Settlemoon

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 180 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Settlemoon Game Cover
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"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."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 180 reviews
story12 positive mentions
optimization2 negative mentions
  • Charming pixel art and a soothing soundtrack create a delightful atmosphere.
  • The game encourages exploration and discovery, allowing players to learn mechanics through experimentation.
  • Engaging gameplay loop where players build a town, send adventurers on quests, and manage resources in a relaxing manner.
  • Lack of clear tutorials and explanations can lead to confusion about game mechanics and objectives.
  • Progression can feel slow and tedious, especially when waiting for resources or quests to complete.
  • Some players may find the game too cryptic, making it difficult to understand how to effectively manage their town.
  • story80 mentions

    The game's story is primarily conveyed through subtle, image-based storytelling, requiring players to piece together the narrative through visual cues and exploration. While some players find the story engaging and resonant, others criticize its minimalism and the slow pacing of gameplay, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these mixed feelings, the charming art style and the unique premise of managing a town for adventurers contribute to a cozy atmosphere that many players appreciate.

    • “Possibly the most engaging plot and worldbuilding I've seen in an idle game; it resonated with me on a personal level.”
    • “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.”
    • “The story is told through little picture books that the boss quests will give you when they show up.”
    • “At the end of the day, this is a game that tells a sad story and wastes a lot of your time doing it.”
    • “I doubt the game's story has changed at all, though, and the story doesn't add a whole lot to Settlemoon; it's a game about a game that, since you play as a character who has already played the game, you learn next to nothing about aside from why it fell apart.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay55 mentions

    The gameplay of Settlemoon is characterized by a functional yet passive loop where players build and manage a town by sending adventurers on quests to gather resources. While the mechanics are often cryptic and minimally explained, many players find joy in discovering them through experimentation, leading to a rewarding sense of accomplishment. The game's charming aesthetics and relaxing atmosphere make it appealing for those who enjoy a more laid-back gaming experience, though it may not satisfy players seeking more active engagement.

    • “The pacing is excellent, the villagers are adorable, and puzzling out the mechanics for yourself is a blast.”
    • “It's cute, the mechanics play out very nicely, and feel significantly more rewarding knowing I figured them out myself!”
    • “The game is very charming, and once you get used to the idea of only playing it in small doses and figure out the mechanics, it is a very relaxing thing to just check on from time to time.”
    • “The game is designed to make a lot of its exact mechanics unclear, with very minimal tutorializing.”
    • “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.”
  • music44 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its charm and relaxing quality, while others find it repetitive and lacking in variety. The unique feature of adventurers contributing to a growing melody adds to the atmosphere, but some users wish for more diverse tracks to enhance the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic and emotional impact.

    • “With beautiful art direction, a good story, and great music, it's a real treat.”
    • “The music is subtle and relaxing.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “There is only one song as far as I've seen, but it's charming in the way that the characters who visit your town are the ones playing the song.”
  • graphics35 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique pixel art style, which effectively conveys emotions and gameplay mechanics through visuals rather than text. Players appreciate the minimalist yet beautiful aesthetic, enhanced by a relaxing soundtrack, creating a cozy and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the art style is considered a perfect fit for the game's themes of sadness and isolation, making it both endearing and visually appealing.

    • “Charming and nostalgic graphics.”
    • “The art style is minimalist and beautiful, especially with the pitch blacks on an OLED screen.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    Players find the game unexpectedly emotional, with many expressing feelings of joy and sadness upon completion. The heartfelt story, combined with cute art and a sense of progression through music, creates a genuinely touching experience that resonates deeply, highlighting the impact of indie games on players' emotions.

    • “I didn't think an idle town builder would make me emotional and cry.”
    • “Having completed the game, it was a genuinely touching experience.”
    • “The art is cute, the story is a bit confusing at first, but is also honestly wholesome with a good moral at the end.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming and cozy qualities, enhanced by a combination of beautiful pixel art and evocative music. Players appreciate the nostalgic and calming environment, which fosters a sense of discovery and emotional depth, despite some design flaws in gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the overall experience.

    • “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.”
    • “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 their music in the future.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game is considered stable with minimal bugs and glitches, though players report occasional frame rate drops and a maximum playtime of about 8 hours before experiencing freezes.

    • “The game is mostly bug-free, providing a smooth experience overall.”
    • “While there are occasional drops in FPS during certain actions, they are infrequent and do not significantly impact gameplay.”
    • “The stability of the game is commendable, with only rare instances of random FPS drops.”
    • “Again, you only have 8 hours maximum before the game freezes.”
    • “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced multiple instances of the game freezing during critical moments.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's optimization mechanics, noting that while strategic planning is essential for progression, it allows for a more relaxed approach to gameplay. Instead of constant micromanagement, users find it beneficial to focus on broader strategies, such as managing shop stocks and quest postings, which enhances the overall experience.

    • “Progression at a certain point requires actual strategy and optimization even while doing something as mundane as stocking a shop.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as it involves repetitive item placement to optimize boosts, which is not intuitively clear. This laborious farming process detracts from the overall enjoyment, overshadowed by a gloomy atmosphere and story.

    • “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 development2 mentions

    The character development in the game is highlighted by its charming and visually appealing pixel art style, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the cute and simple designs that contribute to the game's aesthetic, making the characters memorable and engaging.

    • “Really cute and simple little management game with a really nice pixel art style and charming character designs.”
    • “The pixel art is absolutely gorgeous to look at: from character designs to backgrounds and the extra art in booklets, everything looks great!”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model is perceived as favorable, resembling that of mobile games but notably lacking the pressure of microtransactions, which enhances the overall player experience.

    • “I feel like it has that mobile game feel, but without the need for microtransactions.”
    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which ruins the overall experience.”
    • “The game is designed to push players towards microtransactions, making it feel more like a cash grab than a fun experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

62hMedian play time
44hAverage play time
8-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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