Alright, I took my time and I think I finally have a good grasp on my thoughts about this game. I'll try to keep them short and to-the-point.

This is one of those games I've spent quite a bit more hours in than I'd like to admit. Not because the game is bad or embarrassing or anything -- it's because I feel a little bit weird about having so many games collecting dust in my library and then never "finding the time or energy" to even boot them, but then I have titles like rimworld that I've somehow found that "time and energy" in abundance.

On the surface the game seems either casual or overly complex, depending on which stage of playing it you are currently in. Before buying this game, it seemed casual (likely attributed to the art style) and after I finally clocked my first hour in, I had to admit it seemed a bit too complex for a simple man like me.

This is, however, just a charade. The game is neither casual nor overly complex. The game is very nicely balanced in its complexity and the generally great (although not very aesthetically pleasing) GUI plays a big part in that.

Now, my experience has been enhanced by mods from the very beginning. My very first (short-lived) playthrough was entirely vanilla, but as with most games, I quickly checked out the mods and just couldn't stop myself.

The best part of this game is the modding community and all the awesome mods that we've had the pleasure to play with and experience. And I'm not even exaggerating that. It's absolutely amazing how much variety and even very specific little things we have. And there's no lack of absolutely gigantic mods with entirely new, complex and well-balanced mechanics. This is one of those games that actually benefit greatly from mods, and it has been developed in a way to make this possible. This is a very mod-friendly title and that is always a complete treat.

Once you get a grasp on the mechanics and what the game is about, it's an endless hole to throw your time in. It's even worse than civ in this regard, even if civ has the iconic "one more turn" phrase attached to it. And I shouldn't use the word "worse" -- it is indeed better for it.

I've never managed to get anywhere close to building the ship that seems to be the ultimate goal for this game. But I've never even cared for ending the game honestly. All of my games, except for the first two more serious attempts, have been tribal starts with mods that make it a true "start from the ancient times and slowly build up" experience. I love the game in this form -- you start with barely enough technology to survive the first winter, and even if it is technically enough, it often turns out to be tricky to manage. The technologies advance so slow it plays no big part in this first huge problem/puzzle, though I'm not sure if I've always just had some mod that makes that harder than vanilla. But the point is -- I've never, to this day, gotten very far in the technology tree in a true tribal/"ancient" start. And I've never felt like I've been missing out or bored waiting for the technology to advance. It's exactly to the contrary.

The thing is, and this is the downside for me, the game is so gripping and slow in pace (which is an amazing thing) that every time I try to commit to a playthrough and actually get somewhere, something else in my life happens and I can't touch the game for months. Coming back after that, there's always either the fact that some mods no longer work either together or with the base game, or I've completely forgot the entire story I had been building and no longer felt any connection to the save even if it did work after all that time. So I've always just started again and again and again.

And never have I been able to get very far.

Which is absolutely okay, for me anyway. The most fulfilling part of the game in my opinion is the beginning. You get to know the characters, their quirks, you carefully fine-tune the work priorities, the daily schedules, select a spot for the colony and just start living it, slowly building atop each small achievement or milestone. It's a very intriguing combination of planning, building, honing and expanding on all of those iteratively, decision after decision.

And it's just a very gripping, fulfilling experience. More so than most games that I can think of.

This is a game that doesn't look like much, if you're used to triple-A level of graphics and UI. But the game itself is full of soul, full of possibilities and full of moments that'll make you feel something.

It's a game I would whole-heartedly suggest everyone sees for themselves. This might just be a game-changer for you too. Even if it isn't, I doubt you'll feel cheated of your time after you try it out. I'd even go as far as bet that you'll absolutely love it even if it doesn't stick.

Alright, I took my time and I think I finally have a good grasp on my thoughts about this game. I'll try to keep them short and to-the-point. This is one of those games I've spent quite a bit more hours in than I'd like to admit. Not because the game is bad or embarrassing or anything -- it's because I feel a little bit weird about having so many games collecting dust in my library and then never "finding the time or energy" to even boot them, but then I have titles like rimworld that I've somehow found that "time and energy" in abundance. On the surface the game seems either casual or overly complex, depending on which stage of playing it you are currently in. Before buying this game, it seemed casual (likely attributed to the art style) and after I finally clocked my first hour in, I had to admit it seemed a bit too complex for a simple man like me. This is, however, just a charade. The game is neither casual nor overly complex. The game is very nicely balanced in its complexity and the generally great (although not very aesthetically pleasing) GUI plays a big part in that. Now, my experience has been enhanced by mods from the very beginning. My very first (short-lived) playthrough was entirely vanilla, but as with most games, I quickly checked out the mods and just couldn't stop myself. The best part of this game is the modding community and all the awesome mods that we've had the pleasure to play with and experience. And I'm not even exaggerating that. It's absolutely amazing how much variety and even very specific little things we have. And there's no lack of absolutely gigantic mods with entirely new, complex and well-balanced mechanics. This is one of those games that actually benefit greatly from mods, and it has been developed in a way to make this possible. This is a very mod-friendly title and that is always a complete treat. Once you get a grasp on the mechanics and what the game is about, it's an endless hole to throw your time in. It's even worse than civ in this regard, even if civ has the iconic "one more turn" phrase attached to it. And I shouldn't use the word "worse" -- it is indeed better for it. I've never managed to get anywhere close to building the ship that seems to be the ultimate goal for this game. But I've never even cared for ending the game honestly. All of my games, except for the first two more serious attempts, have been tribal starts with mods that make it a true "start from the ancient times and slowly build up" experience. I love the game in this form -- you start with barely enough technology to survive the first winter, and even if it is technically enough, it often turns out to be tricky to manage. The technologies advance so slow it plays no big part in this first huge problem/puzzle, though I'm not sure if I've always just had some mod that makes that harder than vanilla. But the point is -- I've never, to this day, gotten very far in the technology tree in a true tribal/"ancient" start. And I've never felt like I've been missing out or bored waiting for the technology to advance. It's exactly to the contrary. The thing is, and this is the downside for me, the game is so gripping and slow in pace (which is an amazing thing) that every time I try to commit to a playthrough and actually get somewhere, something else in my life happens and I can't touch the game for months. Coming back after that, there's always either the fact that some mods no longer work either together or with the base game, or I've completely forgot the entire story I had been building and no longer felt any connection to the save even if it did work after all that time. So I've always just started again and again and again. And never have I been able to get very far. Which is absolutely okay, for me anyway. The most fulfilling part of the game in my opinion is the beginning. You get to know the characters, their quirks, you carefully fine-tune the work priorities, the daily schedules, select a spot for the colony and just start living it, slowly building atop each small achievement or milestone. It's a very intriguing combination of planning, building, honing and expanding on all of those iteratively, decision after decision. And it's just a very gripping, fulfilling experience. More so than most games that I can think of. This is a game that doesn't look like much, if you're used to triple-A level of graphics and UI. But the game itself is full of soul, full of possibilities and full of moments that'll make you feel something. It's a game I would whole-heartedly suggest everyone sees for themselves. This might just be a game-changer for you too. Even if it isn't, I doubt you'll feel cheated of your time after you try it out. I'd even go as far as bet that you'll absolutely love it even if it doesn't stick.