Townsmen Premium
- September 14, 2012
- HandyGames
- 10h median play time
Townsmen Premium is a simulation game that allows players to build their own medieval city from the ground up. With a good storyline, spectacular gameplay, excellent visuals, and a phenomenal soundtrack, it provides an immersive experience. However, the game is marred by frequent grinding, annoying ads, and several bugs, which may detract from the overall enjoyment. The game's description states, "From humble backwater to medieval metropolis - build the city of your dreams!"
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic city-building games like Settlers.
- It provides hours of engaging gameplay with various scenarios and challenges.
- The graphics and animations are charming, making the game visually appealing.
- Despite being a premium game, it still includes ads and encourages in-app purchases for features like unlimited fast forward.
- The game can become tedious due to constant building repairs and resource management, especially as the town grows.
- There are frequent bugs and crashes, particularly when trying to load saved games or during gameplay.
- monetization278 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players expressing frustration over the presence of ads and in-app purchases even after purchasing the premium version. Users feel that the game is designed to be slow and tedious, pushing them towards spending more money to progress, which undermines the value of the initial purchase. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels like a cash grab, with many players advocating for a more straightforward pricing model that eliminates microtransactions entirely.
“Nowadays where games are 'free' but microtransactions are the only way to progress in the game, this game is exactly how games should be.”
“There are in-game purchases, but they are not required to play and have fun.”
“How refreshing to have a game that isn't incessantly asking you to connect to Facebook and/or add your friends, and doesn't require in-app purchases in order to advance or gain special items.”
“Just feels like they're cash grabbing and making things feel tedious and slow until you spend money for their 'upgrades' which should just be included in the purchased version of the game.”
“I paid for the app but they put advertising every time you open the app.”
“Paid for the game, but there is still pop up ads, and they designed it so that it goes so slow, you have to pay for game add ons to actually get anywhere.”
- gameplay105 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its depth, strategic elements, and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like "The Settlers." However, frustrations arise from the slow pace and the necessity of in-game purchases for essential features, such as speeding up gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the mechanics enjoyable and challenging, others feel that the monetization strategies hinder the enjoyment of what could be a great game.
“The gameplay is challenging and fun.”
“Great gameplay, I always play this game when I have free time, relaxing games, worth buying!”
“The gameplay is intense, the graphics are beautiful, and it's very immersive.”
“I'm sure the gameplay is fine, but I'm so frustrated with feeling like I completely wasted my money buying this that I don't even want to continue playing it.”
“The gameplay is horribly slow, forcing you to spend money for gameplay speedups despite being a paid game.”
“Premium game that needs additional purchases for integral gameplay features like game speed adjustment is disgusting.”
- graphics87 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a generally positive reception, with many users praising their beauty, detail, and charm. However, some players have noted that improvements are needed, particularly regarding resolution and updates to keep the visuals fresh and appealing. Overall, while the graphics are considered good and enjoyable, there is a consistent call for enhancements to meet modern standards.
“The graphics are just amazing!”
“Beautiful graphics, adorable people and nice buildings.”
“Great graphics and attention to detail.”
“It needs redesigning of home buildings and more graphic improvements; we are living in the HD era now, please add nighttime too so it will be cooler.”
“Graphics are so old and low resolution that it looks so bad on my QHD screen!”
“Firstly, the graphics are pretty blurry, even in the main menu, as if you didn't account for full HD phones and tablets.”
- story48 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by a mix of engaging quests and scenarios that encourage town-building and resource management, though players express a desire for more diverse and challenging missions. While the gameplay offers both story-driven scenarios and a sandbox mode, many users feel that the current quest offerings are repetitive and lack depth, leading to a call for additional content and updates. Overall, the narrative elements are appreciated, but there is a consensus that the game would benefit from a richer storyline and more varied quests.
“Gameplay-wise, there are story-driven scenarios as well as an open-ended sandbox mode; I really couldn't ask for more.”
“The game itself is impressive; hopefully, in the future, there are unique heroes added, and I actually hope there is a mission or an adventure chapter.”
“There are times when you wish it wasn't such a great game, but it's all worth it when you finish the first quest of building 3 jousting arenas, and it becomes increasingly easy to gain prestige by continuing and playing the village to a good balance.”
“If it was a complete game that would be a different story, but selling it as premium when it's a pay-to-play game is wrong.”
“Add to that new missions that always ask for things you cannot make, and the game has gone 100% downhill.”
“Update: this story is getting worse.”
- stability16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent freezes and glitches that hinder gameplay. While some players have found ways to mitigate these issues through uninstalling and reinstalling, others express frustration over the game's performance, particularly after recent updates. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable but plagued by stability problems that need addressing.
“Not buggy at all.”
“Great game, no glitches as yet.”
“It's a great game, but after paying money to find out all the new games have glitches and you can't play is disappointing.”
“The game freezes from time to time.”
“Unplayable as the game freezes within two minutes.”
- music13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its peaceful and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the excellent sound effects and soundtracks that evoke nostalgia and create a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game, contributing to its charm and addictiveness.
“It's very peaceful and has nice music and sound effects.”
“The music and gameplay provide some really relaxing vibes.”
“The music is incredible and it's just so very addicting.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and shallow, often feeling like a cash grab designed to encourage spending on upgrades. While some enjoy the challenge and animations, many criticize the slow progression and repetitive tasks, particularly in the early stages, making it a time-consuming experience.
“Furthermore, it is extremely shallow in terms of complexity and high on grinding and waiting.”
“Just feels like they're cash grabbing and making things feel tedious and slow until you spend money for their 'upgrades' which should just be included in the purchased version of the game.”
“Game is fun but repairing buildings becomes very tedious and annoying after some time, especially when there are a lot of buildings on the map.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, even in complex scenarios with many characters. However, some users note that it is poorly optimized on certain platforms and express a desire for further performance enhancements in future updates.
“I sit and watch everything run smoothly 😌 ☺”
“Even with a big city and more than a hundred townies, the game still runs smoothly.”
“You guys really listen ;) the game right now has run smoothly on my device.”
“Poorly optimized.”
“Hope the new update comes with performance enhancements.”
“I hope it comes to the Ouya, and I'd also love to see a PC optimized version.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its strong replayability, particularly appealing to strategy fans and those who enjoy its simple yet charming mechanics. While some users express a desire for updates and new features to enhance replay value, many appreciate the game's ability to keep them engaged despite occasional boredom. The option to purchase premium features also contributes positively to the replay experience.
“Great replayability, must have for strategy fans.”
“Dunno what to say, I love this game, it's simple yet charming. I purchased the fast forward bonus and twice XP, and so far enjoy all the things that are inside the game. Even if I get bored at some point, the replayability makes me want to come back and play more.”
“Brilliant replay value.”
“I say a nice update and new features would be nice for more replay value.”
“Even if I get bored at some point, the replayability makes me want to come back and play more.”
“Overall a solid game and has a lot of replayability.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, with players finding the gameplay and art style amusing, particularly the reactions of townsfolk. However, some users note that the humor is often tied to the game's broken mechanics, which can be both entertaining and frustrating. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the experience, despite a few lingering bugs.
“Great kingdom sim with lots of humor and great gameplay and sound!”
“The art is really funny too, cracks me up every time the townsfolk are mad at me lol.”
“Great game, funny but a few bugs still extant.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional engagement with the game, indicating that it captivates their attention to the point of frequent interaction. However, frustrations arise from gameplay mechanics, such as overlapping objects and lost characters, which can detract from the overall experience.