Clockwork Empires

My heart is screaming to love Clockwork Empires. Its premise, its setting - it is so uniquely fresh and daring that it should have amounted to something extraordinary. I’m struggling to even like it, let alone love it. No, I do like it, but it is a crying shame that it lacks the polish it deserves. As it stands, the interface throws up too much of an obstacle for Clockwork Empires to shine as it might have.

Clockwork Empires has a lot of promise but numerous technical issues and a baffling UI, not to mention disappointing use of the steampunk aesthetic, make the game a frustrating and tedious experience.

There's a lot to love in the way Clockwork Empires attempts to break up the construction sim framework with Lovecraftian creatures and almost assured destruction, but it often takes too long to get to the best parts and fills that time with dull busywork. For most of the hours spent, it's largely a standard colonization simulator that's hampered with an unwieldy user interface and weak AI.

Clockwork Empires is broken, buggy, and frustrating, but manages to provide something very fun and satisfying for the right kind of player. There are no easy way to play, but perseverance will be rewarded.

Clockwork Empires is an interesting premise heavily weighed down by its unfinished feel. Too many bugs, crashes, and unintuitive gameplay options make it hard to recommend in its current state. If all the glitches are ironed out, I’m eager to see what emerges.

Persistent bugs, a convoluted interface, and incompetent colonists hold back a great premise.