Towns

 PC
User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 124 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 124
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 124
  3. Negative: 72 out of 124

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  1. vomov
    Jul 6, 2014
    0
    Shameless money-grab; this game did have quite a bit of potential, but a large amount of bugs. The developer stated, in 2012, that the bugs would be squashed, but eventually abandoned the game, stating he did not earn enough. What actually happened; he released a preview-game, rife with bugs, and let tens of thousands buy it. When sales started dropping, he abandoned it, and startedShameless money-grab; this game did have quite a bit of potential, but a large amount of bugs. The developer stated, in 2012, that the bugs would be squashed, but eventually abandoned the game, stating he did not earn enough. What actually happened; he released a preview-game, rife with bugs, and let tens of thousands buy it. When sales started dropping, he abandoned it, and started talking about new projects.… Expand
  2. Ecresis
    Jun 25, 2014
    4
    I would have loved to give more points to this game, as the idea was good. The 4 points are for the addictive sensation you get from the demo, which disappear really fast when you see the time it takes to build anything in this game.

    The AI is stupid, people die all the time and do stupid things, the RPG aspect is non-existent, and you can even ruin your whole map if you make the    I would have loved to give more points to this game, as the idea was good. The 4 points are for the addictive sensation you get from the demo, which disappear really fast when you see the time it takes to build anything in this game.

    The AI is stupid, people die all the time and do stupid things, the RPG aspect is non-existent, and you can even ruin your whole map if you make the mistake to let water flow in your caves

    The music is so annoying that I had to cut it, and the graphics are not sensational

    Conclusion : I might reconsider my opinion if the game grows a bit faster, but it seems the creators took the money and ran away with it.    … Expand
  3. Reticulatas
    May 7, 2014
    0
    Unfinished, bad rip-off of Dwarf Fortress. They have pulled development stating that "Sales did not turn out as hoped" despite making 2 mil for a two-person team.
  4. motocrtc
    Apr 2, 2014
    2
    This game is unfinished, full of bugs, has terrible AI, non-existent balance in the endgame, and none of that is going to get fixed as the developers have pretty much abandoned the project. There is support for mods, but they are extremely limited in what they can do and can't fix any of the problems. That said, the game is still fun to play. Frustrating, certainly, but still fun.

    Not    This game is unfinished, full of bugs, has terrible AI, non-existent balance in the endgame, and none of that is going to get fixed as the developers have pretty much abandoned the project. There is support for mods, but they are extremely limited in what they can do and can't fix any of the problems. That said, the game is still fun to play. Frustrating, certainly, but still fun.

    Not worth your money, however.    … Expand
  5. iseeall
    Jan 18, 2014
    0
    Total junk. Nothing is explained. Very crude graphics (I could draw better) with no animations. This could be a student project in college maybe but to ask money for this is simply madness. Maybe this game just shows how broken the whole "Greenlight" system on Steam is.
  6. ViciousCrow
    Sep 29, 2013
    2
    The game was supposed to be great, one of the first greenlit games and it showed a lot of promise. There were A LOT of features supposed to be added along with the overall completion of the game.

    After the initial release the devs abandoned the project because they have felt 'burnt out'. For me as a customer this is unacceptable and I'm done waiting. It's a 2 because the game did    The game was supposed to be great, one of the first greenlit games and it showed a lot of promise. There were A LOT of features supposed to be added along with the overall completion of the game.

    After the initial release the devs abandoned the project because they have felt 'burnt out'. For me as a customer this is unacceptable and I'm done waiting. It's a 2 because the game did provide me with a few entertaining gameplays but that won't make me forget what was promised and remains undelivered.    … Expand
  7. ClayWilson
    Sep 23, 2013
    1
    Be aware that negative opinion threads on Steam are being deleted about this game. The developers promised frequent updates and have neglected the game a great deal. The interface is horrible, the game is very buggy, and I would not recommend this game even if it could be purchased for one dollar as part of an Indie bundle.
  8. BlueRaja
    Sep 21, 2013
    1
    This game might have been good, with a tutorial. As it stands, I have no idea what the heck is going on. The "tutorial" maps are just easier maps, they don't actually teach you how to play.
  9. Type4101
    Sep 1, 2013
    0
    An alpha-stage game released as a full-retail product, then abandoned, to call Towns a "game" is a huge stretch. It is surprising that retailers (like Steam) would risk their reputations by allowing a fake game to be sold, but it is an increasingly common practice, and customers must remain vigilant. Towns would be difficult to recommend, even if free. Don't make the mistake that othersAn alpha-stage game released as a full-retail product, then abandoned, to call Towns a "game" is a huge stretch. It is surprising that retailers (like Steam) would risk their reputations by allowing a fake game to be sold, but it is an increasingly common practice, and customers must remain vigilant. Towns would be difficult to recommend, even if free. Don't make the mistake that others have made, and skip this one.… Expand
  10. Steamcausedthis
    Jul 20, 2013
    4
    Not going to bother with the Day 1 was deceptive alpha release day argument.

    I have never played a more frustrating game. I think ive put more time into managing my idiot townies feeding themselves and building mudhuts in the hopes of one day making a mythical BS screenshot worthy city that the game originally boasted its players could do. To this day every attempt at this game has    Not going to bother with the Day 1 was deceptive alpha release day argument.

    I have never played a more frustrating game. I think ive put more time into managing my idiot townies feeding themselves and building mudhuts in the hopes of one day making a mythical BS screenshot worthy city that the game originally boasted its players could do.

    To this day every attempt at this game has left me with a headache and a heartache at what could have been...    … Expand
  11. spazm
    Jul 16, 2013
    0
    Towns is obviously based on Dwarf Fortress, and while Dwarf Fortress isn't perfect it is still a lot of fun. The thing is, Towns takes everything that Dwarf Fortress has wrong (interface), and leaves out everything the Dwarf Fortress does RIGHT, (basically 90% of the game).

    If you are going to make a graphical version of Dwarf Fortress you need to 1) have a good interface, 2) make the    Towns is obviously based on Dwarf Fortress, and while Dwarf Fortress isn't perfect it is still a lot of fun. The thing is, Towns takes everything that Dwarf Fortress has wrong (interface), and leaves out everything the Dwarf Fortress does RIGHT, (basically 90% of the game).

    If you are going to make a graphical version of Dwarf Fortress you need to 1) have a good interface, 2) make the graphics not terrible, 3) Most importantly, keep most of the game play that makes Dwarf Fortress GOOD.    … Expand
  12. Koo
    May 12, 2013
    3
    Towns isn't terrible. It's just not enjoyable as a game. The problems: 1) The "soundtrack" consists of a single song that lasts about 20 seconds and loops continuously. The solution: Music volume 0%. 2) Towns has an insane amount of micromanagement! The solution: None. While there are some shortcuts and some automation, it is minimal. 3) The overall experience. Overall TownsTowns isn't terrible. It's just not enjoyable as a game. The problems: 1) The "soundtrack" consists of a single song that lasts about 20 seconds and loops continuously. The solution: Music volume 0%. 2) Towns has an insane amount of micromanagement! The solution: None. While there are some shortcuts and some automation, it is minimal. 3) The overall experience. Overall Towns sucks. It's just not fun to play. There are too many menus, too many submenus, and the in-game experience basically consists of "point-and-click". Overall, I cannot recommend Towns. I have a limited amount of time in my day, and it is frankly better spent doing other activities than playing this terrible game. 3/10.… Expand
  13. MagicSnake
    Jan 29, 2013
    0
    Absolute fiasco; and I fell for it!

    Alpha, pre-alpha, pre-beta, whatever; doesn't change the fact the game is a complete, terrible mess.

    I'm appalled anyone would ask money for that; I'm even more appalled that I paid.
  14. TheReject
    Jan 8, 2013
    2
    This game has a very interesting premise and if it were competently executed it would be a "must buy" title. Unfortunately, it is not. The game struggles with abysmal path finding and major performance issues. Add to that a total lack of progress on promised updates, deceptive advertising, and a developer that lacks the desire or ability to communicate effectively with the community andThis game has a very interesting premise and if it were competently executed it would be a "must buy" title. Unfortunately, it is not. The game struggles with abysmal path finding and major performance issues. Add to that a total lack of progress on promised updates, deceptive advertising, and a developer that lacks the desire or ability to communicate effectively with the community and you have a bargain bin game. It's amusing for a few hours but the game-breaking bugs and lack of anything resembling mid or late-game content will leave you unsatisfied.… Expand
  15. Axelsson
    Jan 7, 2013
    0
    I am actually being generous and giving it a 1 considering the huge amount of gameplay flaws it currently has.

    First of all, once you dig down deep enough, you suddenly have to MOD the game in order to keep it going. I am dead serious, you have to modify a game that was released ON STEAM for full price. Then we have the complete and utter negligence from the developers themselves. Once    I am actually being generous and giving it a 1 considering the huge amount of gameplay flaws it currently has.

    First of all, once you dig down deep enough, you suddenly have to MOD the game in order to keep it going. I am dead serious, you have to modify a game that was released ON STEAM for full price. Then we have the complete and utter negligence from the developers themselves. Once they released it, nothing new has been updated. Sure, there was a small patch that fixed absolutely nothing but then, nothing, zero, nada. Nothing has been updated, nothing has been changed and they almost left the development process because of some weird "reason". It's quiet on the developers side and the forums have been all but abandoned.

    This game should be pulled off Steam immediately for lying about features, disregarding costumers and bad gameplay.    … Expand
  16. Splortched
    Jan 5, 2013
    0
    The screen shots are completely misleading: This game is far from what it is advertised as. So far the tutorials are god awful and the gameplay needs work to become more streamlined. The villager's AI is so broken it isn't funny. You sit there waiting for tasks to be completed, often with villagers completely disregarding assigned commands even after changing the task priorities.

    The    The screen shots are completely misleading: This game is far from what it is advertised as. So far the tutorials are god awful and the gameplay needs work to become more streamlined. The villager's AI is so broken it isn't funny. You sit there waiting for tasks to be completed, often with villagers completely disregarding assigned commands even after changing the task priorities.

    The menus are terrible: You have to go through about 10 menu screens to fully complete most rooms/tasks. There are 3 main screens with everything needed buried in each one. The tutorial doesn't cover everything, either. You have to figure out what is needed to complete items/rooms/recipes all on your own. I can't tell you how frustrating this is, having to go back and forth between menus just to make bread. The simplest tasks are made so complex it stops being a game and starts becoming work.

    Combat is a joke. 1 mob will kill an entire village with zero player control. You can't tell them to retreat, they blindly attack any nearby enemy and you literally have zero control over combat.

    Building, the one aspect of the game that should be fun... isn't. Villagers will put walls on locations you didn't tell them to, walls can't be moved (they have to be destroyed if built in incorrect spots), and walls have a tendency to get a nice red X through them if not absolutely perfect. Check the wiki on building: It's entirely too complex for what it should be. Creating more than one story is near impossible.

    I can recommend for you to avoid this game if possible until it's fixed. This game is a prime example of what not to do, where polish really can hamper gameplay entirely.    … Expand
  17. Agoingconcern
    Dec 25, 2012
    0
    Towns, as it is now, is a broken experience. This game has a lot of potential to be an amazing game. It has a nice, if different, concept driving it. But as it stands now; to rate this game as if its in "ready to be released" state. It deserves a Zero. Games in this state should not ever be sold and called released, I, personally, want to know if i am buying a game or a beta of one.TheTowns, as it is now, is a broken experience. This game has a lot of potential to be an amazing game. It has a nice, if different, concept driving it. But as it stands now; to rate this game as if its in "ready to be released" state. It deserves a Zero. Games in this state should not ever be sold and called released, I, personally, want to know if i am buying a game or a beta of one.The sheer amount of bugs and terrible A.I. & U.I can just lead you into depression, in my opinion. If this was a beta it would be completely acceptable. But as a game where you are paying for a 'complete' game. Sadly, it is not yet in an enjoyable state, to me. Some people may enjoy it now for its ingenuity and concept, but i say just hold off and wait for this diamond to sparkle.… Expand
  18. Evecque
    Dec 14, 2012
    2
    It pains me to have to give Towns such a low score. I purchased this game some time ago when they still admitted it was in alpha and was happy to support development of a concept I enjoyed. I played through several versions of the game before the release to Steam and have 50 hours into that version as well, so clearly if you want to badly enough, you can play the game and get someIt pains me to have to give Towns such a low score. I purchased this game some time ago when they still admitted it was in alpha and was happy to support development of a concept I enjoyed. I played through several versions of the game before the release to Steam and have 50 hours into that version as well, so clearly if you want to badly enough, you can play the game and get some enjoyment out of it. Sadly, playing the game at this time means fighting with a clunky interface, dealing with a very unpolished product, and working around all the idiotic aspects built into the game currently as well as all the missing features the makers of the game decided not to include at release. There are basic thing that you cannot do at all, like filling in a hole with dirt, and even more things that can only be done by a cheating "hand of God" that has the power to delete items immediately or summon water/lava out of this air.

    I like the concept, and I want to like the game very badly, but this product is quite simply sub par. It feels very incomplete and you would swear you were playing an alpha rather than a released product. When you look at all the other options out there for the same price or less, I can't see how you could justify recommending Towns to anybody.    … Expand
  19. kuehnau
    Nov 24, 2012
    1
    If you've played Dwarf Fortress, then you know exactly what you can expect from Towns, except you really can't. Great concept,terrible implementation and design. Interface is a horrible mess, lacks any sort of direction. Almost every aspect of this game is unpolished and unplayable. Riddled with bugs and problems this game isn't worth the money they are asking for it. Avoid at all costs.
  20. cowscows
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Unfinished game which masquerades as finished. Reported to be a playable game, but demonstrably false. Looks like a game people in an AP class would make as a semester final.
  21. CatinHat
    Nov 19, 2012
    0
    Too many bugs, CTD after 10 minutes of gameplay, poor UI, etc. This game is overpriced for what you get. Towns is just a copy of Haven and Hearth. Which in H&H is an mp game where Towns is only SP.
  22. TogaParty
    Nov 15, 2012
    0
    I voted for this game on Steam Greenlight and I really wanted to like this game but when it was ultimately released on Steam in an Alpha state without telling the customers I knew it was doomed, and I was right. Nothing about this game is entertaining, exciting or fun. It is an extremely poor attempt by amateur programmers to copy Dwarf Fortress. Now they have released an unfinished gameI voted for this game on Steam Greenlight and I really wanted to like this game but when it was ultimately released on Steam in an Alpha state without telling the customers I knew it was doomed, and I was right. Nothing about this game is entertaining, exciting or fun. It is an extremely poor attempt by amateur programmers to copy Dwarf Fortress. Now they have released an unfinished game as a cash grab and I doubt at this point the game will ever be finished.… Expand
  23. Blackadar
    Nov 13, 2012
    3
    The best thing you can say about Towns is that it has the potential to be a very good game. Basically, you manage the town on top of a dungeon. It's similar to Dwarf Fortress in that you gather resources, tell your townies what to do, make stuff and expand your little settlement...all while defending it from the baddies. The concept is sound.

    The problem is that the game was released    The best thing you can say about Towns is that it has the potential to be a very good game. Basically, you manage the town on top of a dungeon. It's similar to Dwarf Fortress in that you gather resources, tell your townies what to do, make stuff and expand your little settlement...all while defending it from the baddies. The concept is sound.

    The problem is that the game was released on Steam in an Alpha state. Essentially, the exact same build that was considered an Alpha prior to Towns being Greenlit, was then released as a finished product on Steam without disclosure that the product isn't finished. It has some pretty severe technical issues with crashes, the tutorials are hideous and the whole thing feels shoddy. That the developer seems to have resisted disclosing their product is unfinished in an effort to generate more sales is just extremely poor business. Presently, with the problems any alpha faces, the game isn't any better than a 3...with the potential for the game to be a 9 within 6 months to a year. The only question is do you reward someone for doing business that way? Well, I don't review for potential and I don't like being ripped off, so it gets what it deserves right now. And that's a 3.    … Expand
  24. Mochnant
    Nov 13, 2012
    2
    For the die-hard fans, there IS a game in there somewhere. Unfortunately, it is buggy, missing features, and suffers from a poor UI. This is an alpha/beta level game that is in need of a lot of work. One day it may be a great game, but what you can buy on Steam for $14.99 is not that.
  25. Monkeyspode
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    Do not buy this game, avoid this game like the plague it is. The game lacks any form of working tutorial, the UI is worthless and the developers are complete jerks to the community. I regret buying this game and will never support any game worked on by anyone affiliated with this game.

    If you are looking for a similar style game get Minecraft, Gnomoria or Terraria. If you already have    Do not buy this game, avoid this game like the plague it is. The game lacks any form of working tutorial, the UI is worthless and the developers are complete jerks to the community. I regret buying this game and will never support any game worked on by anyone affiliated with this game.

    If you are looking for a similar style game get Minecraft, Gnomoria or Terraria. If you already have those games then pick up A Game of Dwarves of SimCity 4. Buy any other game over this amateur basement programming experiment.    … Expand
  26. Tooterfish
    Nov 12, 2012
    0
    The game isn't even finished. Why would anybody promote a "developer" for taking advantage of gullible Greenlight voters like this? I won't even disrespect the indie community by giving this game a 1+.
  27. Dragonfang
    Nov 12, 2012
    4
    Anyone who gave this game a 0 deserve what they bought for doing no research before handing steam their $10. This game was green lighted by steam and put on their store. Steam or the dev's didn't put that the game was in alpha testing on the steam page and people are butt hurt about it. If they would have spent 5 min searching they would have found the home page for the game and seenAnyone who gave this game a 0 deserve what they bought for doing no research before handing steam their $10. This game was green lighted by steam and put on their store. Steam or the dev's didn't put that the game was in alpha testing on the steam page and people are butt hurt about it. If they would have spent 5 min searching they would have found the home page for the game and seen the description correctly there.
    Long story short ignore any 0 ratings for the game as haters going to hate.

    Real review:
    The game is clearly in development. Many features are missing or incomplete, there are bugs in the AI and pathing. BUT it is playable, it is fun, and I've already put 20 hours into the game. Even if I stopped right now that's only $0.50 an hour, better then any other source of entertainment. I call it worth my money and since the game is in development it will be getting constant updates.

    Concept 7/10
    Graphics: 1/10
    Fun: 8/10
    Sound: 3/10
    Polish:: 4/10
    Developer Support: 9/10

    Overall 5/10 (but getting better every month with the version release)

    P.S. Please do your research before buying any game. indie developers can't take the reputation hit when lazy people bash their hard work. This is not a money grab scheme, its not P.O.S. Its an indie developers blood, sweat, and tears and a mistake by steam in the marketing.    … Expand
  28. thunderw
    Nov 12, 2012
    0
    5k characters is tough. Here is the short version. There are 4/12 points listed.
    I have played Towns for 60+ hours and climbing. I enjoy playing the game in the state it is in. However, I will point out that it is a far from finished game that has been inappropriately released as a final version. This single most important fact has lead me to review the game as is and provide honest    5k characters is tough. Here is the short version. There are 4/12 points listed.
    I have played Towns for 60+ hours and climbing. I enjoy playing the game in the state it is in. However, I will point out that it is a far from finished game that has been inappropriately released as a final version. This single most important fact has lead me to review the game as is and provide honest and critical feedback on the functionality and features of the game.
    First off, if you don    … Expand
  29. willcritic
    Nov 12, 2012
    0
    game is unplayable , when i got it to play for 10 mins the controls were unbearable and before i could figure them out the game crashed and has not worked sense, hoping to get a refund off of steam
  30. arleas
    Nov 12, 2012
    2
    I didn't vote for "Towns" to be greenlit, I had seen a bunch of people raving about it and I figured, what the heck, I'll go for it. Here's what I found: it's a city builder type game, it takes a long while to get anywhere, the graphics are bland, the music is horrible, the documentation is next to non-existent, the animation is sparse, the sound effects are laughably bad. I know itI didn't vote for "Towns" to be greenlit, I had seen a bunch of people raving about it and I figured, what the heck, I'll go for it. Here's what I found: it's a city builder type game, it takes a long while to get anywhere, the graphics are bland, the music is horrible, the documentation is next to non-existent, the animation is sparse, the sound effects are laughably bad. I know it was cheap but I expected more. Part of the problem is that the game is still in alpha... except it didn't appear to be in alpha based on the store page on steam. The game is still rather buggy, the "controls" can be counter-intuitive, the tutorials are just barely there. At the end of it all I was still unsure of how the game was played. I knew enough to get barely started and that was it. So what IS the game about? You build a city by taking a group of inhabitants and telling them to chop some wood, gather some wild grain and apples, mine some stone, etc. You help provide the framework and the citizens will take care of everything else (If you know how to tell them to keep making certain items). Unfortunately the AI is so poor that all it takes is for someone to walk near an enemy for them to attack. At times they'll be almost dead and I'll see the citizen run TO the fight instead of away from it. You can set priorities for things but it seems like it'd be more helpful if you could dedicate one person to a certain job. There are no citizens dedicated to any one job other than military, and other than the fact that you can have military patrol an area, it's almost better to just have every citizen armed and ready.

    If you don't mind paying now for what could become an awesome game later, go ahead and buy this, but don't be mad when the game crashes because you alt-tabbed away from full screen or if the game doesn't behave exactly as you think it should. Hopefully they'll improve as time goes on (and I can raise this score or delete this review) but as of right now, it's really REALLY not a good game.    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. PC Gamer UK
    Mar 3, 2013
    55
    This is not a town you'd want to visit for too long. [March 2013, p.99]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Feb 6, 2013
    30
    It's not really worth going to town on this one. Try one of those crazy finished games. [Feb 2013, p.80]
  3. Everyeye.it
    Jan 7, 2013
    60
    Towns is a game with great potential who suffers from many technical problems which undermine the gaming experience.
    Read full review