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. Kabsef
    Oct 15, 2013
    5
    I bought this game when it was still in early stages (early 2012), I didn't like it much then, I decided I would wait and see if it got better, and it did, but not much. I feel that some of the mixtures in game play were very bad choices and the game is very difficult to understand in the beginning and also very harsh. The game weirdly kind of quickly paced, which doesn't make much sense,I bought this game when it was still in early stages (early 2012), I didn't like it much then, I decided I would wait and see if it got better, and it did, but not much. I feel that some of the mixtures in game play were very bad choices and the game is very difficult to understand in the beginning and also very harsh. The game weirdly kind of quickly paced, which doesn't make much sense, I find that some frogman or other weird enemy is attacking my people the minute I start the game and I have no defense. The game is very slow to start up, which doesn't suit it's quicker paced world. It is very hard to get into and I've just given up on it. If the game was like 3 pounds, all this could be excused... but it's not, it's like 7 pounds.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. hobbint
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    Lovely concept, and later versions may refine it to a jewel. As for now (version 13a, Aug 2013) it is mostly frustrating for the player to feel genuinely feel the immense potential, but lose all interest when citizen upon citizen will literally starve themselves to death while completing even simple tasks. If the materials are not next to each other, they will run around the mapLovely concept, and later versions may refine it to a jewel. As for now (version 13a, Aug 2013) it is mostly frustrating for the player to feel genuinely feel the immense potential, but lose all interest when citizen upon citizen will literally starve themselves to death while completing even simple tasks. If the materials are not next to each other, they will run around the map collecting them until they die.

    The game also lacks an adequate reward system for reaching further into the realm. The deeper you dig, the more apparent it becomes that keeping your town well-fed is such a burden that the citizens just do not have time to haul back the more valuable materials to craft the most coveted equipment... and ultimately realizing that nobody in the game actually needs it: hero upon hero will enter the town and kamikaze the monsters one by one.

    6 for the entertainment lasting up to 65 hours according to my Steam counter. The learning curve takes the player through many fun-to-experience phases: learning how to control citizens that you actually can not control, learning how to optimize the food chain and learning how it is a bad idea to kill all cows on the map.    … Expand
  12. Stormsson
    Aug 21, 2013
    7
    I think this is quite a funny game, even if it could be much better:
    the interface is quite lacking, and the interactions are not so various as it might seems.
    This said, i find it funny and entertaining.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. WhiteTalpa
    Jun 9, 2013
    6
    Ok game however the development of the game has added some cool new features but in some ways the game has actually taken a step back... i'm not sure what the future holds for this game, but for the price i would recommend buying it.
  16. sandokkan
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    I love this game, it improved A LOT since the Steam release. I played for 200 hours and I'm still playing it... just 1 word: FUN

    This game also have a lot of haters, so, the best you can do is check some videos or download the demo and judge it by yourself.
  17. apaeth
    May 18, 2013
    5
    Very disappointing. This game had the potential to be a great game but they stopped short. The AI is about as dumb as it gets. The developers may know how to code but they are severely lacking at understanding the importance of time management, efficiency and resource management when it comes to a city building game. Simple things like providing food becomes a logistical nightmare andVery disappointing. This game had the potential to be a great game but they stopped short. The AI is about as dumb as it gets. The developers may know how to code but they are severely lacking at understanding the importance of time management, efficiency and resource management when it comes to a city building game. Simple things like providing food becomes a logistical nightmare and never ending click fest. The interface is terrible and requires that you constantly verify your building levels otherwise you waste time and resources. Mehhhh......… Expand
  18. 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
  19. FurthestFlung
    Apr 7, 2013
    6
    As a Dwarf Fortress player, I really, really want to like this game. It promises to be Dwarf Fortress without the horrible interface. It's... just not, however. It does have a better interface, mostly. You actually just set how much food you want produced at all times, and townies will butcher the cows on their own to fulfill your quotas that's a solid improvement, at least.As a Dwarf Fortress player, I really, really want to like this game. It promises to be Dwarf Fortress without the horrible interface. It's... just not, however. It does have a better interface, mostly. You actually just set how much food you want produced at all times, and townies will butcher the cows on their own to fulfill your quotas that's a solid improvement, at least.

    However, the problem comes with the whole "goal of the game" thing. Dwarf Fortress just lets you do whatever, and is robust enough of a game to make doing whatever crazy thing that comes to mind actually rich and enjoyable. Towns, however, lets you build your town's most basic functions in just a few minutes, then tells you to mine down for the rest, where you encounter the dungeons that are the "real" part of the game. To clear these dungeons, you need heroes, which are beyond your control. Basically, you just run an inn for the heroes who do all the game for you while you just wait for them to finish mopping up.

    Then your townies run in and get eaten by monsters because you can't tell them not to pick up shiny items the monsters drop, much like Dwarf Fortress's notorious mob rushes for the socks of dead goblins years ago. Heroes and townies drop like flies at the lower levels, but there's nothing you can really do about any of that, as combat is nothing but dumb luck against monsters that are just ever-increasing numbers, and nobody listens to your orders when it comes to monsters, anyway.

    Basically, this game is just Dwarf Fortress without the attention to realism, and five years of development behind, but with a better interface. That, ALONE, would still make it a recommendable game, except that you quite honestly have nothing to DO during all the time you spend "playing" the game, but watch the ant farm run itself.

    The only times you are forced to act are when caravans come or sieges come and sieges are a massive pain because of interface problems, at that. The only thing you can do in this game is build more of your town, and even that is ironically best done down in the dungeons, repurposing the old rooms rather than building new ones.

    There's the potential for a brilliant game, if it could just solve some of Dwarf Fortress's old problems, and actually set out to create some new territory of worth to fill, but the pathway from here to there is a loooong one, indeed.    … Expand
  20. pavilion76
    Feb 26, 2013
    7
    I first found out about Towns during a Steam sale, and they offered a demo, I liked it. Although Towns can use a better interface, do not get the wrong idea; the interface is manageable. It is its own game, There is no real genre for it. For the most part, it has some RTS elements, because you don't play as (an) individual(s), it also has some sandbox capabilities too. But I must agreeI first found out about Towns during a Steam sale, and they offered a demo, I liked it. Although Towns can use a better interface, do not get the wrong idea; the interface is manageable. It is its own game, There is no real genre for it. For the most part, it has some RTS elements, because you don't play as (an) individual(s), it also has some sandbox capabilities too. But I must agree with the rest of the comments, the game feels very underdeveloped. One almost has to get some mods so the game runs better.… Expand
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. marko02
    Jan 7, 2013
    10
    I love this game, i spend so much hours playing it that I am shocked.... it has something addicted to it, that I just cant explain.And generally the concept of dungeons underground where heroes go and clear them is really unique.
  24. JackPS9
    Jan 7, 2013
    9
    Great game, can not get enough of it. Tutorials could use a update though, but you can learn how to play without them.
    With the promise to continue to work on it more.
    - JackPS9 (Towns Modding Master)
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. InstantStreet
    Dec 26, 2012
    9
    I made an account on Metacritic just because I wanted to say this. I bought this game although the reviews here we're bad. I understand that a lot of people are pissed of because the fact that this is in ALPHA state is mention nowhere on the steam store page. That's sad, I don't know if it's the developers fault or steams fault, but saying this game sucks, saying this game deserves a zero?I made an account on Metacritic just because I wanted to say this. I bought this game although the reviews here we're bad. I understand that a lot of people are pissed of because the fact that this is in ALPHA state is mention nowhere on the steam store page. That's sad, I don't know if it's the developers fault or steams fault, but saying this game sucks, saying this game deserves a zero? No, that's just not true. The actual gameplay is really, really good, and although it's in alpha state, this game has LOADS OF CONTENT, going from lots of enemies and props to build to weird events. There are some bugs (although I didn't encounter more then like two for now) but I'm sure they will fix it. Also the tutorial isn't that bad, okay it's a bit short and only explains the very basics, but compared to games like dota 2 with no tutorial at all it's great.

    It's in alpha and it has lots of bugs, but see it as a long time investment and you'll have loads of fun with it!

    Sincerely,

    An indie game lover    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. darkhog
    Dec 21, 2012
    10
    While I didn't know that game has some minor issues when I bought it on Steam, after playing it for some while, I must say it IS indeed playable in the current state. You just need to get used to its gameplay elements.

    Where "get used to" means same as "getting used to" RTS, FPS, RPG or any other genre or subgenre (like JRPG or CRPG). What is genre of this game? I'd like to call it    While I didn't know that game has some minor issues when I bought it on Steam, after playing it for some while, I must say it IS indeed playable in the current state. You just need to get used to its gameplay elements.

    Where "get used to" means same as "getting used to" RTS, FPS, RPG or any other genre or subgenre (like JRPG or CRPG). What is genre of this game? I'd like to call it "Sandbox town-building game with RPG and RTS elements". While I would never, ever touch Dwarf Fortress because of its graphics or lack thereof (seriously, ASCII? Are we in 80s? Even Nethack, rogue-like with originally ASCII graphics has graphical clients such as Falcon's Eye or Vulture's Claw), Towns are pretty fun to play with.

    Those who say interface is non-intuitive, probably never played game such as Age of Empires 2 or other old RTS games like first editions of The Settlers or Civilization. In case of the latter THAT'S confusing and non-intuitive interface.

    For me it is pretty simple after few (2) hours spend with it. At left you have production automation tools which let you make food, produce items, etc. At right - town building tools (setting up walls and placing utilities/furniture/decorations, etc.). And finally at bottom - order menu - here you can give massive orders, e.g. mining/chopping down trees/gathering wheat/apples/pears/bananas/etc. and set up stockpiles (magazines) for each type of resource, and zones (if you ever played Evil Genius zones are roughly equal to room types).

    Now, final words.

    While that game isn't completed yet, I'd say it's pretty close. If I would need to compare it to level of polish of some version of Minecraft, I'd say SMP is at level of Minecraft Beta 1.6. AI is a bit wonky, but it'll work in time (heard on official forums that AI will be main focus in Towns v9, a.k.a. 0.90)    … Expand
  30. 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
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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