various production chains, allowing for strategic planning and resource management.
- Frequent updates from the developers show commitment to improving the game and adding new content.
- The game suffers from performance issues, particularly with frame rates dropping significantly as the population increases.
- The user interface can be clunky and confusing, making it difficult to manage resources and buildings effectively.
- Many players find the gameplay too easy and lacking in challenge, especially after the initial years.
- gameplay241 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Patron" is often compared to "Banished," with many players noting its familiar mechanics and resource management systems. While some appreciate the relaxing pace and the depth added by the research tree and social dynamics, others criticize the repetitive nature and lack of challenge, leading to a sense of emptiness in the gameplay experience. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation with engaging mechanics, but it struggles to stand out due to its similarities to existing titles and some underdeveloped features.
“The research tree is a pretty nifty mechanic which helps keep the game exciting during a normal playthrough.”
“The upgrading mechanic for buildings is also great and definitely a major separation from similarly themed city builders.”
“The fascinating process of building and developing a city, beautiful graphics and interesting mechanics make this game exciting.”
“Basically a worse version of Anno in every aspect, no unique mechanic that would make the game stand out on its own.”
“The game seemed to work okay at first, but after 20 or so hours of gameplay, it seems like all the workers do is walk in circles, even on a different map.”
“The gameplay is pretty easy, even on higher difficulty settings and tougher maps.”
- graphics199 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful and detailed visuals that enhance the overall aesthetic experience. However, some users report performance issues and subpar optimization, leading to stuttering and lag, particularly in larger towns. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered appealing, there are calls for improvements in optimization and clarity in certain UI elements.
“The graphics are beautiful, weather is amazing, and don't even get me started on the island selections!”
“Beautiful graphics, a great soundtrack, and a nice balance of challenge and manageability.”
“The graphics are gorgeous.”
“Sadly, the game runs poorly even with all of the graphics turned down and capped at 30 fps, running in a 1920x1080 window.”
“Graphics are really mediocre; nothing at all good here.”
“The graphics are a bit rough looking for a 2021 title, the interface is clunky and resource balancing is out of the window.”
- music85 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its relaxing and atmospheric qualities that complement the gameplay. While some find it beautiful and well-suited to the game's aesthetic, others criticize it for being repetitive or annoying. Overall, the soundtrack is generally seen as a positive aspect, enhancing the meditative experience of the game despite some calls for more variety.
“The music and gameplay are overall delightful and relaxing.”
“Very meditative city-builder strategy with calm atmosphere and beautiful music.”
“The music is pleasant and relaxing, the motives are very suitable for the setting of the game and the leisurely, meditative gameplay.”
“Oh and I almost forgot: no honest review would be complete without mentioning that this has possibly the worst game soundtrack I have ever had the displeasure of listening to.”
“The music is very loud and very annoying.”
“Music is annoying.”
- story69 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it shallow, repetitive, and unengaging. Critics note that the quests often boil down to mundane resource-gathering tasks, lacking meaningful narrative or character development, and the overall presentation feels like an afterthought. While some appreciate the game's mechanics and tech tree, they express disappointment in the absence of a compelling storyline or emergent gameplay elements that could enhance the experience.
“The gorgeous pixel art, captivating story, and immersive gameplay kept me hooked for hours.”
“The game has a system of story events that change the events in your city ever so slightly, as well as adding technology researching, trading, and more!”
“Plays a lot like Banished, but adds more depth with the research, more buildings, and there's some random events which spice up the gameplay by adding some sort of story.”
“The story mode is also linear, always the same, and completely inconsequential.”
“The quest system is just the 'king' taking your resources randomly with no real significance as to how you're benefiting the kingdom - there's no political gain that provides greater prestige, authority, rank/title, or privilege, which really would have set it apart from Banished.”
“The game's advertisement text suggests there will be emergent gameplay, a story, 'intricate social tensions', perhaps even light RTS elements, and so on, but none of these are present, and all the story amounts to is repeated missions of 'gather 500 stone ... make 100 tools ...' with a single 2D drawing of your advisor telling you what to do.”
- optimization43 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among users, with many reporting severe performance issues, particularly as population sizes increase. While some players experience smooth gameplay on high settings, the majority express frustration over low frame rates and crashes, indicating that the developers still have considerable work to do in improving performance. Many recommend waiting for further updates before purchasing due to these ongoing optimization challenges.
“A variety of buildings, a variety of resources, good optimization.”
“I have suffered 0 performance issues so far on the highest settings; this game is very basic graphically and its very small in data size.”
“It still takes a lot of work, especially optimization, but I see a lot of potential in this game.”
“Also, recently performance dropped significantly (less than 25 fps for a visually non-demanding game and a small population of ~200 citizens is unacceptable).”
“However, no matter how much I enjoy it, I would rather play Banished or other similar games due to performance issues - it's so laggy that at some point it becomes unplayable.”
“There is really no excuse for performance like this.”
- grinding37 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, with many expressing frustration over the slow progression and micromanagement required for tasks like farming and resource allocation. The need to research farming and the repetitive nature of building upgrades contribute to a sense of boredom, leading some to feel that the game lacks engaging late-game challenges. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The music is not tedious and actually relaxing.”
“Overall, I found the game to be tedious.”
“The problem for me is the actual physics and progression of the game are tedious and fraught with ongoing issues like every winter you run out of food, the 'king' constantly wants all of your resources, and unless you've got the game speed on x10, then pretty much nothing happens for hour after hour.”
“After you have collected the resources, built the buildings, and pleased the citizens, this is it: no additional challenge, no late-game difficulty, just a tedious, tiring, and boring grind to gain more citizens.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players finding limited replay value due to a lack of diverse gameplay modes and procedural generation. While certain maps and difficulty settings offer some variety, many users feel that the game does not provide enough incentive to replay after completing it. However, a few players appreciate the handcrafted maps and the potential for replayability, suggesting that it may appeal to those who enjoy exploring different challenges.
“Maps in Patron have set premade maps that have different amounts of resources and climates, which gives some replayability and challenges.”
“I played Banished also but enjoy this one more; it has more replayability and I generally feel more invested in the future of the Patronites.”
“Has lots of different areas or maps with difficulties to play, which gives you more variety, more replayability, and I like the graphics and visuals.”
“But, I don't see any replay value here.”
“There is only one mode and no campaign; therefore very low replay value.”
“While the game seemed like a good concept and pretty well executed, it still feels like an early access game and sorely lacks features to make it a replayable game.”
- stability19 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting minimal bugs and smooth performance, while others describe it as "unbelievably buggy" and feeling unfinished. Many acknowledge that the game is still in early access, suggesting that ongoing updates may address these issues, but the presence of bugs and UI problems remains a common concern. Overall, while some users experience a stable gameplay environment, others find it riddled with glitches that affect their experience.
“Oh, and thus far bug-free.”
“✅ Runs great with minimal bugs.”
“Unbelievably buggy.”
“The game is buggy, but rarely gamebreakingly so.”
“Game is still buggy and not balanced.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and calming qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the meditative experience it offers, with atmospheric elements like weather effects and scattered ruins adding depth to the environment. Overall, the combination of visuals, music, and design creates a peaceful and inviting ambiance that enhances gameplay.
“The game has a cool atmosphere that allows you to fully immerse yourself.”
“Very meditative city-builder strategy with a calm atmosphere and beautiful music.”
“Music, sounds, visuals, the overall atmosphere is a piece of art, so much care put into it.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is currently free from microtransactions and DLC, which is a positive note for players; however, the game feels unfinished and resembles a cash grab rather than a polished product. Users express disappointment over the lack of promised features and gameplay depth, suggesting that the game should not have been released from early access in its current state.
“No microtransactions and DLC shenanigans (yet), no predatory monetization.”
“This game is clearly unfinished and should not be out of early access. If more work is put into this game to allow it to be in a better state, I might change this review, but at the moment, this feels more like a cash grab copying Banished and failing to provide a better version.”
“The game's advertisement text suggests there will be emergent gameplay, a story, 'intricate social tensions', perhaps even light RTS elements, and so on, but none of these are present. All the story amounts to is repeated missions of 'gather 500 stone ... make 100 tools ...' with a single 2D drawing of your advisor telling you what to do.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky mechanics, such as the absurdity of having unassigned workers act as carriers and the AI's comical pathfinding that often leads to illogical shortcuts. Players find it amusing that managing a fishmonger or being a poor landlord can be more profitable than operating a gold mine, highlighting the game's satirical take on resource management.
“It seems funny that you have carriers, but then you also have unassigned workers who seem to function as carriers.”
“The pathing is a bit funny too because the AI will calculate the fastest path, but due to the grid-like nature of the game, it often means them taking shortcuts at angles that you can't draw your paths (at least easily), so the paths are ignored a lot of times.”
“Hilariously, being a terrible landlord and fishmonger is far more lucrative than running a gold mine and mint...”
