Sapiens

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"Sapiens is a single-player strategy game with compelling mechanics, beautiful graphics, and an excellent soundtrack. Create your own prehistoric civilization, leading your tribe from the ground up and shaping the world freely. Choose your home wisely from thousands of procedurally generated lands across a vast map, and instruct your sapiens to perform various tasks as you grow your civilization."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,224 reviews

gameplay33 positive mentions

grinding44 negative mentions

The game has a charming art style and soothing music, creating a relaxing atmosphere.
The mechanics of discovery and crafting are unique and engaging, allowing players to feel a sense of progression.
The game has a lot of potential for future updates, with a roadmap that promises new features and content.

The game currently lacks depth and content, with players reaching the end of the tech tree in just a few hours.
Micromanagement is excessive, as players must constantly direct their Sapiens to perform basic tasks.
AI behavior can be frustrating, with Sapiens often ignoring tasks or making poor decisions, such as wandering into danger.

gameplay
128 mentions
26 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Sapiens is characterized by a mix of unique mechanics and a sense of freedom, allowing players to explore and build in a vast world. However, many users note that the game currently lacks depth and content, leading to a relatively short gameplay experience and some frustrating AI behaviors. While the core mechanics are solid and show potential for future development, players express a desire for more features, improved automation, and a richer gameplay loop to enhance long-term engagement.
- “Sapiens brings the settlement-survivor kind of genre to a very personal and less mechanical experience.”
- “The controls are simple, the art style is executed beautifully, and the gameplay loop is fun.”
- “The mechanics are very smooth and organic.”
- “The lack of direction in its gameplay is exhausting, but at the same time helps you to feel more 'free' in a weird way.”
- “Overall, currently the game is very simple and short, suffers from a lot of issues related to mechanics and AI, and there is no hope in sight.”
- “The gameplay itself is very boring and the game feels pointless after completing the tutorial since the task at hand is to keep everyone alive, which is no challenge at all.”
graphics
97 mentions
35 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and charming, fitting the indie aesthetic, though they may not meet the standards of more graphically intensive titles. While some players appreciate the unique art style and smooth performance, others criticize the low-resolution textures and animations, suggesting that improvements are needed. Overall, the visuals serve their purpose in supporting gameplay, but opinions vary widely on their quality and appeal.
- “The graphics are amazing!”
- “The graphics are simple, yet I find this to be one of the most beautiful and atmospheric city builders in the whole genre.”
- “The graphics serve their purpose in allowing a large scale and a lot going on on-screen at once, and the multitude of unique animations for the various tasks improve the visual aesthetic.”
- “The graphics really shocked me for the $20-30 price range; it's more like a $5-10 effort.”
- “Graphics are poor; gameplay is less than an hour at this point.”
- “This game has made the terrible design decision to have an awful fisheye lens effect that can't be changed without reducing the FOV option to 60 in the graphics menu.”
grinding
49 mentions
2 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive due to the lack of automation and the need for extensive micromanagement, especially as the population grows. While some appreciate the depth of crafting and resource management, the overwhelming tasks can turn enjoyable gameplay into a chore, leading to a sentiment that players may need "a second life" to fully engage with the game's demands. Overall, the experience can feel rewarding but often becomes bogged down by the sheer volume of tasks required to progress.
- “Would love to see an expansion to the farming and agriculture system.”
- “Well worth the 100 hours, but I do want to point out that the game at its current state is extremely repetitive and grindy.”
- “To sum it up, it is very tedious and unrewarding to put that much effort and micromanagement into obtaining new resources.”
- “Task queuing is often cumbersome and the player has to micro a lot of the operations (like farming), which doesn't scale very well so as you get more people this is going to be a problem.”
music
32 mentions
59 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the relaxing soundtrack and the vibrant tribal elements, although some express a desire for more variety and additional tracks. Overall, the music is considered a significant highlight, contributing to the game's engaging and enjoyable environment.
- “The music is calming too.”
- “Everything from the music to the gameplay is phenomenal and inspires creativity.”
- “Music not best so I shut off.”
- “In less than a week I've managed to play 24 hours and I can hear the flute from the soundtrack as I fall asleep and mammoths shuffling around.”
- “The vast open vistas and realistically simulated landscapes are magical against the game's soothing prehistoric soundtrack.”
stability
24 mentions
38 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
58 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some players experiencing frequent bugs and crashes, while others report a smooth and enjoyable experience. Many users note that minor glitches are present but often manageable, and some have found the game to run well, especially on Linux. Overall, while the game is still in development and may have stability issues, many players find it playable and fun despite the occasional hiccup.
- “The game is smooth, with no glitches, jitters, pauses, load delays, or any negative effects whatsoever.”
- “Game runs great on Linux!”
- “The game is fun, has some things to do, and is in mostly a bug-free state.”
- “Was struggling for 2 hours with troubleshooting as the game didn't start at first, was already at the verge of refunding.”
- “Great concept, terribly buggy and crashes constantly.”
- “Most of my worlds last a couple of hours, then glitches start, constant crashes.”
story
20 mentions
15 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional storyline, with players encouraged to create their own challenges and narratives instead. While some users appreciate the freedom this offers, others feel that the absence of structured missions or objectives limits the overall experience. Overall, the potential for a compelling story exists, but it remains largely untapped at this stage.
- “Great potential and great opportunity to tell a great story.”
- “Not far off from the story of Hello Games and No Man's Sky.”
- “You can definitely compare this game to going medieval, Founders Fortune, The Colonists, Make Your Kingdom, and others.”
- “No storyline, but who cares, right?”
- “You create your own challenges and goals; there are no missions or objectives.”
- “Give it a year or so, and it might be a different story, but right now, I cannot recommend this based on the limited gameplay provided.”
optimization
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report good performance on higher-end systems, others experience significant issues, particularly on lower settings. Many users note that the game is still in alpha and requires further improvements in rendering and asset efficiency to enhance performance. There is a consensus that the engine needs substantial optimization to ensure a smoother experience across various hardware configurations.
- “I am playing on a 2019 16" MacBook Pro, no issues so far (16 hours playing) and good performance (60fps with fairly high settings).”
- “I can see the tech tree increasing, performance getting better, and quality of life improvements.”
- “I know it's still in the alpha stage, but I do hope much of the focus in the future is related to improving rendering and asset efficiency to make it cleaner on the performance side.”
- “Performance is trash.”
- “I know it's still in the alpha stage, but I do hope much of the focus in the future is related to touching up rendering & asset efficiency to make it just cleaner on the performance side.”
- “I have a feeling this engine needs a lot of optimization.”
replayability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its depth and mechanics that encourage exploration, others criticize its linear progression and lack of varied content, leading to a perception of limited replay value. Despite some enjoyment during initial playthroughs, many feel that the game does not offer enough incentive for repeated play, with several users expressing disappointment in its overall replayability.
- “Bug-free as far as I can tell, immense replayability, so much more depth than you would expect at first glance, a lovely piece of art, very well programmed.”
- “I really like the mechanics of discovering new things as a species, but it might need some variation on how you discover things based on biomes or resource availability for better replayability.”
- “It still has good replayability even with what it has now; not the best or most captivating, but it's still fun nonetheless.”
- “There's really no replayability either because the progression is pretty linear.”
- “I say that knowing I just sank 12 hours into the game and enjoyed every second, however, I don't see a huge amount of replay value at the moment.”
- “It has grandiose and lofty aspirations, but years after early access release still has shallow content with no replayability factor for the average gamer.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional attachment to the game, highlighting it as a key factor in their enjoyment and engagement. They hope future updates will enhance character relationships and friendships, further deepening the emotional experience.
- “It's that emotional attachment that makes this game good, and why I've binged it the last few days.”
- “I think there should be things like emotional relationships and friendships between the characters.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by the amusing antics of the characters, such as their clumsy attempts at hunting and investigating, which provide a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Players find the animations and interactions, like a spear-wielding alpaca and a child lifting heavy logs, to be particularly funny, contributing to the game's overall charm and relaxed atmosphere.
- “It's a very chill game, where farming/automation doesn't really feel like farming/automation and actually feels like you are cheering on a fledgling group of humans who are hilarious to watch when they first try to 'investigate' a small rock or try to hunt an alpaca, but the alpaca ends up walking off with a spear stuck in its butt because it wasn't a kill shot.”
- “Amazing game! Mammoth hunting is hysterical, and the relaxing soundtrack combined with the fast-paced time is funny if you like minion speech.”
- “Warning: some animations are funny, for example, watching the sapiens think about what to do with an orange while another child is strong enough to haul a huge tree log!”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its captivating music, which creates an engaging experience, while the simple yet beautiful graphics contribute to its status as one of the most atmospheric city builders in the genre.
- “The music is amazing and makes the atmosphere of the game engaging and enjoyable.”
- “The graphics are simple, yet I find this to be one of the most beautiful and atmospheric city builders in the whole genre.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its lack of automation and control, leading to tedious workloads as players manage limited resources. Despite the promise of expansive gameplay, users find that they can only effectively manage small areas, which diminishes the overall experience.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to progress at a reasonable pace.”
- “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency disrupt the gameplay experience and make it feel more like a cash grab than a fun game.”