Timber and Stone

43%
Game Brain Score Based on 453 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • optimization
Timber and Stone Game Cover
Starting at €3.99Buy now
Get on Steam

Timber and Stone is a city-building survival game set in a medieval fantasy world. Gather resources, craft tools, and construct buildings to survive and expand your settlement. Defend against enemies, manage your villagers' needs, and adapt to a dynamic environment for the prosperity of your village.

Play Modes

Reviews

43%
Audience ScoreBased on 453 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique blend of city-building and survival mechanics, providing a challenging experience.
  • Players enjoy the creative freedom in building and managing their settlements, with a variety of professions for villagers.
  • The game has a charming art style and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game has been abandoned by the developers, leading to concerns about its future and lack of updates.
  • The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage tasks and villagers effectively.
  • The AI pathfinding is problematic, often resulting in villagers getting stuck or making poor decisions during combat.
  • gameplay38 mentions

    The gameplay is described as deep and addictive, featuring strategy, resource management, and exploration, but it is also plagued by bugs and unfinished mechanics that can hinder enjoyment. Players note a steep learning curve and frustrating micro-management, particularly with combat and resource gathering, which can detract from the overall experience. While some find the core mechanics engaging, many express a desire for improvements and updates to enhance gameplay and fix existing issues.

    • “It has enjoyable strategy- and resource management-type gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is quite addicting and deep, and I'll play it for a long time to come.”
    • “Addictive gameplay, with harvesting resources, building, crafting, base defense, and exploration.”
    • “Don't buy this game; you will just keep getting setbacks not even due to regular gameplay, just bugs and errors.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are a bit rough; building walls takes time and sometimes your villagers will get stuck or will just stop working due to the lack of tools or materials.”
    • “Still in early access, still unfinished, rough around the edges, plagued with gameplay issues that frequently break play.”
  • graphics31 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its charming pixel art style and overall visual appeal, particularly for fans of resource management and settlement games. However, some users note issues such as clunky controls, graphic bugs, and a lack of optimization, which detract from the experience. While the art style is often described as lovely and quaint, comparisons to more polished titles like RimWorld highlight its unfinished aspects and potential for improvement.

    • “The art style is perfect; very nice to look at and very homely, making it a very fun casual game to play.”
    • “Rimworld and Stonehearth mixed together with a nice pixel art style.”
    • “Great art style and music.”
    • “This game is abandoned by the lead developer and is outshined broadly by RimWorld, which takes all of the unfinished dynamics of this game and puts it into a 2D surface. I recommend RimWorld highly for fans of this game; it does lack 3D capability, but what it lacks graphically is made up massively in a genuine UI and remarkably intelligent AI.”
    • “No, no, no! Good idea, lovely graphics, really crap. Devs avoid if you don't want to waste money on an unfinished game that will never be finished.”
    • “It has terrible graphics, awful controls, and a good amount of strategy.”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth functionality and minimal performance issues, many others criticize it as incomplete and poorly optimized, leading to choppy gameplay. There are calls for better enemy balancing, more items, and overall performance tweaks. Although some users with high-end systems experience fewer problems, the general consensus is that the game requires significant optimization improvements.

    • “It takes a couple of tries to get everything in your settlement to run smoothly, but once you have it going, it is very helpful.”
    • “The game is functional, and I have never had any major performance issues with it.”
    • “Yes, there are a few bugs and it needs to be optimized, but nothing is game-breaking.”
    • “Incomplete and heavily unoptimized.”
    • “The game is choppy, unoptimized trash.”
    • “The performance of the game is horrible.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game, with some enjoying the depth of resource management and micromanagement, while others find the repetitive tasks tedious and frustrating. The need to gather resources and build structures can lead to long hours of gameplay that may feel aimless, especially after the initial excitement wears off. Overall, the grinding can be rewarding for those who appreciate the genre, but it may deter players who prefer a more streamlined experience.

    • “Why the painful grinding to get 'em?!!”
    • “Don't get me wrong: discovering how the game works is fun, but after that it just falls flat and the grinding quickly becomes unbearable (to me at least).”
    • “I spent a good amount of time on it, while having fun, but a lot of it was getting to grips with the game's weirdness and grindiness ('teching up' is largely dependent on finding enough appropriate ores or repeatedly building the same objects over and over again).”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and richness, describing it as the standout feature. However, some players find the soundtrack lacking in variety and quantity, noting issues with its flow and occasional repetitiveness. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, others feel it could benefit from more diversity and consistency.

    • “The music is the most beautiful part of this game, it's so well done, it's never a bore to hear it play.”
    • “I really like the calm soundtrack.”
    • “The musical score is perfect, varied and rich in sound.”
    • “Music gets annoying, there's very little of it, plus it's very generic.”
    • “The music fades in and out randomly with no sort of flow.”
    • “While it has lovely graphics and music, the controls can be clunky and hard to use.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as issues with AI and trading mechanics. While players acknowledge the game's potential, many express frustration over the lack of ongoing developer support and the unfinished state of the game. Overall, it is seen as a promising title that suffers from significant stability issues.

    • “The AI is very buggy, and you quickly run out of things to do once you have your basic defenses and base up and running.”
    • “This game has great potential but there is absolutely no activity from the developers. If I see any progress, I will change this review, but as of now, it has great potential, still buggy and unfinished.”
    • “This game is amazing, but lacks many features and glitches a lot.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game offers some initial replayability as players may need multiple attempts to fully grasp its mechanics, aided by available tutorials and guides. However, many reviewers feel it lacks substantial replay value compared to other options, particularly for those seeking a more engaging sandbox experience. Overall, while it can provide a few hours of entertainment, it may not satisfy players looking for deeper replayability.

    • “It also offers a lot of replayability.”
    • “With games like these, I'm looking for an interesting sandbox experience with a lot of replayability.”
    • “Maybe get this for $2-3 to kill 4-5 hours of time... but there are much better choices with actual replay value out there.”
    • “But with games like these, I'm looking for an interesting sandbox experience with a lot of replayability, and that's just not the case yet with Timber & Stone.”
  • story4 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is criticized for being a repetitive and sad narrative reminiscent of "timber and stone," with users expressing frustration over perceived stagnation in development. While some acknowledge improvements in gameplay mechanics compared to similar titles, the overarching sentiment is one of disappointment in the storytelling and the game's reliance on familiar tropes.

    • “If you want to see an exact repeat of the sad story of 'Timber and Stone', then search for 'Towns'.”
    • “These EA titles always have some shills on the forums trying to tell potential customers that the development is not dead; the developer has real-life issues that come first, critics are just entitled, etc. Same old story every time.”
    • “Get angry because all you have time to do is fight waves that I swear is using a storyteller AI and just trying to screw you.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over the publisher's decision to prioritize profit over quality and fair compensation for developers. Many reviewers feel that the game is just another example of a quick, exploitative project in the early access market.

    • “A game with a great premise that turned out to be a cash grab by the publisher who decided not to pay the people working on the game itself.”
    • “So it seems this is yet another quick cash grab project.”
    • “Valve really needs to protect their customers from this early access cash grab and run game.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's emotional impact may be tied to personal experiences, with some players reflecting on their own family issues while engaging with the narrative. The intense gameplay evokes a sense of pride and connection to the in-game community, despite the underlying themes of pain and loss. Overall, the emotional resonance varies, with some players feeling deeply affected while others focus on the gameplay experience.

    • “Maybe this game had a link to his family issues, and he couldn't get over emotional links—like listening to a song that reminds one of bad or painful times.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it entertaining and funny, especially in the early stages, others feel it relies too heavily on combat and the humiliation of characters, which can diminish its appeal over time. Overall, the comedic elements may not sustain long-term enjoyment for all players.

    • “If this is so, then sorry, it isn't for you, but if you can enjoy these eternal early access products, it is very funny to play.”
    • “Funny at day 10, not so much by day 90”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Timber and Stone

Play time

78hMedian play time
60hAverage play time
10-125hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games