Retreat To Enen

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"Retreat to Enen" is a base building simulator and survival game that focuses on living in harmony with nature, rather than fighting. Explore three biomes, gather and craft over 160 unique items, and build your dream retreat using 50+ unlockable modules and various furniture pieces. Discover ancient ruins and meditation points to unlock the island's secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 214 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

The graphics and scenery are stunning, creating an immersive environment.
The meditation mechanics add a unique and relaxing aspect to the gameplay.
The game offers a different take on survival, focusing on exploration and resource management rather than combat.

The navigation system is poor, lacking a map or clear indicators of where to go.
The inventory management and crafting systems are clunky and can be frustrating.
The game can feel punishing due to the rapid depletion of hunger and thirst meters, leading to frequent deaths.

gameplay
45 mentions
22 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of relaxing mechanics and basic survival elements, featuring unique meditation and spirit mechanics that aim to promote mindfulness. However, players have noted issues with navigation, a lack of depth in crafting and survival systems, and bugs that disrupt immersion. While the game offers beautiful environments and a chill atmosphere, many feel it requires more engaging gameplay systems and improvements to fully realize its potential.
- “It's fun to record gameplay, and I find myself losing track of time pretty easily while playing.”
- “The meditation mechanics of this game make it a unique survival experience that is set in beautiful locations to a very chill soundtrack.”
- “The environments are beautiful, gameplay is simple, and you can increase the survival demands if you'd like.”
- “I constantly got lost, turned around, and blocked, which on the one hand is very realistic if you were ever to find yourself stranded on an unfamiliar island, but for gameplay, it’s really frustrating.”
- “It's a survival crafter with little to craft or reason to craft it; neither food nor water are hard to come by, but the mechanics just make it a chore.”
- “Gameplay is very shallow; you go find 9 gold domes, eat food, drink, and meditate. Beyond base building, that's pretty much it.”
graphics
36 mentions
81 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and engaging pixelated visuals, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive biomes and scenery that enhance the overall experience. However, some users noted issues such as graphic glitches and cumbersome menu interfaces that detract from the visual enjoyment. Overall, while the graphics are a standout feature, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay concerns and technical problems.
- “The graphics are stunning; all the biomes are beautiful, as is everything in it.”
- “The game has absolutely beautiful visuals.”
- “The graphics and scenery are absolutely amazing.”
- “Limited items, tools & areas, graphic overlapping issues causing text to be unreadable in many cases and menus are cumbersome.”
- “It does, if not much of the visuals looking 'sameish'.”
- “-graphic glitches, like you are in a bad matrix trip”
story
27 mentions
11 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players finding it boring and unengaging. While some appreciate the post-apocalyptic themes and the potential for a more fleshed-out narrative, the overall consensus is that the story feels disconnected from gameplay, with many elements feeling optional and underdeveloped. Players seeking a rich narrative experience may be disappointed, as the focus leans more towards crafting and visual aesthetics rather than a compelling storyline.
- “I like the 'post-post-apocalypse' storyline and lore.”
- “There is a light backstory that is fitting and it has a bit of immersion with an overall goal to work towards.”
- “Story could have been more fleshed out.”
- “Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite boring, particularly because there's no purpose, no deeper story, nothing to discover or uncover.”
- “There is basically no story.”
- “I was drawn to the story and the concept, but did not enjoy how it actually worked in the gameplay.”
grinding
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game, with some enjoying the farming and crafting elements while others find the repetitive resource gathering tedious and boring. The lack of engaging content outside of grinding can detract from the overall experience, especially for those who prefer a more narrative-driven gameplay. Additionally, the combat mechanics can feel frustratingly grindy, particularly when dealing with larger animals.
- “It's a pretty tedious and boring thing to have to keep doing if you're not into that sort of thing.”
- “This is a base building game, so it checks the box on that, but there is a lack of content if you're not into just grinding for materials.”
- “I love grindy games, but this grind combined with the worst hide-and-go-seek with elusive ruins is just no fun at all.”
music
14 mentions
71 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and allowing players to enjoy the environment without stress. Many reviewers appreciate the combination of the soundtrack with natural sounds, creating a meditative experience, although some express a desire for more variety in the music. Overall, the sound design contributes significantly to the game's immersive and tranquil ambiance.
- “The scenery and music are great, which gives the game a relaxing atmosphere.”
- “The meditation mechanics of this game make it a unique survival experience that is set in beautiful locations to a very chill soundtrack.”
- “Overall, it's a decently designed survival game, with incredible atmosphere, music, and sound design.”
- “The music is barely noticeable, and I would like to listen to more variety.”
- “This game can be challenging, but for those who want a mostly calm environment, the soothing music is a highlight.”
- “I breathe in and out simultaneously with the relaxing music during the whole playtime.”
atmosphere
12 mentions
58 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, featuring beautiful scenery, enjoyable music, and detailed biomes that enhance the experience of nature appreciation. While some players find the gameplay lacking, many appreciate the zen-like ambiance and unique meditation elements that contribute to its overall charm as a walking simulator with survival mechanics. However, a few users noted the absence of essential support resources, such as a website or manual, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is very zen and it is a really chill survival-based game.”
- “The scenery and music are great, which gives the game a relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Overall, it's a decently designed survival game, with incredible atmosphere, music, and sound design.”
- “Game is boring; there is no atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is relaxed.”
- “The idea of a survival game with a focus on the atmosphere and philosophy of appreciating nature.”
stability
7 mentions
14 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches, including graphic issues and terrain problems that disrupt gameplay. Many players feel that the game is poorly developed and lacks the polish expected from a new release, significantly impacting their overall experience.
- “However, ever since finding all 9 gold shrines, I've experienced tons of glitches.”
- “I realize that new games can be a little buggy, but this level is ridiculous.”
- “This game is super buggy and probably one of the worst undeveloped games I have seen released.”
replayability
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that the fixed locations of resources and lack of varied experiences diminish the incentive to play again. While the graphics and premise are appreciated, they do not compensate for the limited replay value.
- “This would make the game replayable.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and I don't mind the hunter-gatherer premise, but I don't think it has much replay value.”
- “No replay value, everything is in preset locations including the resources that respawn.”
- “Low-mid replay value.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express that the emotional impact of the game is somewhat limited, as the connection to the environment feels diminished, particularly in relation to the effects of fire, which require close proximity to evoke any significant emotional response. This suggests a need for a more immersive experience to enhance emotional engagement.
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the developer could benefit from the free advertising generated by players showcasing their builds on platforms like Steam and Reddit, indicating a potential missed opportunity in their monetization strategy.
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I feel like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than rewarding them for their time and effort.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding it lacking or unoriginal compared to classic survival games. Others express frustration with negative reviews that seem to dismiss the game's comedic elements. Overall, the humor appears to be a divisive aspect among players.
optimization
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game runs smoothly without any performance issues, and its visual quality is highly praised.
- “I had no performance issues, and the game is gorgeous.”