Please help convince me!

[AngryFanGuy]

So I've literally had my eye on this game for more than a year now, saw it on Kickstarter a while back, watched it pass through greenlight and I've always been just on the edge of buying it. Now the two main things that put me off are the lack of a demo and the $30 price tag, I've seen gameplay videos on YouTube but I've been unable to find relevant reviews, and even then they'd likely be out of date.

I have a few questions and if they're answered and I hear a few convincing reasons I might finally buy it.
1. How much content is there currently?
2. How frequently is it updated?
3. How close is it to completion?
4. What sort of games is it comparable to?
5. What is the next big step in the game's development?
6. If/When this game gets onto Steam, will the price go up, down or stay the same?

[Varkrag]

Buy this game in its current state ONLY if you want to support the development. Do not buy this game right now if your expectations are to play a complete game. The developer has said in a previous thread he does not intend the price to raise on release.

I am in the club of new supporters, I only just paid in a couple weeks ago. If you haven't seen enough of this on Youtube to know if you want it or not then I would urge you to wait till at least a Beta release.

[Wild Card]

There`s plenty of content...if you add mods there`s huge content already.
it is well worth the 30 $
I am also a new supporter (alpha 10 purchase) and i already have a lot of hours into it and its very good...and the potential for it is huge.
Try youtube...quill 18...he has a couple of playthroughs for different alpha versions. So you can get a sense of what`s in the game and what get`s added with each new alpha.
The game is a great investment (my 2 cents)

[Mystic]

1. There is a solid amount of content, IMO, even without mods.
2. The game is updated VERY frequently.  Tynan is presenting a shining example of how to do early access right.  Just look at his changelog at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_rCdGYp3nbSUXFG4Ky96RZW1cJGt9g_6ANZZPOHyNsg/pub to see the progress on a daily basis and the amount of effort he is putting into this project. I have bought into a total of four early access projects to date, and I can only wish the other three of them ran more like the RimWorld project.
3. No one knows how close the game is to completion ... but who cares?  What is there right now is a very good game already, for what I regard to be a very reasonable price, and anything/everything that is still to come is gravy as far as I am concerned.

(I have no answers for 4 through 6.)

[Kubouch]

1. Quite a lot for an alpha game. It is more of a Dwarf Fortress or Minecraft style of alpha. Personally, if someone told me this is the final release I would believe him. The game feels really polished with no obvious unfinishments (maybe exept the faction system, IMO).

2. About once in 2 months I guess. No fixed schedule but every update is rather big and brings something new and game-changing.

3. There is no planned release date or fixed list of features for a completed game. Tynan just keeps adding new features and the game is done when it's ready. I like it that way.

4. I'd say simplified Dwarf Fortress with and emphasis on lower number of people. I think it has some of the management aspects of Prison Architect but I haven't played that one. It has quite a decent combat system with people automatically covering themselver behind covers. Haven't played much of similar games so I can't tell.

5. Better AI of raiders, new raid type, traps, defining areas, more events, more hair styles, bugfixes and more. You can check Tynan's changelog to see what he's up to. There was also a complete list of A11 changes but I can't find it.

6. Dunno. I think it will stay but no guarantee.

7. Mods. Don't forget mods.

8. I agree that demo would be nice. The price is quite high but the game has the value already.

If you're just waiting for a full release I would suggest to buy it right now. Nobody knows when will the final release come - it may take years. Or just keep waiting :-D.

I bought the game in the last pre-alpha or alpha 1 and even then it was super fun and addictive. Since then (1-1.5 years?), it is my most frequently played game. The reason for this it that the core mechanics of the game (building, research, survival management, raids and combat, ...) were already present and even in their barest form were great. Now the game builds on the already well-designed core principles and just keeps expanding them (for example one of the alphas brought a temperature system which added a lot of challenge in the survival aspect).

Plus you get a game from an honest developer who's in contact with the community and  who not only listens to it but also considers it an inspiration source. You can frequently see many of the forum suggestions added to the game if they make sense and are in the direction of the game. In this alpha, for example, he added a new hairs made by one of the forum users. Also some mods eventually found their way into the game.

In short: This game is an example of a creative project done right. Nuff said, I guess.

[RickyMartini]

1. How much content is there currently?

Enough to fill dozens of hours to learn the game mechanics. And after that, there is plenty of things to do and to learn. If you like simulation games, this one is going to fill your needs. It satisfied me, even for an Alpha.

2. How frequently is it updated?

The dev updates this game every 1-2 months, but never announces it. It is pretty consistent. Plus, you can read the changelog that gets updated almost daily to see what he is currently adding to the game.

3. How close is it to completion?

Probably not so close. One reason for that is: It works at the moment. Meaning the dev sees there is still plenty to add to the game and he has an active community to help him steer the game into the right direction. So therefore if it works, why try to release it to Steam soon?

4. What sort of games is it comparable to?

Obviously Dwarf Fortress when it comes to the core idea of the game. It looks a bit like Prison Architect because of some borrowed graphics. After that, I can't think of other games that are much more similar, it is pretty unique.

5. What is the next big step in the game's development?

There are no big steps ahead, at least not that I know of. The dev always has a "theme" when releasing a new Alpha. For example he might focus more on the raider AI or more on adding content for the next release. It always depends, and the community here might give him fuel for ideas too.

6. If/When this game gets onto Steam, will the price go up, down or stay the same?

I think at the moment the payment is also to help his development. Might be that you could have better chances with a steam sale when it comes to steam, but honestly, I don't know the precise answer.

[Devon_v]

1) There's a fair amount of "vanilla" content and tons of modded stuff.

2) Tynan works on it daily, new alphas are every month or two, followed by a flurry of patches.

3) Tynan doesn't currently have a specific end state for the game in mind, so it's hard to say. It'll probably be done when there are no more good ideas to implement. It's completely playable in its current state.

4) I would call it Sim City and The Sims merged with an RTS and a Tower Defense game.

5) The AI is getting smarter about killing all your people, and more disasters can befall the environment. Tynan doesn't design in a bullet point style, but more of a natural evolution of ideas.

6) Price is supposed to stay the same.


If you enjoy building things and getting attached to little digital people who will probably die horribly (or just building things, the game has a "basebuilder" mode) it's the sort of game that can keep you up all night. You do need some good planning skills and a willingness to lay zones and micromanage the occasional crisis. There's a definite learning curve, but once you get a handle on manual priorities and zones you can get your colonists doing what you want with minimal input.

[DDog]

It is an awesome game even at this alpha stage... the game could easily be sold as complete..  been playing for well over a year...  then you add mods and it is limitless... and... as a benefit...  we get an update every couple months that adds new features to a game that is already pretty tight!  Watch recent youtube let's play's..  then you will know!  This is a better way to answer your question then asking other people...

[DNK]

1. How much content is there currently? A good amount for a basic game, though I would find vanilla content a bit shallow for a full release. Mods fill in much of what's missing, but even then I'm left aware of what's still missing. Consider it a modestly filled-in beta at this point.
2. How frequently is it updated? 1-2 months we get new features and content.
3. How close is it to completion? Tynan has said he'll keep working on it until he doesn't want to anymore. There's plenty left to do, so I'm guessing at least 1yr to go.
4. What sort of games is it comparable to? Prison Architect and Dwarf Fortress spring to mind. Visually similar to PA, gameplay is more DF. It isn't quite as free-form as DF, and is only 2-D (no Z levels). The siege AI is close to DF's, though, if not more advanced. No titans yet, though...
5. What is the next big step in the game's development? Check the changelog. Tynan's adding areas (boroughs), which seems to be the current big thing he's working on.
6. If/When this game gets onto Steam, will the price go up, down or stay the same? ?

This is the sort of game where you'll know if you want it or not. It can be a pleasant colony builder with minimal difficulty and the UI/visuals as you've seen, or it can be a fairly brutal survival challenge. There's exceptional mod support and a productive mod community as well.

[Dr. Z]

1. How much content is there currently?

With the newest update there're seven completely different biomes to settle in which all require different tactics. One playtrough can take tens of hours (if you survive) and by the time you have played on every biome you might already have forgotten how it was on the first one.

2. How frequently is it updated?

A new Alpha with major changes comes out every 2-3 months reliably, although never with a release date to avoid disappointment.

3. How close is it to completion?

In the Alpha 11 announcement video Tynan says that the game comes closer to a point where he would consider it as complete, although he could work on it forever, which I think is something he wants to avoid.

4. What sort of games is it comparable to?

There isn't really a genre this game fits into (except from strategy/simulation in general). It's often mentioned along with dwarf fortress, but I only played this for like 10 seconds so I can't say something about that^^

5. What is the next big step in the game's development?

There isn't a roadmap with clear goals, but you can follow the daily changelog to see what the major features of the next Alpha will have (be warned, you might loose interest on the current version if you see the improvements and features of the next  ).

6. If/When this game gets onto Steam, will the price go up, down or stay the same?

I don't know about that.


After all this game is about making your own story. You learn to love and hate your colonists, build a base and fight large and small battles. The game is totally worth the 30$, in my opinion it's the best Alpha state game existing at the moment especially because of the active and community near developer.
Also, if you want to have more content, there is a fantastic modding community which really extends the game value for free and easy to install. If you have any interest on building and suffering on a strange and hostile planet and fight for your live or escape, you should buy this game.

[Fruit loops]

Been here since alpha 4 (oldie) I've played every alpha and been Impressed with each one, the modding support is great, the community is great, and the game is fantastic. I would rec-emend this game 100% if your not sure, watch some you-tube on it, or do some research, I hop you do buy it or continue to follow this game until you feel your ready to.