So I Tried… Farlanders

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time around, I went with 2023’s retro-inspired city builder, Farlanders.

What I thought it was

This was one of those games that I saw screenshots of and thought, “Yep, that looks like a game I’d enjoy!” Only to add it to my Steam Wishlist and forget it existed. That is, until Father Christmas (disguising himself as a very generous GameGrin staff member) gifted me a copy to enjoy. But what exactly did I think the game was just from the screenshots alone? Well, I assumed it was an old-school city builder with a focus on factory building and automation. How accurate was this assessment? Well, you’ll just have to read one and find out!

What it actually is

Upon starting the game, I was greeted with a plethora of different modes to dive into, which is always a good start! With choices of Campaign, Free Play, Sandbox, and Daily Challenge, I opted to start with the campaign as this would probably also serve as a tutorial. To start with, I was given the task to destroy some mountains and create a main base and a factory. Constructing buildings is simple enough, providing you have enough resources and the right terrain for them to be built on, however, it was the terraforming mechanic that felt unique.

Rather than just haphazardly destroying the ground as you see fit, you’re instead given a selection of various shaped tiles that you must position in the environment to complete the given objective. It starts out simple enough, a 2x2 grid with two diagonal sections used to level some rocky terrain. So, find the place on the map where two mountains are diagonally across from each other, simple! I expect these will become more complex over time, but with only 30 minutes of playtime allowed before writing this article, things started off slowly, with the only options being to flatten areas and add water.

It’s also turn-based, which surprised me, but not in the way you may think. Once you’ve done everything you need to do, ending the turn essentially passes the time, giving you resources depending on the buildings placed, and potentially new settlers to help your vase expand. There was a level of strategy that I wasn’t expecting due to the turn-based mechanic, and it makes Farlanders feel different from similar titles, making it a unique title that may just surprise players!

Will I keep playing

Yes! Whilst I only managed to finish the first mission — which was basically a step-by-step tutorial — what I’d experienced was more than enough to make me want to dive back in and continue the campaign. With the variety of other modes available and difficulty settings that allow for more relaxed gameplay sessions, I feel like Farlanders will be one I’ll return to rather frequently!