Ymir
- March 16, 2019
- Thibaud Michaud
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Ymir is a 4X Real Time Strategy game with city-building elements, where 2 players develop a civilization of Pigmen in a procedurally generated world. Experience complex socio-economic simulations and technological evolution, with unique biomes encouraging player-trading. Play in multiplayer mode on local or persistent servers, but be aware of bugs for an otherwise awesome gameplay and good graphics."
Reviews
- Unique and complex city/nation builder that offers a refreshing take on the genre.
- Deep economic and resource management systems that provide a satisfying challenge.
- Active developer who is engaged with the community and regularly updates the game.
- Frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay and progress.
- Steep learning curve with minimal guidance, making it difficult for new players to get started.
- Multiplayer focus can lead to frustrating experiences, especially for solo players due to lack of AI opponents.
- gameplay88 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this PC game is characterized by its complex and unique mechanics, reminiscent of classic city builders and strategy games, but it suffers from a steep learning curve and a lack of clear documentation. Players report frustrating bugs, slow pacing, and a multiplayer focus that can lead to mixed experiences, particularly when playing solo. While some appreciate the depth and potential of the gameplay, many express disappointment over unbalanced mechanics and the need for significant investment to fully understand and enjoy the game.
“I love how unique this game is, and how interesting the game mechanics are.”
“The game concept is great, the gameplay is deep and entertaining.”
“Amazing game with plenty of potential and hidden mechanics.”
“This is a $35 PC game with phone game mechanics that is made for multiplayer.”
“The game has some catch-up mechanics, but you'll still likely not be a contender in the actual markets of the game.”
“The game has a very harsh learning curve, requires friends to enjoy, has hidden requirements that are impossible to know unless you sink many hours into the game, and finally there are game-breaking bugs that the developer refuses to address because 'it's not the way the game was meant to be played.'”
- stability29 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and server issues that hinder gameplay. Many users describe the experience as frustratingly unplayable at times, particularly in multiplayer modes, while others acknowledge the game's potential despite its current lack of polish. Overall, the consensus is that the game is still in a rough state, typical of early access titles, requiring substantial improvements to enhance stability and user experience.
“For one person to create this masterpiece, relatively bug-free (I haven't actually encountered any yet), is beyond anything I could believe.”
“Both on my Windows computer and via Proton, the game is so buggy that I can't play it.”
“The game freezes either saying 'connecting to localhost:14804' forever and it gives an error which should never happen for localhost because your firewall doesn't care about localhost, or it says 'starting server...' forever -- like for over 10 minutes, and it never starts.”
“This game is absurdly buggy at the moment and needs immediate attention as it is completely unplayable for many players due to the server client failing to authorize players to connect to each other's games.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are not high-end or polished, they do not detract from the overall gameplay experience. Some appreciate the nostalgic, low-resolution art style reminiscent of classic city builders, while others criticize the presence of graphical glitches and lack of polish. Ultimately, players emphasize that the engaging gameplay and community aspects outweigh the shortcomings in graphics.
“Excellent, yet hard economic simulation, good graphics and sound effects which all give a good gaming experience.”
“It's base story is fantastic and the graphics are very nice, impressive from a one man project.”
“Never crashed for me and lovely 2D art style, better than Civ 5.”
“The mix of city building, diplomacy, economic juggling, war and exploration makes a fantastic game, despite it clearly lacking any high-end graphics.”
“The graphics are much to be desired but the gameplay is top class.”
“The lack of polish is such a disappointment, graphical glitches everywhere, civs walking through fences/walls, the tutorial is a mess.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is shaped by player interactions and emergent narratives, particularly in multiplayer settings, where engaging with others can lead to memorable experiences. However, players have noted frustrations with repetitive quests and technical bottlenecks that can hinder progression, impacting the overall flow of the story. Despite these issues, the game offers a solid foundation for replayability and story-building, reminiscent of titles like Dwarf Fortress and Stellaris.
“You will be creating together a story that you will remember after a few months playing with the same people.”
“If you join a roleplaying server, and you're lucky enough to find someone who is engaging, you could have a really deep and story-filled game.”
“It has lovely economic simulation within it that promotes a solid multiplayer experience as long as you play it for what it is: a colony sim and an emergent story maker.”
“You could theoretically get ahead, it's just a matter of getting through the repetitive opening quests and hoping against hope that the tech options will randomly trigger on time; otherwise, you're bottlenecked in terms of upward development.”
“Quests breaking because you advanced too quickly and unlocked the second tier building, while the quest only accepts the 1st tier which you can't build if you unlock the second tier.”
“This somewhat removes one of my core issues which was getting stuck waiting for RNG tech to unlock so you could advance; I've spent a good 20 minutes waiting for basic leather cloth tech to drop, which was the last thing preventing the completion of a main mission.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is generally viewed positively, as it avoids microtransactions and is developed by a dedicated single developer. However, some players feel the $30 price tag is steep for the content offered, suggesting that a free model supported by ads would be more appropriate. Overall, the game is seen as a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre who appreciate its depth and commitment to quality.
“The game is made by a single developer who doesn't care about microtransactions and seems dedicated to his idea.”
“There will be no microtransactions.”
“Definite buy if you're willing to put some time in. The best way to play is persistent, meaning games can last days. It can feel a bit like Clash of Clans at that point (without the microtransactions), but it gives you time to plan your actions, get in-depth with your city and civilizations, create a huge empire, and become a vassal or liege to other players.”
“If this were a free browser game backed by advertisements for revenue, that would be much more acceptable, but this is not worth the $30.”
“Cash grab, what can I say!!!!”
“The world is really lacking games of this genre which aren't a complete cash grab; I think it's our duty, as fans of the genre, to support good projects like this one.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while farming has become more valuable and strategic, leading to intense competition for resources, it can also feel tedious and time-consuming. Some enjoy the challenge and depth it adds, especially in cooperative play, while others feel it can be overly lengthy and demanding. Overall, the grinding experience varies significantly based on player preferences for strategy and engagement.
“It's hard, not grindy, but makes you not want to put it down because you are worried about falling behind or your people not being safe.”
“The grind feels rewarding, as every effort contributes to my progress and the growth of my characters.”
“I love how the grinding mechanics keep me engaged; it feels like I'm constantly working towards something meaningful.”
“This is way too long and tedious.”
“If you enjoy extreme strategy, cooperation with random strangers, extremely grindy (if you're not playing in real time) then you might really enjoy this.”
“It's hard, not grindy but makes you not want to put it down because you are worried about falling behind or your people not being safe.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its unique blend of 4x strategy elements, randomly generated worlds, and a focus on community-driven multiplayer experiences. While some users express hope for further improvements, many agree that it has a solid foundation for replayability akin to titles like Dwarf Fortress and Stellaris. Overall, it is considered more playable than Civilization 6, suggesting a promising potential for varied gameplay experiences.
“Overall, this is a unique, different take on the 4X strategy genre that melds society building, economic management, city building, and RTS strategy of many games before Ymir to varying degrees of success, along with randomly generated worlds that create a huge amount of replayability.”
“I hope I am wrong and the developer will make it better and more replayable over time.”
“It has the foundations for massive replayability, story building like Dwarf Fortress and Stellaris, and an easy to use/hard to master feel with the multiplayer focus that lets its community thrive.”
“Overall, quite a few things have been improved, making the game far more playable in my opinion.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting low performance and responsiveness, particularly after the initial launch period. Many feel that despite its promising concept, the game suffers from poor balancing and lacks the stability and quality expected from a finished product, as indicated by the developers' own statements about its experimental status. Overall, the optimization for a 2D game is deemed inadequate.
“The performance and responsiveness of the game on the server can be quite low after the initial weeks.”
“It's expensive for a game that the developers state may never be finished, as the startup screen indicates that 'this game is likely to forever remain an experimental work-in-progress and may never reach the quality, proper stability, and optimization of a finished product.'”
“Performance and responsiveness of the game on the server (that is not fresh - first weeks) is low.”
“It's a good concept, but the game needs balancing and it has poor performance.”
“Performance is poorly optimized for a 2D game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by clever and amusing names, though it can be overshadowed by frustrating bugs that lead to the loss of valuable data, detracting from the overall comedic experience.
“It has a healthy dose of humorous names.”
“It would be a funny bug, except you lost expensive prospecting data because the game only saves that data to your local device, and it only gets saved when you successfully close the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers express that the game lacks emotional depth, comparing it unfavorably to titles like Banished or Tropico, which offer more personal connections and unique characters. Instead, it features generic units that diminish emotional investment, making the experience feel more like Age of Empires without the same level of engagement.
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a preference for music in games that allow for a more relaxed, sandbox-style experience rather than competitive multiplayer formats, suggesting that the music's enjoyment is diminished in high-stakes environments.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the atmosphere of the game for its captivating art style and detailed city-building mechanics, which collectively create an engaging and immersive experience that aligns perfectly with their expectations for a city builder.
“The atmosphere, the art style, and the in-depth mechanics of city building and population management are exactly what I want to see in a city builder.”
“The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment spent in the game feel alive and engaging.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and ambient sounds creates a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
