Scorchlands

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

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Scorchlands offers a unique blend of city-building and puzzle mechanics, allowing for creative experimentation with resource management and building placement.
The game features a relaxing gameplay loop with no time pressure, encouraging players to optimize their colonies and logistics without the stress of traditional resource accumulation.
Visually appealing with charming characters and a humorous narrative, Scorchlands captivates players with its engaging mechanics and beautiful art style.

The combat system is underdeveloped and may feel unnecessary, as it primarily revolves around positioning rather than dynamic interactions.
Some players may find the logistics and resource transfer mechanics tedious, especially when dealing with the limitations of laser transport and colony borders.
The game can become overwhelming with complexity as colonies expand, leading to potential frustration for those who prefer more straightforward gameplay.

gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The gameplay in Scorchlands is characterized by a unique blend of resource management, terraforming, and city-building, creating an engaging and addictive experience. While the mechanics offer intriguing puzzles and logistical challenges, some players find certain aspects tedious and lacking cohesion. Overall, the game stands out in its genre with innovative mechanics and a captivating setting, though it may require further refinement as it is still in early access.
- “Scorchlands masterfully blends resource management, terraforming, and city-building into a cohesive and immersive gameplay loop.”
- “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.”
- “Really fun, straightforward, easy to pick up with a lot of mechanics that make the game more interesting and complicated the longer you play; well worth its price, it feels like an actual game on release, not an early access.”
- “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/planning.”
- “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.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
22%
11%
Scorchlands features breathtaking visuals that vividly depict the alien landscapes of Helia, complemented by intricate environments and an immersive audio design that enhances the overall experience. The game's graphics are described as aesthetically pleasing and relaxing, making it an enjoyable package for players, though some may miss the sprite-based graphics and megafactory elements found in similar titles. Overall, the visuals and audio work harmoniously to create a captivating atmosphere.
- “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.”
- “With aesthetically pleasing graphics and cool music in the background, Scorchlands is a very nice package.”
- “Two things that Factorio lovers would probably miss are sprite-based graphics and the lack of megafactories.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it effectively satisfies the desire for puzzle-solving and base-building, many feel that the mechanics can become tedious and lack cohesion, particularly when it comes to resource management and colony expansion.
- “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, only to realize these flux rocks I tilled over were actually resources and not just obstacles for farming.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is consistently praised for being pleasant and relaxing, complementing the aesthetically pleasing graphics and enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack contributes to the stress-free atmosphere of the gameplay, making it enjoyable and immersive.
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's humor, particularly enjoying characters like Donnie and clever default colony names. While still in early access and needing 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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story revolves around exploration and resource management on the moon, where players gather materials, construct cities, and advance technologies to support their mission.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its immersive audio design, which works in harmony with the visuals to create a captivating and otherworldly experience that fully engages players.
- “The immersive audio design complements the visuals perfectly, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that draws you deeper into the game world.”
- “The haunting soundtrack and ambient sounds create a palpable tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “The richly detailed environments and dynamic weather effects contribute to a living, breathing world that feels both enchanting and eerie.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight that the game's replayability is significantly enhanced by its strong community, which fosters ongoing engagement through shared experiences and challenges. The variety of gameplay options and community-driven content encourages players to return for new experiences, making each playthrough feel fresh and rewarding. Overall, the social aspect plays a crucial role in maintaining interest over time.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The game's optimization for building placement is similar to Civilization 6's district system, 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 game offers a streamlined approach to optimization, allowing players to focus on broader strategies rather than getting bogged down in minute details.”
- “I love how the optimization mechanics encourage creativity in building layouts, making each player's city unique while still rewarding efficient design.”
- “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.”
- “The game's optimization feels lacking, as the performance drops significantly when there are too many buildings on the screen, making it frustrating to manage large cities.”
- “I found the optimization to be poor; the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate during late-game scenarios, which detracts from the overall experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the game emotionally rewarding, as it boosts their confidence and makes them feel intelligent, even if they typically struggle with logistics games.
- “This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster, making me feel deeply connected to the characters.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative made me reflect on my own life choices and relationships.”