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 814 reviews

gameplay31 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic essence of classic Settlers games with charming graphics and engaging mechanics.
Offers a relaxing gameplay experience with a focus on exploration and settlement building.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to enhancing the game.

Currently lacks a campaign mode and meaningful objectives, leading to a sense of aimlessness.
Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel frustrating, with no real challenge from enemy factions.
User interface and tutorial guidance are lacking, making it difficult for new players to understand the game mechanics.

gameplay
113 mentions
27 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its engaging mechanics and rewarding settlement-building experience, while others criticize it for lacking depth and clear objectives. Although the game features interesting resource management and combat mechanics, it is still in early access, leading to some bugs and incomplete features that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the foundation is solid and enjoyable, there is a consensus that further development is needed to enhance gameplay complexity and clarity.
- “The game beautifully captures the essence of exploration and settlement, with intricate resource management and engaging mechanics that feel both challenging and rewarding.”
- “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.”
- “With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and thoughtful design, it is a must-play for fans of city-building and strategy games alike.”
- “The gameplay makes no sense.”
- “The goals set for many maps make for a dreadful gameplay.”
- “The mechanics are outdated and boring.”
graphics
89 mentions
46 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and visual aesthetics as charming and engaging, reminiscent of classic titles. However, some players criticize the graphics as mediocre or underwhelming for a 2024 release, noting a lack of distinctiveness and detail in certain elements. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, there are calls for improvements in optimization 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 from details; zoomed out there is too much blur.”
story
72 mentions
8 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a coherent narrative or campaign. While there are missions and scenarios to complete, they feel disconnected and lack meaningful context, leaving players wanting a more structured storyline and character development. Overall, the game is seen as a fun building experience, but it suffers from a significant storytelling deficit that detracts from its potential.
- “I'm looking forward to later updates/expansions of this game, and who knows, missions too!”
- “Overall, my favorite things looking forward are the artwork, music, and potential for story.”
- “Great campaign, great story, and nice combat.”
- “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.”
- “There is no campaign or storyline at the moment; all you can do is play a map that is either premade or generated.”
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, though it may require further development to reach its full potential.
- “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 generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance and minimal bugs, even at high graphical settings. However, some users have experienced occasional lower framerates and crashes, indicating that there is still room for improvement in handling resource demands. While the game impresses with its visuals and sound, a few players noted sluggish gameplay at times, suggesting that further optimization could enhance the experience.
- “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, particularly due to inefficient building management and the slow pace of resource gathering. The need to micromanage multiple tasks, such as sending exploring parties and managing farming fields, adds to the overall sense of monotony, making the experience feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay. Many reviewers express a desire for improvements to streamline these mechanics and reduce the grind.
- “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 a lack of meaningful content, difficulty, and features like multiplayer detracts from long-term engagement. Some users enjoy the atmosphere and challenge, 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, but sometimes you hit an awkward body of water that creates a frustrating road-building experience.”
- “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, making it a standout in early access titles. Overall, the game runs smoothly and performs well, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
- “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 its satisfying resource management, which enhances 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 absurdly flawed design, which users find amusingly incompetent, especially when compared to its inspirations like "The Settlers." Players note that the game manages to make expansion feel even more tedious and frustrating, adding to the comedic value of its shortcomings.
- “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 trivial 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 matter.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally uplifting and nostalgic, evoking a sense of wholesome fun reminiscent of classic titles from the Settlers series.