Small World

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In Small World, players control fantasy races in a competitive, light-hearted conquest game. Your goal is to control as many regions as possible with your units, gaining points for each region and any special abilities your race possesses. As your current race's power wanes, you choose a new one to continue your territorial expansion, creating an ever-changing, engaging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Reviews

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 593 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability42 negative mentions

Faithful adaptation of the board game with nice graphics and user interface.
Fun and casual gameplay that is easy to learn, making it suitable for both new and experienced players.
Offers a variety of races and abilities, providing high replayability and strategic depth.

Frequent crashes and bugs, especially in multiplayer mode, making the game frustrating to play.
Limited options for graphics settings and no full-screen mode, leading to a poor user experience.
AI can be unpredictable and sometimes makes poor decisions, detracting from the overall challenge.

stability
44 mentions
5 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and various technical glitches across platforms, particularly on Windows and Linux. While some players find the gameplay enjoyable, the persistent bugs significantly detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating and unreliable. Many users recommend avoiding the game until these stability issues are addressed.
- “No glitches that I'm aware of, and the AI seems pretty smart (or I'm dumb)... so I'm guessing it's a good port.”
- “It's a very playable, not buggy, faithful adaptation of the Small World board game.”
- “Buggy and unstable on Windows; won't even launch on Linux.”
- “Very fun little board game, although a bit buggy (crashes from time to time on my PC, fortunately each game autosaves).”
- “Sadly, over a couple of hours playing singleplayer I've encountered crashes to desktop, game-breaking glitches, and other similar issues.”
gameplay
33 mentions
24 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as fun, tactical, and rewarding, with a smooth adaptation from the board game that simplifies mechanics and speeds up playtime. However, some users express frustration with bugs, lag, and a lack of depth in the mechanics, while others appreciate the replayability and ease of teaching the game to newcomers. Overall, while the core gameplay is well-executed, there are notable issues that detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is fun, and the different combinations of races make it very replayable.”
- “Gameplay is speedier thanks to the computer handling the basic rules and accounting for you.”
- “Excellent game, smooth gameplay.”
- “18 minutes of gameplay and I am both frustrated and annoyed.”
- “The gameplay is a drudgerous exercise in arithmetic, the artwork is generic and uninspired, the UI/UX is below amateur level.”
- “I find the actual mechanics of the game too shallow for my taste.”
graphics
27 mentions
22 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful and high-quality artwork that aligns well with the board game's aesthetic, while others criticize the lack of graphical options and the cluttered interface that can make gameplay confusing. Users note that the graphics do not scale well on larger screens and that the overall visual experience is hindered by bugs and a lack of customization. Despite these issues, many appreciate the smooth gameplay and intuitive user interface, though some find the graphics underwhelming compared to their expectations.
- “Amazing graphics and intuitive gameplay.”
- “The graphics are cool, and the game plays smoothly.”
- “Graphically, the game is fine, maintaining the cartoony feel of the board game.”
- “The gameplay is a drudgerous exercise in arithmetic, the artwork is generic and uninspired, the UI/UX is below amateur level.”
- “There are limited graphical options for resolution & sound.”
- “But the port itself is dreadful; there is no full screen or resolution options, not to mention most of the graphic options are still meant for iPad.”
replayability
20 mentions
85 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its diverse races and unique abilities that ensure no two playthroughs are alike. Players appreciate the strategic depth and fun factor, making it enjoyable even without additional DLCs. Overall, the combination of randomized elements and engaging gameplay contributes to its high replay value.
- “This game is fun and endlessly replayable, even without any DLCs.”
- “Excellent replayability with randomized factions every playthrough.”
- “Strong replayability is built right in as no two games will ever play alike.”
- “A charming game that is much deeper than its whimsical appearance may suggest, with a lot of replayability despite the currently singular map.”
- “Strong replayability is built right in, as no two games will ever play alike.”
music
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
42 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it irritating, repetitive, and poorly implemented, leading some to recommend muting it entirely. While a few users appreciate the music's fun and light-hearted tone, the overall consensus leans towards dissatisfaction, particularly due to its limited variety and the distracting nature of the soundtrack during gameplay.
- “The music and sounds are enjoyable as well.”
- “The music is fun and matches the light-hearted tone set by the art style.”
- “The music volume has a slider.”
- “The music is horrible, the game freezes and shuts down on rare occasions, there's no good way to speed through each round (you can click a 'next' button, but it's still slow and kind of buggy), and I prefer computer board games to work quickly and smoothly instead of getting bogged down.”
- “As mentioned before, the soundtrack is very limited and repetitive.”
- “There is a somewhat annoying music track which thankfully can be muted and some sound effects that I suspect were ripped from the arcade era circa 1983.”
humor
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it cute, funny, and relaxing. Many appreciate the laugh-out-loud moments created by quirky character combinations, while the game's simplicity and strategic elements add to its charm. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for both solo and multiplayer sessions.
- “Small world is exactly what it promises to be: short, funny, and relaxing.”
- “Some of these combinations were laugh-out-loud funny (flying ghouls, peace-loving barbarians, etc.), so even more of these would enhance the game immensely.”
- “One of the best board game transpositions, funny, simple, but strategic game playable with friends online or even on the same PC or against the PC. Three expansions already available, each with new races and powers.”
story
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The story is set in a cramped world where multiple races vie for dominance, leading to a chaotic narrative that struggles to engage players. Reviewers find the plot underdeveloped and overshadowed by gameplay mechanics, resulting in a lack of replay value.
- “The story takes place in a world that's way too small for all the races to live in at once... so what did they have to do?!?”
- “Story - 0 replay - 1”
- “Who has time to remember to keep track of what turn we're on when you're trying to plot world domination?!”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for being a poor port of a mobile version, lacking the expected optimizations and customization options for PC. However, it runs smoothly and offers endless replayability due to its randomness, though players express a desire for better desktop optimization.
- “But it runs smoothly, and the randomness in the game makes the replay endless.”
- “Plays fine; it would be nice if they optimized for desktop.”
- “For all the fun I've had with it, it is actually a poor port of a mobile game, with none of the optimizations or customization options you would expect from a PC game.”
- “Plays fine, but it would be nice if they optimized for desktop.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game minimizes grinding by automating tedious tasks like board setup and tracking, enhancing the overall experience. However, the pass-and-play mode is seen as cumbersome, requiring only one computer and one copy of the game, which may detract from multiplayer enjoyment.
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized for feeling like a cheap cash grab, with excessive advertisements for paid DLCs and a lack of polish in the user interface and functionality. Users express frustration over the game's abandonment and the need for improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “It's basically abandonware at this point, a cheap and cheerful digitization and monetization of the board game.”
- “The UI could use another patch or a few, and improved functionality, such as seamless switching, multiple instances running, not having the game overwrite your current action when something is happening in the game, more clarity on some functions and how to use them, less clunky, and for the dragon's sake, stop plastering ads for paid DLCs everywhere.”