Reus

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 238 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 132 out of 238
  2. Mixed: 77 out of 238
  3. Negative: 29 out of 238

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  1. AvatarOfShibby
    May 27, 2013
    7
    Since this game wants to classify itself as a god game, I’m going to judge it by the standards of previous god games I’ve played. I’ve seen a lot of people try saying it is not a god game, but a puzzle game. Every game is a puzzle of sorts if you think about it. You’re always trying to figure out the best combination to maximize completing the end goal. The fact of the matter you playSince this game wants to classify itself as a god game, I’m going to judge it by the standards of previous god games I’ve played. I’ve seen a lot of people try saying it is not a god game, but a puzzle game. Every game is a puzzle of sorts if you think about it. You’re always trying to figure out the best combination to maximize completing the end goal. The fact of the matter you play as a god controlling giants, so it’s a god game. Enough of my rant though, onto the review!
    Graphics: I won’t lie to you I’m a sucker for simple graphics. There is beauty in simplicity and this game does what it sets out to do very well. They are easy on the eyes and very well done. I don’t feel every game needs HD life like graphics to be amazing. It boils down to personal preference, and you can easily see screen shots on Steam, and judge for yourself.

    Audio: Well there’s not much there really, I honestly can’t even recall if there was music so it must not be there or be very lacking. The effects audio is nice but extremely basic.

    Gameplay: I found the gameplay very nice. Your goal is terraforming the earth into four different biomes (ocean, swamp, desert, and forests). You then place resources (plants, animals, and minerals) down onto the land which provide food, money, or technology points attracting settlers to the land. The giants have abilities to replace or morph existing tiles to change up the amount or type of resource given. As you progress the villagers will start to build projects, that upon completion they will provide you with an ambassador that will allow you to unlock a new ability for one of the giants depending upon the village type (the type of village is determined from the three biomes). If you overload the village with too much resources of a single type at once they will become greedy going to war with neighboring villages, and even eventually becoming bold enough to attack the giants. You can distract the villages from become violent with certain resource types adding danger to the village. At which point you must beat down or totally destroy the village. The true challenge of the game comes from the time limits referred to as eras. When you first start you have a time limit of thirty minutes to complete the challenges (they stack from game to game). After you complete so many of the challenges you unlock the next era expanding the time to an hour per game. There are three eras with a max time of an hour and half. As you unlock more challenges they even unlock new resource types.
    Review: I really enjoy this game it is challenging and yet still pretty relaxing. It isn’t free of any problems though. I found when trying to complete specific challenges that the game play kind of got slow and turned into a waiting game of the villages expanding their border so they could get new resources. I also am not a very big fan of the fact that the giants powers reset after every era. It increases the challenge aspect, but its aggravating at the same time because it slows and hinders advancing the villages when starting a new era. Also the game itself in the god game genre is very simplistic. When I hear god game I automatically expect a very complex and deep game, such a Black & White. While not perfect by any means that game was complex. So if you’re looking for complexity you may find it lacking. The game itself is great if you want a short time limit challenge. I find it a nice break from my other games to try and knock out another era. It is not a game I could find myself getting lost in which is something I look for in my god games. For ten dollars though it is an easy purchase and you get what you pay for.

    Score breakdown/summary:
    Graphics: 10/10 There is beautify in simplicity and its executed very well.
    Audio: 6/10 The audio is very simplistic and there is no music. Good music would have really increased the value.
    Gameplay: 9/10 smooth no noticeable glitches. Simple with an appropriate level of complexity for what is presented.
    Review’s Critique: 6/10 It’s a nice game for the price, but it is not what I’d imagine as an ideal god game, and completing some of the challenges is sort of tedious and slow going.
    Final Score: 7.75    … Expand
  2. Vonnd
    Jul 20, 2013
    7
    If you want a casual game that has a very simple to grasp but a bit harder to master concept, then I would recommend Reus. Different game modes provide you with hours of fun. Era mode, which was my favorite, provides you with set goals to progress your game within certain time limit. That's what I liked about this game. You're given certain overall goals with certain limits and aspects toIf you want a casual game that has a very simple to grasp but a bit harder to master concept, then I would recommend Reus. Different game modes provide you with hours of fun. Era mode, which was my favorite, provides you with set goals to progress your game within certain time limit. That's what I liked about this game. You're given certain overall goals with certain limits and aspects to the game. It's up to you to achieve those goals which makes it a fun challenge to complete while watching your favorite tv series.… Expand
  3. pipsonite
    Jul 20, 2013
    7
    Looking at the size of the game you wouldn't expect much, but once you try it, it gets you hooked for a while. It's basicaly a landscape managing game, where you use four different giants with different abilities to change the landscape and help the inhabitants finish their quests. It also encourages replays since you are asked to unlock new achievements every time you start a new game andLooking at the size of the game you wouldn't expect much, but once you try it, it gets you hooked for a while. It's basicaly a landscape managing game, where you use four different giants with different abilities to change the landscape and help the inhabitants finish their quests. It also encourages replays since you are asked to unlock new achievements every time you start a new game and with unlocking those, you unlock some new game modes and challenges. A sweet little game for passing time.… Expand
  4. DanySK
    Nov 1, 2015
    6
    A real time strategy game where you control some giants and use them to make a suitable environment of the rise of a civilization. It is a nice idea, and there are many possible combination, but the game is too slow paced to be fun for RTS addicts, and too simple for fans of management games.
  5. skinybarf
    Jun 8, 2013
    5
    It's a number crunching game. Don't like Civilization without combat? Then this one will feel like repetitive work. Otherwise give it a shot. It's at least an original approach.
  6. TheGamer31
    May 23, 2013
    7
    I don't know why people are hating on this game. This is one of the best games I've ever played. It's new, refreshing, and it is a really good break from the generic FPS that gets cranked out yearly. People are complaining that it's not a God game, but a puzzle game. It is a combination of both genres. Although it is more a puzzle game, you can slack off and go make your own cities, evenI don't know why people are hating on this game. This is one of the best games I've ever played. It's new, refreshing, and it is a really good break from the generic FPS that gets cranked out yearly. People are complaining that it's not a God game, but a puzzle game. It is a combination of both genres. Although it is more a puzzle game, you can slack off and go make your own cities, even though they build themselves, anyway, you can get them to go to war, get really advance technology, be a trading city, etc. Now I'm going to talk about the actual puzzles themselves. They really aren't that hard in the beginning, but as you progress through the game, the time limits get shorter, and the puzzles get harder. I really don't want to spoil much more, but you really should buy this game, I mean it's only like $9 or $10.… Expand
  7. Metals
    May 24, 2013
    6
    The art style is nice and the idea behind the game is cool, but the developers made some stupid decisions that devalue the overall experience:

    - The giants move too slowly. - The music is boring and unremarkable. Good music in a game of this type is a must. - The free-play mode has barred features that can only be unlocked by playing the campaign. - The campaign is nothing more than    The art style is nice and the idea behind the game is cool, but the developers made some stupid decisions that devalue the overall experience:

    - The giants move too slowly.
    - The music is boring and unremarkable. Good music in a game of this type is a must.
    - The free-play mode has barred features that can only be unlocked by playing the campaign.
    - The campaign is nothing more than free-play mode with a 30 minute time limit.
    - Achievements (most of them) are tied to the campaign and can’t be unlocked in free-play mode.

    Overall, even if you like the game, there’s not much to do or see after only a few hours of gameplay.    … Expand
  8. jimbobxb
    Apr 28, 2014
    7
    I am a personal fan of most god games, and reus is up there with the best of them. Its gameplay is simple yet rewarding and advancing your villages through eras is fun. I recommend the game on the basis that it isn't the best game ever but for the price, whether on sale or not, you cant go far wrong with this standard good game.
  9. Avaritia
    May 22, 2013
    5
    Maybe it's my fault for presuming this game would be better than it actually is. It was sold to me as a god game where I get to build a world, watch the inhabitants interact and develop while being able to make minor tweaks. The problem is, all of this is true, but there's not enough of it. You can make the sea, the mountains, forests and swamps but that's it. The inhabitants interactionsMaybe it's my fault for presuming this game would be better than it actually is. It was sold to me as a god game where I get to build a world, watch the inhabitants interact and develop while being able to make minor tweaks. The problem is, all of this is true, but there's not enough of it. You can make the sea, the mountains, forests and swamps but that's it. The inhabitants interactions is only war, and the upgrading of certain features in the game is complicated. I feel as though this is a beta test of what could potentially be a really great game, it does need further development, and simplifying before it is worth spending any money.

    It would have got a 4 rating but the graphics were quite pleasant.    … Expand
  10. Sk3z
    May 20, 2013
    5
    i give this game a 5.
    55 visuals and artwork.
    05 gameplay.

    Seriously, this game has not any gameplay at all. I really mean it, nothing at all. After 30 minutes you have nothing to do anymore, and seeing the settlements expand is not fun at all. Buy Black & white instead.

    Anyway the visuals are really good, i praise the graphic behind it.
  11. Azorax
    Jun 27, 2013
    6
    I'll start of by saying that I love god games, I indeed do. And I was waiting in anticipation for this game, however It just didn't have the same feeling for me that I wanted.
    - The thing I love about god games is that I am able to essentially do whatever I want in the form of being a god.
    - I could create trees, pick up my followers and throw them around, cast meteors, terraform the    I'll start of by saying that I love god games, I indeed do. And I was waiting in anticipation for this game, however It just didn't have the same feeling for me that I wanted.
    - The thing I love about god games is that I am able to essentially do whatever I want in the form of being a god.
    - I could create trees, pick up my followers and throw them around, cast meteors, terraform the land
    - But I am personally not a fan of this type of game, I see i t more of a number crunching game without a real goal in mind
    - in From Dust I had a set goal of protecting my city as well as optional missions and so on and so forth however I just lack the direction that I needed and wanted
    - The game turned too technical for me and took the enjoyment out of it for me.
    6/10 because is still a good game but not to my tastes.    … Expand
  12. GamerQuinn
    Jul 24, 2013
    6
    I enjoyed this game, bought it off Steam, gameplay is great but the biggest problem: it REALLY likes to go slow. You can't get to secondary stage or whatever if you play the tutorial, which is laggy.

    Pros: Good gameplay, great strategies, and good cartoony graphics.

    Cons: lag, crash, slowing down
  13. Frast2013X
    Aug 2, 2013
    6
    Ciekawy, prosty pomysł na rozgrywkę. Grało mi się przyjemnie, szkoda że tylko przez jakieś 2 godziny.Potem totalnie nie wiedziałem co w tej grze robić. Gra miała trafiony pomysł. Rzadko widzi się "strategie" w grafice 2D. Pochwalam takie pomysły, Reus jednak był bardziej testem, niż wielką grą. Pokazał że takie pomysły w przyszłości mogą być trafne, sam jednak okazał się dość słaby. Ma zaCiekawy, prosty pomysł na rozgrywkę. Grało mi się przyjemnie, szkoda że tylko przez jakieś 2 godziny.Potem totalnie nie wiedziałem co w tej grze robić. Gra miała trafiony pomysł. Rzadko widzi się "strategie" w grafice 2D. Pochwalam takie pomysły, Reus jednak był bardziej testem, niż wielką grą. Pokazał że takie pomysły w przyszłości mogą być trafne, sam jednak okazał się dość słaby. Ma za mało pomysłów w sobie, jak już mówiłem po pewnym czasie gry, brak w tej grze większej możliwości robienia czegoś więcej. Brak tu kampanii, osiągnięć, mamy tu tylko zwykły wolny tryb, i to jest po prostu za mało. Do tego tutorial jest wykonany dość słabo, a sam potencjał 4 "bogów" można było wykorzystać lepiej. Moja ocena 6/10… Expand
  14. SuperkenGaming
    Oct 4, 2016
    7
    Reus
    A fun, but repetitive challenge..
    Reus is a strategy math puzzle god game where you control 4 different giants… Forest, Earth, Ocean, and Swamp… Each giant has its own special ability, but they all interact with each other while world building… The concept is simple… you need to bring life to the planet… You start with either an ocean or a desert… The ocean allows you to create    Reus
    A fun, but repetitive challenge..
    Reus is a strategy math puzzle god game where you control 4 different giants…
    Forest, Earth, Ocean, and Swamp…
    Each giant has its own special ability, but they all interact with each other while world building…
    The concept is simple… you need to bring life to the planet…
    You start with either an ocean or a desert…
    The ocean allows you to create a forest or a swamp, and then you need to place life in the form of either animals or food…
    Once you do this people will settle and build a village... they’ll start a project which tells you the materials you need and its up to you to balance the small space to ensure you can provide enough materials for the village to strive…
    And you can manage as many as youd like, but again you only get 4 giants for the entire world, and their abilities have cool downs, so juggling will definitely take skill…
    As you complete projects you will earn an unlock for an ability of one of the 4 giants…
    This is where the strategy ultimately comes into play, especially trying to unlock skills around the type of environment you want to build on…
    And each project gets increasingly harder causing you to have e to mix and match different character abilities to add wealth to an animal for example… and strategically place plants animals and minerals to boost the stats of surrounding materials…
    And at first you get only 30 minutes to play around with your world and complete challenges to eventually unlock the 1 hr. and 2 hr. long modes…
    You can knock out challenges 1 play through at a time or you can tackle them all at once…
    But if you do go for a juggling act you have to be careful as settlements that grow too fast get greedy…..
    The more you provide, the more projects you complete, the less the villagers are impressed by you…
    They’ll start attacking other villages and this is where you have to step in…
    If a settlement gets too out of hand you have the power to crush them….
    To burn them… add danger to humble them, or drown them…
    Unfortunately though while I definitely found my first few hours to be very enjoyable…
    The game doesn’t ever really throw in new hurtles for you to deal with….
    So the gameplay ultimately starts to feel slow and frustrating at times trying to get the math right to allow an area to prosper…
    I found the most fun in the chaos of building multiple settlements at once.. Jumping around to different areas…
    But even then it feels a bit at a crawl as the giants move at a snail’s pace, and the cool downs especially when you’re focused on one spot at a time feel just a bit too slow…
    Ultimately there’s no hook to keep you going... the game doesn’t do enough to keep itself from feeling painfully repetitive after your first few experiences with it..
    That being said if you’re a math fan, Reus will offer a decent amount of fun and a great challenge
    I Give Reus a 7.0/10    … Expand
  15. iseeall
    Dec 8, 2015
    6
    Although it's a God-style management game on the surface, in reality it's an alchemy puzzle game in 1D space (line). You need to mix and improve pieces, and place them in right order to improve their and/or their neighbors' effect or to unlock upgrades and then place new pieces, improve those etc. The hardest part is to remember which pieces transmute into which pieces and what bonusesAlthough it's a God-style management game on the surface, in reality it's an alchemy puzzle game in 1D space (line). You need to mix and improve pieces, and place them in right order to improve their and/or their neighbors' effect or to unlock upgrades and then place new pieces, improve those etc. The hardest part is to remember which pieces transmute into which pieces and what bonuses having such and such neighbor pieces give to a piece - because despite realistic names ("blueberry", "fox") most of these rules hardly have any real-word meaning and because of that are hard to remember.

    The graphics are casual which is OK for a game of this type. I did like the eco premise and the novel idea of "playing for a planet". However, the giants move way too slowly, and there are long cooldowns on their actions, like 30 seconds which introduces long pauses in gameplay where you can't do much useful.

    If you like Alchemy-style games and enjoy searching for "what transmutes into what" then this game is for you. But if you expect Black & White, Populous or Sim City, there is nothing for you here. I'd even say this game is on a wrong platform. Alchemy games work best on mobile. And the game would have to be free with ads and in-app purchases.    … Expand
  16. Old_Skewl_Gamer
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Meh. I was hoping for something more like Populous. This is okay, but has far too much micromanagement as far as combing resources and what not goes which is a shame because the concept is otherwise a good one.
  17. xuthan
    May 29, 2013
    5
    The game definitely has potential to be a great game but all is being restricted by resources, area, and versatility. If you're used to real time strategy games, then the learning curve of this game would be much less and you'd pick up after the first play, other than that, it would take an average player about 3-4 plays to get used to the timing and the amount of tasks you can performThe game definitely has potential to be a great game but all is being restricted by resources, area, and versatility. If you're used to real time strategy games, then the learning curve of this game would be much less and you'd pick up after the first play, other than that, it would take an average player about 3-4 plays to get used to the timing and the amount of tasks you can perform within that frame.

    With regards to graphics, it is a controversial topic in my opinion, it possesses a nice and refreshing design. Music and sound effects gives a light mood and suitable to the game's intentions.

    With why I gave the game a 5, it is stated in the beginning of this review; needs more options and area of play. Having an achievement system to encourage more replay isn't a good motivational aspect to unlock certain elements of the game and feels like a chore (like grinding in an mmorpg). After you've understood what the game is about, you'll wonder if there's anything else to it, only to realize that you've done the same thing over and over again.

    The pricing of the game is about $10 some people might say it's worth the content, some would say not. As for me, it feels like a mobile game that can be found free or priced below $5 like some users have mentioned. At first I gave this game a 6/10, after another 3 hours of playing to come to my final conclusion, I'm moving it down to 5/10. I'm kind of sad that it offers so little.    … Expand
  18. g0ing2f4st
    Jan 7, 2014
    5
    People who say this is a god game are incorrect. I bought this hoping for a 'god game' instead its a puzzle game with some very limited design elements. It has a polished cartoon look that makes it appealing to look at, but the gameplay comes up a bit short. You control several giants who can change the landscape to help out the local population, creating more food/science/gold. ThePeople who say this is a god game are incorrect. I bought this hoping for a 'god game' instead its a puzzle game with some very limited design elements. It has a polished cartoon look that makes it appealing to look at, but the gameplay comes up a bit short. You control several giants who can change the landscape to help out the local population, creating more food/science/gold. The difficulty comes in combining land enhancements so they create the maximum benefit. Its mildly interesting but not very entertaining and makes you feel more like a servant than a god.… Expand
  19. fffred
    Oct 26, 2013
    6
    Interesting god game. Unfortunately, it looses its interest very quickly for one reason: the planet is always the same at the beginning of each game. After a few games you just don't see the point playing again.
  20. Melgacius
    Aug 22, 2016
    7
    1- GENERAL

    Reus is a strategy God game where your control and coordinate 4 different giants (oceans, forests, rocks and swamps) to provide to a planet conditions to humans to settle and prosper. From where do the humans arrive? Who knows, but they came in a donkey. You start in an empty planet when the giants awake, and then you have to coordinate them and all of the available    1- GENERAL

    Reus is a strategy God game where your control and coordinate 4 different giants (oceans, forests, rocks and swamps) to provide to a planet conditions to humans to settle and prosper. From where do the humans arrive? Who knows, but they came in a donkey.

    You start in an empty planet when the giants awake, and then you have to coordinate them and all of the available abilities to sustain life and unlock new stuff during the predefined amounts of gameplay time. Yes, you are not able to choose how many time your gamewill last...

    2- GAMEPLAY

    You start from playing 3 different tutorial, and they are very good to be honest, and then you start your slow paced journey through eras. Having no fast forward option surely helps giving the slowish feeling to this game.

    Placing minerals, plants in animals in the correct spots to boost production to the max is the secret. This resources will allow us to finish projects that will give us ambassadors, that unlock new abilities, that will allow us to upgrade the resources, to allow new projects to get new ambassadors, to unlock... you understand the point. In top of that you are not able to select projects, and people sometimes are bumb and select projects impossible to finish. Some upgrades are worse than the previous version of the resource, and I do not know that previously to the upgrade. That's not normal.

    If you give a lot of resources at a time, people will start to become greedy and will start wars against other villages or even against the giants, and then you'll have to just finish them off. That is fun, but some achievements depends in having war, and you need villages to have those. Bummer!

    It's not hard to unlock all content, but you can get bored quite easily with the lack of content of the game.

    3- CONCLUSION

    This is a small and fun game, but with not much to offer. The general mechanics of the game is very good, but I was a bit disappointed with it. It seemed different when I saw some gameplay. Do not get me wrong, the game is fun and entertaining, but it lacks some must have stuff of this kind of games.

    At the moment only costs €9,99 and I think this is a fair price for what the game offers.    … Expand
  21. CriticalHit20
    Oct 22, 2019
    7
    I spent a hilariously amount of time trying to remember the name of this game to write a review about it even I though I don't have much to say. Roux Ruex Reux Deux Duex, then I thought maybe it did not end in an X. Figuring this out was more satisfying than playing the game. My nieces and nephews like playing the game just to build and destroy stuff. I put a couple of hours into it andI spent a hilariously amount of time trying to remember the name of this game to write a review about it even I though I don't have much to say. Roux Ruex Reux Deux Duex, then I thought maybe it did not end in an X. Figuring this out was more satisfying than playing the game. My nieces and nephews like playing the game just to build and destroy stuff. I put a couple of hours into it and was not getting it. You want me to do this. Okay, so I have to do this and this, but this takes forever to do. Am I not doing something, right? Thus, I never got into it. I think it is still worth hearing from people who gave it a solid try but could not get into it.… Expand
  22. Wrathzo
    Mar 24, 2022
    6
    Reus is an indie game produced by independent game studio Abbey Games. Reus is a god game in which the player controls giants who can modify the nature of the planet through terraforming, creating life, and altering genes. Reus involves guiding four elemental giants who have the ability to shape the two-dimensional planet. The giants can provide resources on each "patch" of land, such asReus is an indie game produced by independent game studio Abbey Games. Reus is a god game in which the player controls giants who can modify the nature of the planet through terraforming, creating life, and altering genes. Reus involves guiding four elemental giants who have the ability to shape the two-dimensional planet. The giants can provide resources on each "patch" of land, such as animals, plants, or minerals. The goal is to provide support to the planet's humans, who act on their own and cannot be directly controlled. The actions of the player can influence the humans' behavior; for example, providing humans with too many resources can cause them to be greedy and wage wars with each other.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
75
#75 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. SpazioGames
    Dec 16, 2013
    70
    An interesting experiment, Reus is more a puzzle than a god-game. That might turn off some genre aficionados, but doesn't make it a bad game, far from it. If you can appreciate its hidden complexity and peculiar mechanics, Reus will definitely capture you.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Aug 16, 2013
    69
    But the world simulation isn't particularly deep either, and juggling resources makes you feel more like a manager than a god. [Oct 2013, p.65]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Aug 6, 2013
    70
    Reus is a math puzzle dressed as a god sim. Do not mistake it for a laid-back economic strategy game - playing Reus is never a relaxing experience. It is too bad that some of the challenges crop up because of the poorly-designed UI.
    Read full review
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