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Settlemoon

89%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
89% User Score Based on 420 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsSteam DeckSteam Deck
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About

"Settlemoon is a single-player Simulation game with an intriguing story and splendid mechanics, where you build and manage a sidescrolling town that grows in real-time. The game features beautiful visuals, a delightful soundtrack, and allows for relaxed commitment, with no fail states and the ability to customize your town with hundreds of decorative items. Explore the mysterious world and uncover its secrets at your own pace."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Settlemoon screenshot
Settlemoon screenshot
Settlemoon screenshot
Settlemoon screenshot
Settlemoon screenshot

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 420 reviews
story38 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Charming art style and relaxing atmosphere, making it a delightful idle game to check in on periodically.
  • Unique storytelling approach that engages players through visual cues rather than text, creating a sense of mystery and discovery.
  • Offers a satisfying gameplay loop where players can build and manage a town for adventurers, with cute characters and enjoyable music.
  • Lack of clear instructions and tutorials can lead to confusion, making it difficult for new players to understand mechanics.
  • Pacing can feel slow, especially in the early game, leading to frustration when waiting for resources or quests to complete.
  • Some players may find the game overly cryptic, with mechanics that are not immediately apparent, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is unexpectedly deep for a city-building idle game, exploring themes of grief and nostalgia through primarily image-based storytelling, which some players find both charming and cryptic. While the narrative unfolds slowly and can be challenging to interpret, it captivates many with its emotional resonance and whimsical art style, encouraging players to piece together the world’s mysteries. However, the minimal text and reliance on visuals may leave some feeling lost or frustrated, particularly in understanding gameplay mechanics and quest outcomes.

    • “The story is told primarily without text, but it tugs on the heartstrings, and the recent postgame update adds a second loop with some extra closure.”
    • “The storytelling is very subtle; you have to read between the lines a lot (and do a bit of investigation) to truly understand what happened, and what is currently happening.”
    • “Settlemoon is, yes, ultimately a story about game development, but it's also one about loss, and the poison of nostalgia.”
    • “At the end of the day, this is a game that tells a sad story and wastes a lot of your time doing it.”
    • “Whatever fun I had providing for adventurers and planning their escapades was undermined by the oppressive gloom of the soundtrack, the story, the overall vibe... and the uncomfortable OCD-farming aspects of the gameplay itself.”
    • “However, it's otherwise a bit harder to get captivated by the game's story when it's usually told in a rather minimal manner.”
  • gameplay
    136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Settlemoon is characterized by its passive, idle mechanics, where players manage a town and engage adventurers in quests to gather resources. While the game offers a charming aesthetic and a relaxing atmosphere, it is often criticized for its lack of clear explanations regarding its mechanics, requiring players to discover and infer how systems work over time. This unique approach can be rewarding for those who enjoy unraveling mysteries, but may frustrate players seeking more direct guidance or active gameplay.

    • “Gorgeous art, delightful musical charm, and worldbuilding lie underneath gentle gameplay that I've had a ton of fun coming back to over and over.”
    • “The game mechanics are unique, fun, easy to learn, and mesh well with its surprisingly touching narrative.”
    • “It's really nice having a game that lets you figure everything out slowly; it's a game with a surprising amount of depth to its mechanics!”
    • “There isn't much gameplay, so if that's what you're looking for, you might not enjoy this.”
    • “I really wish there was a 'thumbs in the middle.' This game has vast potential but is held back by an absolute dedication to never explaining anything that's going on -- not just lore, but game mechanics and entire systems.”
    • “The nature of the game doesn't necessarily help the onboarding experience either, since the game encourages you to be relatively hands-off for large portions of gameplay, and you're likely not going to be paying close attention to it in order to get a good sense of what every system actually does, which exacerbates these problems.”
  • music
    108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its charm and relaxing qualities, with many players enjoying the unique aspect of adventurers playing individual parts of a song that combine to create a rich atmosphere. However, some users find the soundtrack repetitive and lacking in variety, leading to moments where it becomes grating. Overall, while the music enhances the game's aesthetic and mood, there are calls for more diverse tracks to maintain engagement over longer play sessions.

    • “The environment is beautiful, the animations are eye candy, and the music is eerie, comforting, and nostalgic all at the same time.”
    • “Instead of having specific individual songs that play during gameplay, travelers will come by your settlement and play individual parts of a song by themselves, and then other travelers will join with their own instruments.”
    • “The music is wonderful and all I can really say is that it needs better tutorialization; please make the tutorial better, it's so obtuse for the love of God.”
    • “Whatever fun I had providing for adventurers and planning their escapades was undermined by the oppressive gloom of the soundtrack, the story, the overall vibe... and the uncomfortable OCD-farming aspects of the gameplay itself.”
    • “There needs to be more songs to justify its inclusion.”
    • “The soundtrack is minimal and could use some variety, but it still hasn't gotten old for me, somehow.”
  • graphics
    76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and endearing pixel art style, which effectively conveys emotions and gameplay mechanics through minimalist visuals. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic, character designs, and the relaxing atmosphere created by the visuals and accompanying chiptune soundtrack. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's cozy and nostalgic vibe.

    • “The art style is perfection for this.”
    • “Charming and nostalgic graphics.”
    • “Extremely cozy idle game with an incredible art style!”
    • “There's also nothing in the way of graphical options outside of fullscreen to my knowledge, and there's a hard cap of 60 fps for anyone running a faster monitor.”
    • “Settlemoon as a game is really great at capturing my attention now and then with its story that catches you, its chill aesthetic and audio and very calming gameplay, but it probably won't be your kind of game as much if you're looking for something more active rather than passive.”
    • “I have a great fondness for the audio, I'd argue it's even better than the visuals actually.”
  • emotional
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express deep emotional connections to the game, often feeling moved to tears by its touching narrative and heartfelt themes. Despite being an idle town builder, the game surprises players with its ability to evoke genuine feelings, showcasing a wholesome story that resonates long after completion. The combination of cute art, engaging mechanics, and unexpected emotional beats leaves a lasting impact, making it a standout experience in the genre.

    • “Having completed the game, it was a genuinely touching experience.”
    • “I don't know how, and I don't know why, but this little idle game made me feel so much more than most other games ever have.”
    • “From the first time that Rose shows up, I felt something strong with this game, and the first letter with Luna grew so much joy in my heart to see the two moths loving, only to shatter it consistently throughout the rest of the game was a pleasant (if heart-wrenching) surprise.”
  • atmosphere
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its cozy and calming qualities, enhanced by a charming combination of sound and art. Players appreciate the nostalgic and cute elements, which contribute to a sense of warmth and innovation, despite some design flaws. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as beautiful, fun, and immersive, making it a standout feature.

    • “Settlemoon is a very cute town-builder; I can confidently say it has a charming atmosphere and wonderful nostalgic air. The building mechanics are a little mysterious, and I feel that's the point, guiding players to an 'ah-hah' moment, rather than hammering them over the head with a big manual first thing.”
    • “Overall, I think the music is quite good, and the game really shines with the atmosphere set by a combination of the adorable pixel art and the feeling of 'loss/confusion' pervasive throughout the game.”
    • “There is such an atmosphere created between the sound and art.”
    • “I have grown to like the cozy and calming atmosphere.”
    • “It adds a lot to the atmosphere, and I hope more games do things like this with its music in the future.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally stable with minimal bugs and glitches, which is a significant advantage. However, players report that it can freeze after about eight hours of play, and certain actions may cause temporary drops in frame rates.

    • “The game is pretty bug-free, but some actions can cause a temporary drop in FPS, and occasionally, the FPS may randomly drop.”
    • “Again, you only have 8 hours maximum before the game freezes.”
    • “The game is plagued by frequent crashes, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced multiple instances of the game freezing, which ruined my experience.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players note that while the game requires strategic thinking and optimization for progression, particularly in tasks like stocking shops, it encourages a more relaxed approach to gameplay. Instead of focusing on minute-to-minute efficiency, users suggest planning ahead and checking back later, allowing for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “It's a good idea to open up, post quests, stock your shops, and then check back in the morning or after work rather than stressing over minute-to-minute optimization.”
    • “Like its a good idea to open up, post quests, stock your shops, and then check back in the morning or after work rather than stressing over minute to minute optimization.”
    • “Progression at a certain point requires actual strategy and optimization even while doing something as mundane sounding as stocking a shop.”
    • “Like it's a good idea to open up, post quests, stock your shops, and then check back in the morning or after work rather than stressing over minute to minute optimization.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing admin popups and the presence of quirky critters that add a lighthearted charm to the town-building experience. Players appreciate the blend of fun and simplicity, which is complemented by a whimsical story and engaging mysteries.

    • “I kept hearing about this on my favorite kart server, so glad to follow the funny admin popups!”
    • “It's a pretty simple and fun game about building up a town with funny little critters walking around in it, with a few mysteries and a nice and simple story surrounding it.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, often feeling overwhelmed by the need to meticulously manage item placements for optimal boosts. The oppressive atmosphere and unclear mechanics further detract from the enjoyment, making the farming elements feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience.

    • “Whatever fun I had providing for adventurers and planning their escapades was undermined by the oppressive gloom of the soundtrack, the story, the overall vibe, and the uncomfortable OCD-farming aspects of the gameplay itself.”
    • “Additionally, what synergizes with which, and how much of a boost you get isn't exactly immediately obvious at a glance, and you're just going to have to tediously place down items to try and maximize the value you get out of these boosts.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is highlighted by its charming and cute designs, complemented by stunning pixel art that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. Players appreciate the visual appeal of the characters and backgrounds, contributing to a delightful management gameplay experience.

    • “The pixel art is absolutely gorgeous to look at: from character designs to backgrounds and the extra art in booklets, everything looks great!”
    • “Really cute and simple little management game with a really nice pixel art style and charming character designs.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is positively noted for resembling a mobile game experience while avoiding the common pitfalls of microtransactions, providing a more enjoyable and less intrusive financial model for players.

    • “I feel like it has that mobile game feel, but without the need for microtransactions.”

Buy Settlemoon

62h Median play time
44h Average play time
8-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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