Info about Against the Storm:

Official game description:
You are the Viceroy – a leader charged by the Scorched Queen to reclaim the wilderness and discover lost riches for the Smoldering City, civilization's last bastion against the Blightstorm that destroyed the old world. Unlike most survival city builders where your focus is on a single city, in Against the Storm you must build a vast, prosperous network of settlements populated by diverse fantasy races, each with their own specializations and needs.
The wilderness holds many hidden dangers, and never-ending storms will batter your population into submission. If your settlements should fall, then the expedition may end – but not the game. Against the Storm is a roguelite city builder, meaning you will carry forward the resources, upgrades, and experience of your past expeditions each time you set off for a new journey into the wild.
Foxes, beavers, and lizards stand alongside humans and harpies in the struggle to survive. Utilize each group's strengths as you balance their varying needs, from housing and culinary preferences to taste in luxuries and recreation. Will you manufacture raincoats, brew ale, and bake pies to boost morale in the face of the oppressive hostility of the forest, or will you prioritize the needs of one species over another to operate more swiftly for the Scorched Queen?
Experience core city builder gameplay enhanced by roguelite replayability. Build and manage multiple settlements spread out across a large world map, all while collecting valuable meta-progression resources to upgrade the Smoldering City. Feel the pressure of an expectant monarch as the Scorched Queen demands constant progress while recurring Blightstorms pose an inevitable threat to your settlements. Manage your reputation to secure your success at any one settlement before moving on to establish another, constantly seeking new opportunities for growth, taking on unique challenges across multiple biomes, and bracing for the inevitable destruction of everything but the Smoldering City itself. How will you maximize each cycle to not just ensure the best fate for the Smoldering City, but for your career as Viceroy as well?
With hundreds of gameplay modifiers and 6 distinct biomes, every city location presents unique challenges for even the most resourceful Viceroy. Adjust your strategy to changing weather conditions and experiment with rosters of building blueprints and perks that can help your society thrive or bring it to ruin. Will you take on and complete additional objectives and delve deeper into the dangerous forest for potential boons, or will you approach with caution to ensure you operate within your capabilities? All the while, you never know what wares the Trader will bring next year, and the forest holds treasures and resources, but also ancient threats.
Laying the foundations for a new city is one of the most exciting moments in a city-building game. In Against the Storm, you'll have the opportunity to repeatedly experience this by creating new settlements, while still interacting with your network of previously established cities in a growing world.

Release date: Dec 8, 2023

Categories: City Builder, Roguelite, Resource Management, Survival, Strategy, Progression System, Dynamic Difficulty Scaling, Multi-Settlement Management

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 20; verdict: Fair Monetization; summary: The game is well-supported with frequent free updates and additional paid DLC that adds new content and species. The DLC is generally perceived as fairly priced and offering decent content, although there are criticisms about significant content being locked behind DLC and the overall quantity and quality of DLC. The monetization strategy appears reasonable and not overly exploitative, but there are areas for improvement in terms of content accessibility and DLC quality.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The game has significant issues with its UI/UX design, making it necessary for players to keep external resources like wikis open to understand the game mechanics fully. The in-game encyclopedia, while comprehensive, is seen as both a help and a hindrance. Players often need to refer to external spreadsheets and guides, which disrupts the immersive experience.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key issues with the Steam Deck experience. Text readability and controller support are major concerns, with many users finding the text unreadable and the lack of controller support frustrating. Display size is also noted as a problem, with the game being better suited for larger screens. Despite these issues, the game runs well on the Steam Deck, indicating good performance. However, frequent crashes are a significant drawback.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users frequently mention purchasing the game on sale and finding it to be worth the price, often around $15. This suggests that the community considers this to be a fair price point for the base game. Additionally, users highlight the extensive gameplay hours and value they get from the game, reinforcing the idea that $15 is a reasonable and fair price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 50.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 30.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes multiple references to the duration of gameplay sessions and the overall playtime required to complete various aspects of the game. For example, one quote mentions that each match lasts around an hour and a half, or 2-3 hours with pausing, indicating a typical session length. Another quote specifies that sessions last 1-2 hours, which aligns with the session length metric. Additionally, there are mentions of the game's replayability and the time investment required to master it, such as the player who has amassed quite a few hours on the game. This suggests that the game completion time can be extensive, depending on the player's engagement and skill level. The evidence also highlights the complexity and depth of the game, which can contribute to longer playtimes for both story completion and endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game offers a unique and addictive experience with a satisfying progression system. While the early game can be repetitive and overwhelming, the fun increases as players advance and unlock more content.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Unlocking more content and progressing through the game.
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive early game; Overwhelming micro-management; Lack of resources in early runs
  - Unlock drivers: Progression system; Meta-progression; Variety in biomes and buildings
  - Conditions: Satisfying late-game progression; Addictive gameplay loop; Unique learning curve; Atmospheric sound design
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategic City-Builder (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoys the strategic depth and replayability of city-building games with roguelite elements.
    - Playstyle: Strategic and methodical, focusing on optimizing resources and adapting to random events.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: city-builder fans; roguelite enthusiasts
    - Reference games: The Settlers; Rimworld; Frostpunk
  - Creative Strategist Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoys the creative and strategic aspects of the game, finding it addictive and engaging.
    - Playstyle: Creative and strategic, focusing on managing resources and adapting to rising difficulty.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: newcomers; strategy game fans
    - Reference games: The Settlers; Anno
  - Surprised Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoys the game's innovation, complexity, and fast-paced nature, finding it deeply engaging.
    - Playstyle: Adaptive and exploratory, enjoying the game's depth and complexity.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual gamers; busy professionals
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; Darkest Dungeon


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unique roguelike and city-builder blend (weight 0.5): The game uniquely combines roguelike elements with city-building mechanics, creating an innovative and engaging gameplay experience. This blend is frequently highlighted as a distinctive and enjoyable feature.
- Highly addictive gameplay (weight 0.33): The game is frequently described as very addictive and engaging, with high replay value. Players find it enjoyable and challenging, often mentioning its satisfying and immersive nature.
- High replayability (weight 0.31): The game offers high replayability due to its varied challenges, roguelike elements, and engaging gameplay loop. Players enjoy the different challenges and map generations that encourage repeated playthroughs.
- Excellent city-building mechanics (weight 0.31): The game is praised for its well-made and polished city management aspects. It is considered one of the best in its genre, offering a streamlined and enjoyable city-building experience.
- Pleasant graphics and sound design (weight 0.25): The game features pleasant and beautiful graphics, often accompanied by a charming art style and gentle music. The visual and sound design contribute to a nostalgic and enjoyable atmosphere.
- Challenging yet relaxing gameplay (weight 0.22): The game balances challenging gameplay with relaxing elements, making it suitable for both intense and casual playstyles. Players appreciate the engaging and skill-based challenges.
- One of the best games ever (weight 0.14): The game is frequently described as one of the greatest and most incredible games ever conceived. Players often rank it among their top favorite games of all time.
- Sense of progression (weight 0.11): The game provides a clear sense of progression and improvement, with a well-designed progression system that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Regular content updates (weight 0.11): The game receives regular updates and new content, both free and paid, which keeps the game fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the ongoing support from the developers.

Common complaints:
- Unintuitive design choices (weight 0.22): The game's design is often criticized for being confusing and not user-friendly, particularly for new players.
- Repetitive gameplay loop (weight 0.2): Many players find the gameplay becomes repetitive and tedious, especially after extended playtime or without increasing difficulty.
- Frustrating RNG mechanics (weight 0.18): The game's reliance on random number generation (RNG) can be frustrating for players, as it heavily influences success and gameplay outcomes.
- Readability and UI issues (weight 0.17): Players report difficulties with reading small text and navigating through menus, which can hinder the gaming experience.
- Time-consuming and difficult (weight 0.14): The game is noted for being incredibly time-consuming and difficult, which can impact other obligations and frustrate players.
- Poor tutorial clarity (weight 0.1): Tutorials are criticized for not being detailed or comprehensive enough, leading to confusion and difficulty for new players.
- Lack of engaging storyline (weight 0.09): The game is often criticized for having a weak or almost non-existent storyline, making it less engaging.
- Not a traditional city-builder (weight 0.08): The game may disappoint players expecting a traditional city-building experience, as it deviates from typical city-builder mechanics.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.06): The game has a daunting learning curve, making it hard for newcomers to master and enjoy the game fully.
- Overwhelming complexity (weight 0.06): The complexity of the game's systems can be overwhelming, creating a barrier to entry for some players.
- Lack of varied game modes (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for not offering varied modes such as cooperative or sandbox modes, limiting gameplay options.
- Art and music preferences (weight 0.05): Some reviewers find the art style and music not to their taste, which can affect their overall enjoyment of the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Roguelike city-building hybrid (weight 0.44): The game uniquely combines city-building mechanics with roguelike elements, creating a challenging and varied gameplay experience. Players manage cities while facing randomized challenges and survival mechanics.
- Randomized challenges and elements (weight 0.38): The game features a high degree of randomness, including challenges, resources, and events. This requires players to adapt their strategies and make flexible decisions to succeed.
- Strategic decision-making and planning (weight 0.28): Players engage in strategic decision-making, planning, and resource management. The game involves thoughtful economic strategies and adapting to various challenges.
- Survival and city-building mechanics (weight 0.25): The game emphasizes survival aspects within a city-building framework. Players must manage resources, build structures, and ensure the survival of their colony in a challenging environment.
- Progression and leveling systems (weight 0.24): The game features a progression system with levels, rewards, and unlocks. Players can advance through a tech tree and achieve global progress, enhancing their cities and abilities.
- Difficulty scaling and customization (weight 0.21): The game offers scalable and customizable difficulty levels, providing a progressive challenge for players. This includes dynamic difficulty adjustments and a variety of difficulty settings.
- Resource management and scarcity (weight 0.2): Resource management is a core aspect of the game, with players needing to monitor and manage scarce resources. This includes seasonal resource management and exploration for resources.
- City and settlement management (weight 0.2): Players are tasked with managing and growing settlements, including population management and city planning. The game involves strategic resource management and settlement expansion.
- Diverse species with unique needs (weight 0.15): The game includes diverse species, each with unique needs, strengths, and bonuses. This adds complexity and variety to the gameplay, requiring players to tailor their strategies.
- Variety in biomes and environments (weight 0.15): The game offers a variety of biomes and environments, each with different resources and challenges. This diversity encourages exploration and adaptation to new settings.
- Short, engaging gameplay sessions (weight 0.15): The game is designed for short, engaging play sessions, making it easy to dedicate an hour or so per session. This includes time-limited and objective-based gameplay.
- Unique art style and theme (weight 0.08): The game boasts a unique art style and theme, contributing to its distinctive setting and storyline. This enhances the overall gaming experience and immersion.

Performance notes:
- Well-optimized and bug-free (weight 0.16): The game is described as fantastically optimized with no bugs or crashes encountered. Players report a smooth experience with minimal technical issues.
- Great performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.11): The game plays well on Steam Deck with minimal tweaks required. It runs perfectly and is optimized for Steam Deck controls.
- Low hardware demands (weight 0.05): The game is not demanding on hardware and can run on low-spec PCs, making it accessible to a wide range of players.
- Minimalistic design (weight 0.03): The game features minimalistic models and an uncluttered interface, contributing to its clean and straightforward design.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for city-builder fans (weight 0.17): The game is highly recommended for fans of city builders, base builders, and resource management games. It offers a unique blend of city-building mechanics with roguelite and survival elements, making it appealing to a wide range of strategy game enthusiasts.
- Highly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.12): The game is highly recommended for both veterans and newcomers to the genre. It is praised for its challenging and addictive gameplay, making it suitable for those who enjoy a mix of genres and unique game worlds.
- Good value for price (weight 0.08): Many players find the game to be worth every penny and a good value for its price. However, some suggest waiting for a discount or buying it at a lower price point.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.06): The game is compared to other popular titles like Frostpunk, The Wandering Village, Sim City, Civilization, and Farthest Frontier. These comparisons highlight its unique features and appeal.
- Gameplay tips and strategies (weight 0.06): Players recommend looking up strategies if stuck and focusing on morale to enhance gameplay. Additionally, it is suggested to read up on reforging seals early in the game.
- High praise for the game (weight 0.05): The game is praised as one of the best colony building games of the past decade and one of the favorite games of all time. It is highly recommended for its unique blend of gameplay elements.
- Recommended for challenge seekers (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for those who enjoy challenging and problem-solving gameplay. It offers a high level of difficulty and complexity.
- Try base game before DLC (weight 0.05): It is recommended to try the base game before purchasing any DLC. Some players suggest buying the game and its DLC on discount for better value.
- Suggestions for game improvements (weight 0.04): Players suggest adding a brightness slider and a separate game mode with enhanced progression to improve the game's overall experience.
- Suitable for intense and casual players (weight 0.03): The game is suitable for both intense and casual players. It offers a range of difficulty settings and gameplay styles to cater to different preferences.
- Recommended for RTS eco game fans (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for fans of RTS eco games. It offers a unique blend of real-time strategy and economic management.
- Focus on in-game play quality (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those who focus on in-game play quality. It offers a high level of detail and depth in its gameplay mechanics.
- Comparison to Slay the Spire (weight 0.03): The game is compared to Slay the Spire, highlighting its roguelite and strategy elements. This comparison underscores its appeal to fans of challenging and addictive gameplay.

Other player notes:
- Request for Mac version (weight 0.03): Players have expressed a desire for the game to be released on Mac platforms, indicating a potential market and user base that is currently untapped.
- Early access availability (weight 0.03): The game is available for purchase in an early access format. This can attract players who are interested in experiencing the game early and providing feedback.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.21): Players enjoy the game's blend of genres, including city-building, roguelite, and RTS elements, which create a complex and engaging gameplay experience. The strategic depth, replayability, and unique mechanics such as resource management and puzzle-solving contribute to a satisfying and addictive gameplay loop.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players express frustration with the game's high difficulty, repetitive tasks, and RNG mechanics, which can lead to unfair or unpredictable outcomes. Issues with tutorials, UI design, and the game's demanding mechanics also contribute to a challenging and sometimes overwhelming experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.14): Players find satisfaction in the game's strategic depth, progression systems, and the sense of growth and accomplishment. The balance between stress and relaxation, along with the game's respect for the player's time and intelligence, contributes to a rewarding experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.11): Players are excited by the game's unique blend of genres, innovative mechanics, and the thrill of overcoming challenges. The game's depth, variety, and engaging gameplay loop create a sense of continuous learning and discovery.
- Addiction (weight 0.03): The game's highly engaging and rewarding gameplay loop, along with its high replayability, makes it addictive for players. The 'just one more turn' mentality and the complex, yet satisfying mechanics keep players hooked.
- Engaged (weight 0.03): Players feel engaged due to the game's adaptive strategies, complexity, and the ever-ticking timer that adds urgency. The combination of favorite genres and the engaging world design contribute to a deeply immersive experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique genre, depth, and balance, as well as the developers' responsiveness and community involvement. The game's art style, audio, and overall design are also highly valued.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about the game's unique blend of city-building and roguelike elements, along with its rich lore and unique mechanics. The game's depth, flexibility, and addictive nature generate high levels of enthusiasm.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players experience joy from the game's atmosphere, lore, graphics, and soundtrack. The lovingly designed and well-balanced gameplay, along with the high replayability and engaging missions, contribute to a joyful experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's blend of genres, rich lore, and complex interactions. The game's design, visuals, and the developers' constant work are also highly admired.
- Relaxation (weight 0.01): Players find relaxation in the game's calming soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and the opportunity to start over and try new things. The overall tone and relaxing sounds contribute to a soothing gameplay experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgia due to the game's similarities to classic city-builders and personal connections to earlier gaming experiences. The pleasant graphics and appreciation for progenitor games evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players feel deeply engaged with the game's complexity, urgency, and the blend of city builder, survival, puzzle, and roguelite design. The game's ability to immerse players completely contributes to a high level of engagement.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game from the start due to its engaging gameplay and mechanics. The replay value and unique blend of genres create a strong emotional connection.}