SimCity 4 is a city-building simulation computer game developed by Maxis. The game was released in January 2003.
I got this to try and as it was cheap. It really looks dated, like it was made in the 1990s. The interface stretches to fit a widescreen monitor.
But overall, a pain to use. Not recommended.
Dorfromantik is a 2022 strategy and puzzle video game developed and published by Toukana Interactive.
The player places a series of hexagonal tiles containing elements of a pastoral environment to create a landscape.
This is the most addictive of the recent games reviewed. It has a simplicity of design that hides the complexity of the puzzles and scoring.
Townscaper is a city builder game by Oskar Stålberg, released in August 2021.
Townscaper has no inherent objective or story and has been described by developer Stålberg as “more of a toy” than a game
Users construct an island town by placing and removing colored blocks on an ocean. Various “rules” dictate these blocks’ appearances, with some appearing as spires and others as balconies. This method of rule-based decoration allows arches, gardens, and stairways to be created without specific user instruction.
While a fun and easy game to play, there isn’t the variety of environments that Tiny Glade has, It is well designed and quick to get into, but ultimately not a lot of gameplay.
What is fascinating is the AI behind the game, as explained here:
Dystopika is a sculpting game for creating Cyberpunk cities and future noir vibes. No goals, no management, just rich, atmospheric moods for contemplation, creativity and wonder.
Somewhere between Tiny Glade and summerhouse, the game is 3D, but there is a limited number of objects you can manipulate.
The best thing about it is the Blade Runner style soundtrack and atmospheric graphics. But there is not much gameplay to keep you hooked.
Summerhouse is a 2024 video game by independent German developer Friedemann Allmenröder.
The game is a sandbox city-building game in which players decorate environments using building and decorative pieces.
This is a much simpler version of Tiny Glade. The low resolution graphics don’t help and compared to others there is not much to do.
I was not inspired to continue with this game.
Tiny Glade is a cozy, sandbox city-building game where players can construct castles, ruins and other buildings from the medieval era.
It was developed and published by Pounce Light and was released on 23 September 2024 for Windows.
This game has no narrative, objective or rules. Just built housing in your glade. The impressive thing about the game is how it interprets action that join things together. Draw a path up to a building and you get a door. Run it through a wall and you get an arch or a gate.
The only thing holding it back is the interface necessary to implement a 3D construction game. It has a learning curve and can be frustrating. Some actions require precise clicking and dragging.
When you do get used to it, things can be relaxing and enjoyable. Hours go by as you build your glade into a village.
Joan of Arc is the second campaign in Age of Empires II.
She appears as her own civilization in Age of Empires IV: The Sultans Ascend, in which she is also the hero.
Across six episodes, the games goes from fun to frustrating.
The final, “A Prefect Martyr” occurs after her death, and has the heroes trying to erect a flag in Paris.
The problems occur quickly, with a constant flow of enemy attacks as you try to establish your base. Despite several re-starts I ended up using cheat codes to get to the end. Fortunately that doesn’t stop you moving on the the next campaign.
William Wallace is the first and tutorial campaign in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. His campaign serves as an introduction for new players.
William Wallace
(c. 1270 – August 23, 1305)
This Scottish Knight led an army of Scots in an attempt to keep Scotland a kingdom independent from King Edward I of England.
After defeating an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298.
In August 1305, Wallace was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason and crimes against English civilians. Since his death, Wallace has obtained a legendary status far beyond his homeland.
This first series of of seven games proved to be relatively fun and easy. The memory of previously playing the game came back.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
I have played AoE 2 before, decades ago and from the original boded CD version. This updated version from 2019 is a remaster of the 1999 game Age (celebrating the 20th anniversary).
It features significantly improved visuals, supports 4K resolution, and includes all previous expansions from the original and HD Edition.
In addition, the game includes The Last Khans, an expansion that adds four new civilizations based on Central Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as four new campaigns
The graphics has certainly improved, with a nice crumbling effect as you destroy buildings. Other little improvements include auto-seeding of farms. And on a wide screen monitor it looks great, once you have dialed in the right UI size and zoom.
Since then there have been a few add-ons:
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a real-time strategy video game developed by LucasArts. Released in November 2001, then the expansion pack, Clone Campaigns, on May 14, 2002.
This was the second playthrough. It proved to be just as fun as the original. There was only a few occasions when a cheat code was needed.
The only downside was the final episode, which would not complete (probably a bug or oversight).