Pioneers of Pagonia

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In "Pioneers of Pagonia," you are a visionary leader, traveling with your people to form alliances with island tribes. Manage resources, build and grow your economy, and protect your inhabitants from various threats. Explore procedurally generated maps with infinite variations and discover hidden treasures in this population management game.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 803 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic feel of classic Settlers games, particularly Settlers II and III.
Offers a relaxing gameplay experience with charming graphics and engaging production chains.
The game runs smoothly with no major bugs, showcasing a solid foundation for future updates.

Lacks a robust tutorial and clear objectives, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics.
Currently has no campaign or competitive AI, leading to a lack of long-term motivation and replayability.
Combat mechanics are simplistic and often frustrating, with units engaging in one-on-one fights rather than coordinated attacks.

gameplay
106 mentions
27 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its relaxing and intuitive mechanics reminiscent of classic city-builders like "The Settlers," while others criticize it for being outdated, lacking depth, and having insufficient goals. Many players appreciate the solid foundation and potential for future enhancements, but express a desire for more engaging features, clearer tutorials, and improved balance to elevate the overall experience. Overall, while the game shows promise, it currently feels incomplete and in need of further development to fully realize its potential.
- “The gameplay is really good!”
- “With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and thoughtful design, it is a must-play for fans of city-building and strategy games alike.”
- “The building mechanic is fun and organic; as soon as you've gotten used to it, there's a feeling of calmness in the entire game and the resource chains are very intuitive and just the right amount of complex.”
- “Mediocre gameplay for 2024.”
- “The goals set for many maps make for a dreadful gameplay.”
- “The gameplay appears quite resource hungry and sluggish at times, though, given the rather simple game mechanics and graphics - so there seems to be quite a bit of optimization headroom.”
graphics
85 mentions
46 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful art style and intricate details, while others criticize the lack of sharpness and distinctiveness in visuals. Many players appreciate the charming aesthetics reminiscent of classic games, but express disappointment over the disparity between concept art and in-game graphics. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered pleasing, there are calls for improvements in clarity and design consistency.
- “The graphics are visually pleasing, featuring a delightful mix of intricate details and picturesque landscapes that immerse players in this new world.”
- “Absolutely beautiful tribute to original settler games with deeper systems and awesome-looking graphics.”
- “With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and thoughtful design, it is a must-play for fans of city-building and strategy games alike.”
- “Extremely underwhelming graphics for 2024.”
- “Especially worrying is the stark contrast between concept art and actual in-game graphics.”
- “The graphics are in the settler world, but I am missing sharpness and crispness in details.”
story
70 mentions
9 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and direction, with many players expressing disappointment over the absence of a compelling narrative or campaign mode. While there are missions and quests available, they often feel generic and disconnected, leading to a sense of emptiness in gameplay. Players hope for future updates to introduce a more engaging story and complex mission structures to enhance the overall experience.
- “Die Hoffnungen, die wir Siedler-Fans in aller Welt hatten, als wir hörten, dass Volker Wertich ein Siedler-Spiel plant, die Enttäuschung, als er bei Ubisoft ausstieg und die allein es (meiner Meinung nach) dann verhunzt haben, und das glückliche Aufatmen, als Pagonia (noch im Early Access) erschien - das ist in meinem Fall eine Love-Story mit Happy End.”
- “Was super excited to get it loving the art and what I imagined to be a potential story line about exploring the far reaches of a mystical land.”
- “Overall, my favorite things looking forward are the artwork, music and potential for story.”
- “Disappointing that there is not much of a storyline available.”
- “There's no story to get you invested; you are given no incentive to progress as all the buildings are available to you right away.”
- “Story is missing; any sort of campaign is missing.”
music
27 mentions
52 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and relaxing, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere. While some players find it enjoyable and soothing, others feel it lacks memorability and variety, with a few opting to use external playlists instead. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for enhancing the cozy experience, despite some calls for more diverse musical elements.
- “Cozy landscape and music, interesting production chains.. the hours just fly by.”
- “The music is soothing to vibe as you play.”
- “It's a beautiful game with a great soundtrack.”
- “It can be pretty barren at times and it's missing the vivid nature sounds of the settlers games, and in general just needs more musical elements.”
- “The music is pleasant, but not memorable.”
- “The music is okay-ish.”
optimization
15 mentions
67 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and impressive graphics without bugs or crashes, some experience occasional framerate drops and performance issues, particularly during resource-intensive moments. Despite these inconsistencies, the majority find the game runs well, especially in its early access state.
- “The game is beautiful, very well optimized, but once you've played it once you don't want to play it again.”
- “Optimization: with good graphics this game runs really well, and I have yet to meet any bugs.”
- “This game runs smoothly and impresses in an instant, without any performance issues or crashes.”
- “The game has trouble handling performance well; you should expect some lower framerates here and there.”
- “The gameplay appears quite resource-hungry and sluggish at times, though given the rather simple game mechanics and graphics, there seems to be quite a bit of optimization headroom.”
- “It crashes my computer with no error of any kind, so I will start playing it again once it focuses on optimization.”
grinding
14 mentions
7 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to inefficient building management and the slow pace of resource gathering. The need to micromanage multiple tasks and the lack of centralized controls contribute to a disorganized gameplay experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom and a desire for more streamlined systems.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The combat is okay but tedious.”
- “I finished one of the maps just to say I went all the way through it, but it felt extremely tedious to finish.”
- “The building system is extremely tedious, not fun, and frustrating.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while procedural generation and custom game options offer potential for varied experiences, many players feel that the lack of meaningful content, difficulty, and multiplayer features significantly limit long-term engagement. Some users enjoy the atmosphere and mechanics, but others find the game quickly loses its appeal after initial playthroughs.
- “The atmosphere makes this game replayable, while the mechanics make it a challenge.”
- “With procedural generation, you get a lot of replayability and generally good maps.”
- “There are custom games that you can create for endless replayability if that is your thing.”
- “There's nothing here but watching numbers go up; there's no difficulty or replayability to the game.”
- “Completely played through and no replay value now.”
- “It feels like it's stuck somewhere between a creative and sandbox mode, with little to offer in terms of replayability at this time.”
stability
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional stability, with users reporting no bugs, glitches, or crashes, even on older hardware. Reviewers commend the developers for delivering a nearly bug-free experience in early access, highlighting the smooth performance and attention to detail.
- “This game is relaxing, therapeutic with amazing details and no glitches. I thoroughly recommend it.”
- “It plays very well, no bugs, no glitches, good performance.”
- “I just want to congratulate the developer for doing something that is oh so rare: releasing a fully playable, nearly bug-free early access game.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its inviting and relaxed quality, contributing to its replayability and overall enjoyment. Players appreciate the balance between the game's complexity and the satisfying simplicity of its production chain, enhancing the immersive experience.
- “I love the design, atmosphere, and complexity.”
- “The atmosphere makes this game replayable, while the mechanics make it a challenge.”
- “The relaxed atmosphere while managing resources and expanding is endlessly satisfying.”
- “I also love the simplicity of the production chain and the inviting atmosphere in general.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its "hilariously brain dead" design, which intentionally or unintentionally mimics elements from "The Settlers" but fails to improve upon them, resulting in a frustratingly slow and annoying gameplay experience. Players find the contrast between the game's ambitions and its execution amusing.
- “It's hilariously brain-dead design.”
- “I've played a bunch of city builders and sims, but this one just fails on some basics. It's hilarious because it takes inspiration from 'The Settlers' (intentionally or not), yet makes expanding even slower and more annoying than the original system.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy is misleading, as advertisements exaggerate the number of resources available by including inconsequential crop type choices, leading to user frustration.
- “The advertisements say there are like forty resources, but apparently they are including different crop type choices, which are options that don't really matter.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users highlight the emotional aspect of the game as surprisingly wholesome and nostalgic, evoking fond memories of classic titles from the Settlers series. This sense of relaxation and fun contributes to a positive and heartwarming gaming experience.