Virtual Villagers: A New Home

Platform Tested: PC Genre: Simulation Rating: E A motley group of tiny characters are stranded on a deserted island, and it's up to you to make sure they learn the skills they need to survive and thrive. The game is easy to pick up and play, but for such a simple idea, it's engaging; to win, you

89%Game Brain Score

atmosphere, music

grinding, gameplay

89% User Score Based on 136 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $9.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

In "Virtual Villagers: A New Home," guide a tribe of villagers as they learn to survive, discover their new island home, and react to unpredictable events in this real-time simulation game. Teach your villagers skills, manage their daily lives, and help them grow from a small group to a thriving community. With hundreds of unique villagers and potential island events, each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises. Breed and raise your own tribe for endless replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Virtual Villagers: A New Home screenshot

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews

atmosphere1 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game is a nostalgic experience, bringing back fond memories for many players who enjoyed it in their childhood.
It's a relaxing and simple idle game that allows players to check in periodically, making it great for casual gaming.
The charming graphics and engaging gameplay, including puzzles and resource management, provide hours of entertainment.

The game can become repetitive and lacks depth, especially after completing the initial puzzles and tasks.
Some players find the AI frustrating, as villagers may not always follow commands effectively, leading to challenges in managing the village.
The price point is considered steep for an older game with limited content, prompting some to recommend trying it on other platforms where it's cheaper.

grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while grinding for skills like farming and construction is essential for quest progression, it can lead to frustration if opportunities for training are limited, potentially locking players out of quests. However, the game is generally forgiving regarding food shortages, and with timely investment in farming research, players can manage their villagers' needs effectively. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a nostalgic and enjoyable challenge, particularly for fans of farming sims.
- “This isn't a problem for skills like science or farming that can be regularly trained up throughout the game, but for skills where there's limited opportunities for training, it means you can end up locked out of quests!”
- “Then I realized we weren't getting research quick enough... at this rate the berry bush would be used up before I got to farming level 2... so desperate times called for desperate measures.”
- “This was not helped when we got on the right track with research and I was clearly going to make it... but food was running low again... I needed berries picked faster if we were going to make it to getting enough points for level 2 farming, and guess who no longer had work to do?”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and addictive nature, featuring straightforward mechanics and puzzles that require some thought. Players can complete the game in a short time, but the real-time element adds a layer of challenge, as neglecting survivors can lead to dire consequences. Overall, the experience is engaging enough to encourage repeated play.
- “A blast from the past, very simple mechanics and the puzzles are simple yet some of them take some thought.”
- “It's real-time, meaning if you forget about your survivors you might find your tribe wiped after half a week (although you can pause the game). It doesn't take much time at once, but its surprisingly addictive gameplay makes you return again and again.”
- “Regrettably, I did finish all the puzzles in under 3 hours of gameplay, maybe about a week of actual waiting on and off.”
- “The gameplay is pretty simple.”
- “Try the demo and see if the gameplay is worth the price.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's story is engaging, featuring a series of quests and a tech tree that encourages player progression. However, some quests are hindered by skill level requirements for villagers, which can lead to frustration, and one quest relies heavily on luck rather than player agency. Overall, while the narrative is enjoyable, the gameplay mechanics can detract from the experience.
- “The story is pretty neat also.”
- “There's a series of quests to solve (with a few vague hints to help you along) and a tech tree to evolve.”
- “So yeah, if you can't tell for such a slow-moving game with frankly little to do in it overall... you can find yourself crafting a story.”
- “My only real issue with this game is that certain quests are locked behind having a villager or two with a skill at a specific level.”
- “So yeah, if you can't tell for such a slow-moving game with frankly little to do in it overall, you can find yourself crafting a story.”
- “My only complaint would be that one quest is more luck-based because you cannot lead the villagers to work on it.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game's graphics are described as charming and contribute to a serene atmosphere, enhancing the experience of building a community on a deserted island. While some players find the aesthetics and puzzles appealing, others criticize the graphics as lacking quality, though they still enjoy the gameplay.
- “The game's charming graphics and relaxing soundtrack create a serene atmosphere as players guide a group of villagers to build a thriving community on a deserted island.”
- “The graphics aren't great but it's still fun.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features charming graphics and a relaxing soundtrack that together create a serene atmosphere, enhancing the experience of guiding villagers in building a thriving community on a deserted island.
- “The game's charming graphics and relaxing soundtrack create a serene atmosphere as players guide a group of villagers to build a thriving community on a deserted island.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's music, characterized by a relaxing soundtrack, enhances the serene atmosphere, complementing its charming graphics as players guide villagers in building a thriving community on a deserted island.
- “The game's charming graphics and relaxing soundtrack create a serene atmosphere as players guide a group of villagers to build a thriving community on a deserted island.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from their growing attachment to the characters, leading to the creation of amusing stories, despite acknowledging that the AI may not be the strongest aspect.
- “The AI in this game isn't the best, but you'll slowly grow attached to the characters and start to form stories that can be pretty funny.”
- “The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the dialogue, making even the simplest interactions entertaining.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the unexpected twists and quirky character interactions throughout the game.”