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Scorchlands

95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, story
95% User Score Based on 132 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux
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About

"Scorchlands is a single-player, fantasy open world game that takes about 3 hours to beat. It features hex grid-based city-building, complex resource management, and terraforming on procedurally generated maps. The technology system allows for new discoveries and gameplay options as you progress."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • Scorchlands offers a unique blend of city-building and resource management with engaging puzzle mechanics, allowing for creative experimentation without the stress of resource stockpiling.
  • The game features beautiful visuals and a charming atmosphere, enhanced by humorous writing and a relaxing gameplay loop that encourages players to optimize their colonies at their own pace.
  • Players appreciate the innovative logistics system, where buildings can be freely placed and moved, promoting a trial-and-error approach to solving complex production challenges.
  • Some players find the combat system underdeveloped and simplistic, lacking depth and engagement compared to other gameplay elements.
  • The game's reliance on laser-based resource transportation can become tedious, especially when navigating terrain obstacles and managing interconnected supply lines.
  • While the lack of time pressure is seen as a positive by many, some players feel it can lead to a lack of urgency and excitement, making the game feel more like work than play.
  • gameplay
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Scorchlands is characterized by a unique blend of resource management, terraforming, and city-building, creating an immersive and addictive experience. While the mechanics offer intriguing puzzles and logistical challenges, some players find certain aspects, like resource transfer and combat integration, to be less cohesive and occasionally tedious. Overall, the game stands out in its genre with innovative ideas and engaging mechanics, though it still requires some refinement as it is in early access.

    • “Scorchlands masterfully blends resource management, terraforming, and city-building into a cohesive and immersive gameplay loop.”
    • “The game's innovative blend of city-building and resource management, combined with its enchanting setting and immersive gameplay, offers players a truly unique experience that will keep them coming back for more.”
    • “The gameplay is an interesting twist on the classic factory genre, with free production buildings but a big logistical challenge to move the goods around and a puzzle challenge to balance the buildings' positions to get production bonuses.”
    • “The game seems intriguing at first, but the mechanics end up being really tedious and lack cohesion.”
    • “The way resources are transferred between bases is bizarre, the mirror stuff is silly, and the core gameplay loop seems like it could use a bit more thought and planning.”
    • “This figures into combat a bit, but I'm not sure that really added much and didn't feel as central to the gameplay as it does in Factorio or something.”
  • graphics
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Scorchlands features stunning visuals that vividly depict the alien landscapes of Helia, enhanced by intricate environments and a captivating art style. The game's graphics are complemented by immersive audio, creating an engaging atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While the visuals are praised for their aesthetic appeal, some players noted the absence of sprite-based graphics and megafactories, which may disappoint fans of similar games.

    • “Scorchlands boasts breathtaking visuals that bring the alien landscapes of Helia to life.”
    • “As you transform the barren terrain into a thriving ecosystem, you'll be treated to stunning vistas and intricate, detailed environments that showcase the game's captivating art style.”
    • “The immersive audio design complements the visuals perfectly, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that draws you deeper into the game world.”
    • “Two things that Factorio lovers would probably miss are: sprite-based graphics and lack of megafactories.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it initially satisfies the desire for puzzle-solving and automation, many feel that the mechanics become tedious and lack cohesion over time. The resource management, particularly in transferring and expanding colonies, is often cited as a frustrating element that detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The game seems intriguing at first, but the mechanics end up being really tedious and lack cohesion.”
    • “If I have a complaint, it is that it can be very tedious to transfer resources and expand colonies.”
    • “I set up an entire biome to make gold when I realize these flux rocks I tilled over were actually resources and not just obstacles for farming.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for being pleasant and relaxing, complementing the aesthetically pleasing graphics and enhancing the overall experience. Players find it to be a fitting backdrop for the game's stressless and engaging gameplay.

    • “Very nice, stressless, easy to learn hard to master, base building game, with lovely hex graphics and pleasant music.”
    • “Nice music, nice graphics, relaxing puzzler :)”
    • “With aesthetically pleasing graphics and cool music in the background, Scorchlands is a very nice package.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the game's humor, particularly enjoying characters like Donnie and clever default colony names. While the game is still in early access and requires some adjustments, the humor enhances the overall experience, complementing the engaging gameplay mechanics.

    • “Another thing that I love about this game is its humor; I love Donnie and I love the default colony names (I see what you did there, XD).”
    • “Sure, it's early access, so it still needs some tweaks, but the core gameplay is easy to understand, the humor is there, and the mechanic of transporting resources with lasers is pretty neat, as it adds a puzzle twist to the overall experience.”
  • story
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story revolves around a mission on the moon, where players gather resources, construct cities, and develop technologies to support their exploration efforts. This narrative framework emphasizes resource management and technological advancement as key elements of the gameplay experience.

  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive audio design, which works in harmony with the visuals to create an otherworldly experience that captivates players and enhances their engagement with the game world.

    • “The immersive audio design complements the visuals perfectly, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that draws you deeper into the game world.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight that the game's replayability is significantly enhanced by its strong community, which fosters ongoing engagement and encourages players to return for new experiences. Players appreciate the variety of content and challenges that keep the gameplay fresh, making it enjoyable to revisit. Overall, the community aspect plays a crucial role in sustaining interest and replay value.

  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's building placement optimization is similar to Civilization 6, focusing on adjacency bonuses; however, players can place a large number of buildings without the need for meticulous planning, allowing for a more relaxed approach to optimization.

    • “The optimization of building placement works essentially the same as Civilization 6 districts, where it is all about adjacency bonuses. However, unlike Civ 6, you place buildings all the time—hundreds, even thousands of them—so you don't need to hyper-focus on maximizing every single building you place down.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally engaging, as it instills a sense of intelligence and accomplishment, even for those who typically struggle with logistics games. This emotional connection enhances the overall gaming experience, making players feel capable and satisfied.

Buy Scorchlands

7h Median play time
6h Average play time
3-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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