Preserve

About

"Preserve is a single-player Sandbox puzzle game with stunning visuals and an amazing soundtrack. As a nature-building game, your goal is to create and sustain a thriving, diverse ecosystem with vertical map expansion and multiple biomes, each with unique challenges and inhabitants. With various game modes available, players can enjoy regular gameplay or participate in challenges for an added layer of complexity."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and soothing music create a relaxing atmosphere, making it a great game to unwind with.
Engaging gameplay with unique mechanics for each biome, offering a satisfying challenge while allowing for creativity in habitat building.
The game is well-polished for early access, providing a variety of modes and a charming experience that appeals to fans of puzzle and nature-themed games.

The game can feel overly restrictive, with a single optimal way to achieve high scores, leading to frustration and a lack of replayability.
Some players experience performance issues, particularly on certain devices, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
The learning curve can be steep, and the lack of comprehensive tutorials may leave some players feeling lost or overwhelmed.

gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The gameplay of "Preserve" is characterized by its fresh mechanics and engaging puzzle elements, offering a relaxing yet strategically rich experience across diverse biomes, each with unique challenges. While some players find the learning curve steep and certain mechanics lacking, the game's beautiful visuals, soothing music, and satisfying gameplay loop contribute to its overall appeal. The combination of match-three mechanics with ecological themes and resource management provides a cozy yet thought-provoking gameplay experience that encourages exploration and creativity.
- “A distinct improvement on other games of its type with a variety of puzzle types where the difficulty lies not in the obtuseness of mechanics, but in sheer decision making.”
- “The mechanics are easy to grasp but really take some forethought to maximize the outcome.”
- “Preserve is one of those games that tickles my brain in the right way - it has cute animals, pretty visuals, satisfying soundscapes, and straightforward and rewarding gameplay.”
- “While I'm recommending Preserve, I'll point out that it's not quite to my taste and there are mechanics/UX I find lacking, but it's a beautiful game and still in early access at this point, so maybe things will get tweaked before release or you may enjoy the mechanics.”
- “I sort of thought this game would be somewhat like Terra Nil, an ecological restoration puzzle game I adore and super recommend, but it really wasn't and seems so lacking in comparison—both in engaging gameplay and enjoyment.”
- “Pretty basic mechanics without a big narrative.”
graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
25%
5%
The graphics of "Preserve" are widely praised for their beautiful and calming art style, which enhances the game's relaxing atmosphere. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and charming aesthetics, noting that they create an immersive experience that complements the soothing soundtrack. While some mention that the graphics are simple, they are still considered aesthetically pleasing and suitable for a cozy puzzle game.
- “Super chill background music, stunningly beautiful graphics for such a simplistic idea.”
- “The vibrant visuals and charming soundtrack create such a chill vibe—perfect for kicking back and relaxing.”
- “Prepare to be enchanted by the cozy atmosphere, stunning graphics, captivating music, and creative puzzles that will ignite your imagination.”
- “The graphics are decent, a bit mobile-game like, but it serves the purpose, and the kids will love it.”
- “I turned down the quality on the graphics and that helps, but it still runs slow even with that change.”
- “I didn't expect this tbh since other graphically more complex games like Divinity 2 run smoothly.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
33%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and tranquil qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience of gameplay. Players appreciate the beautiful soundtracks that complement the vibrant graphics and immersive nature themes, creating a cozy atmosphere that encourages prolonged engagement. The combination of serene music and charming visuals is noted as a key factor in making the game enjoyable and captivating.
- “The music is wonderful and creates an overall cozy and peaceful gaming experience.”
- “The game's serene soundtrack and visually stunning landscapes create an immersive atmosphere conducive to focused gameplay.”
- “The vibrant visuals and charming soundtrack create such a chill vibe—perfect for kicking back and relaxing.”
- “My only gripe is that the relaxing music doesn't appear in the creative mode that allows you to place things with no rules, though I assume that the team will add that later.”
- “I recommend playing it with in-game music, or even with a favorite series or movie on in the background (like Friends or The Office).”
- “The song when playing the savanna.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its soothing and immersive qualities, featuring a serene soundtrack and visually stunning landscapes that enhance focused gameplay. Players appreciate the relaxing vibe, satisfying sound effects, and the cozy, vibrant environment that invites prolonged engagement. Overall, the game successfully combines captivating music and creative visuals to create a tranquil and enchanting experience.
- “Overall, a really well done and great game, with an insanely great atmosphere.”
- “The game's serene soundtrack and visually stunning landscapes create an immersive atmosphere conducive to focused gameplay.”
- “Prepare to be enchanted by the cosy atmosphere, stunning graphics, captivating music, and creative puzzles that will ignite your imagination.”
- “I'd love to see this with the atmosphere of the game Wingspan, the way when you place a card you learn a little factoid about some subspecies you didn't know about before, like putting a different species of goat on the next mountain over, all the time learning about the kinds of different goats we're lucky enough to have here on Earth.”
- “Preserve is primarily a relaxing puzzle game with sandbox elements, featuring a soothing atmosphere and a creative 'match-3' design.”
- “Overall, Preserve is a fantastic addition to the puzzle genre, offering a cozy, vibrant atmosphere, complemented by a calming soundtrack.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, with users reporting a polished experience free of bugs and performance issues. However, there are suggestions for additional graphics settings to enhance performance, particularly for larger maps, and the need for touch UI optimizations for better compatibility with devices like the Steam Deck. Despite these minor concerns, the game runs smoothly, even compared to more graphically intensive titles.
- “Unlike Dorfromantik, which has a somewhat roguelike progression with build-until-you-can't, Preserve has progression based on getting a high score above a specified number with different tiers/difficulties. The maps aren't endless; you have to end up with a fully optimized map you made on the fly.”
- “- Very polished for an early access game; I didn't encounter any bugs or performance issues.”
- “Performance is good, and I think it would be amazing to play on iPad and tablets.”
- “It would be nice if there were more settings related to graphics and performance, perhaps an ability to turn off the animal animations to try and reduce the lag (although the animal animations are very cute!).”
- “The large maps are my favorite, but I think I'll have to stick to playing the medium-sized ones to balance game performance and creating an expansive environment.”
- “Out of the box, the game is also Steam Deck friendly; however, it may need some touch UI optimizations as the controller is the only supported input for now, and many users could expect to move the cards over to the island.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of biomes and multiple modes that enhance replay value, others feel it lacks depth due to a limited number of solutions and a definitive endpoint. This dichotomy leaves some players craving more dynamic experiences, while others enjoy the game's aesthetic and calming nature, suggesting potential for replayability in future updates. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging elements but may not fully satisfy those seeking extensive replayability.
- “The inclusion of diverse biomes, each with unique challenges, alongside multiple game modes—including creative and puzzle modes—enhances replayability and keeps the gameplay fresh.”
- “Gorgeous looking game, high replay value, very chill and calming, amazing music and sound.”
- “Ultimately, I like the gameplay because it has a bit more variety than Dorfromantik and clear potential for greater replayability than Terra Nil.”
- “But lacks the replayability factor to stand out from the rest of those short, one-and-done type of games.”
- “This game could have been amazing, but because its 'one solution to reach one of the scores' does not create replay value, which is so sorely needed in a game like this, I would love to feel the magic of being able to keep going. However, knowing that there is a limit and a perfect solution with a ceiling just evaporates that magic feeling and leaves a sour taste in my mind, knowing this is just that—a puzzle with an end.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The story in the game revolves around a mission to reintroduce flora and fauna by strategically placing tiles, but players express frustration over a lack of endless gameplay or open-world exploration, feeling that the quest becomes stagnant.
- “I need endless or quest-like gameplay like Dorfromantik; why is the quest so stuck, and then there's no more open world to continue playing?”
- “Their mission is to reintroduce flora and fauna by carefully placing tiles.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally resonant, particularly highlighting a specific track in the African biome that evokes a deep sense of wholesomeness and tranquility. The overall experience is described as a "sandbox of wholesomeness," offering a serene atmosphere that encourages players to pause and appreciate the emotional depth rather than just the gameplay itself.
- “Very good altogether, but that one track, in the African biome, with that solemn voice was so wholesome that I stopped playing and just laid back to listen.”
- “This game is a sandbox of wholesomeness I've been patiently waiting for a year and a half. Ever since I discovered it, I'm about to spend a minimum of ten hours playing it - not just because it radiates serenity, bright colors, and cute animals.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious, leading to a more chaotic approach to world-building rather than strategic planning. Despite this, the freedom to create custom environments and interact with various plants and animals remains a highlight.
- “It may get tedious, and it will eventually make you quit planning ten steps forward and just throw forests and grasslands around.”
- “The grinding feels endless, making it hard to enjoy the creative aspects of the game.”
- “After hours of repetitive tasks, the excitement of building starts to fade away.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a desire for improved stability, indicating that the game currently has numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience.
- “I am looking forward to it being less buggy.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, highlighting its cute visuals and funny gameplay that contribute to a relaxing overall mood.
- “Cute visuals, funny gameplay, relaxing mood... love it!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch; I found myself laughing out loud at the clever dialogue!”
- “The quirky characters and hilarious situations kept me entertained for hours!”