These Doomed Isles Review Summary

Resource management and building mechanics: Players manage resources like money, faith, and materials to build and expand their city. Buildings require space and strategic placement, and players must allocate workers effectively.

Unique blend of multiple genres: The game combines deckbuilding, city simulation, and strategy elements, appealing to fans of various genres including rogue-likes, tower defense, and god games.

Card mechanics and progression: Players start with a limited set of cards and can unlock new ones through research and events. Cards have limited uses, and strategic acquisition is crucial.

Enjoyable and engaging gameplay: The game is described as interesting, enjoyable, and engaging, with good spatial mechanics and turn-based card gameplay.

Active and responsive developers: The developers are actively working on improvements, listening to player feedback, and are responsive and helpful.

Repetitive and boring gameplay: Many players find the gameplay to be very repetitive and slow, leading to a lack of engagement and boredom.

Issues with card system: The card unlocking system and the overall card system are seen as problematic, with many cards being unnecessary or difficult to obtain.

Too many restrictions: Players feel that the game imposes too many restrictions, particularly in building and resource management, which limits creativity and enjoyment.

Excessive grinding required: Players are frustrated by the amount of grinding required to unlock interesting cards, making progression feel tedious.

Game crashes and bugs: Players experience game crashes and bugs, such as units not being able to move, which disrupts gameplay.

Combat and enemy mechanics: Combat mechanics, including enemy spawn points, attack patterns, and various strategies, are crucial aspects of the gameplay. Players also encounter different enemies and bosses tied to specific characters.

Roguelike and card elements: The game incorporates roguelike elements with card-based mechanics, offering a unique blend of deck-building and city simulation.

Difficulty and progression: Players discuss the game's difficulty settings and progression systems, including level progression, character leveling, and various challenge modes.

City and civilization building: The game features city simulation and building management elements, allowing players to develop their own civilizations and kingdoms.

Turn-based and strategy gameplay: The game features turn-based card gameplay and strategy mechanics, requiring players to think carefully about their moves and overall strategy.

Optimization and performance issues: The game suffers from significant optimization problems, leading to performance issues such as lag and slowdowns, particularly after 15-20 turns.

General bugginess: The game is perceived as buggy, with various issues affecting gameplay and user satisfaction.

Steam Deck support needed: Players have expressed a desire for better support for the Steam Deck, indicating a need for improved compatibility.

Map scrolling speed issues: There are complaints about the speed of map scrolling, which affects gameplay and user experience.

High system requirements: The game has high system requirements, making it difficult for players with lower-end PCs to run smoothly.

Wait for more content: Several reviews suggest waiting until the game has more content or until it is fully released before purchasing.

Worth trying on sale: Many players suggest the game is worth trying, especially if it can be found on sale for a lower price point, around $10/€10 or less.

Easy and relaxing gameplay: The game is noted for being easy to pick up and relaxing, making it suitable for those who enjoy casual simulation management games.

Consider other games: Some players recommend skipping this game and suggest trying other similar games like dotAge, Reus 2, or Against the Storm instead.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 12.0h.

Story completion: 5.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game starts slow and requires grinding to unlock interesting content, but it becomes more engaging after understanding the card management system and progressing through the Campaign mode.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Slow early game pacing; Grinding starter cards; Confusing card management initially; Repetitive early gameplay.

Grind-Focused Unlocker: Repetitive gameplay focused on grinding to unlock new cards and features. Motivation: Unlocking new content and progressing through the game. Stance: sale.

Chill Casual Player: Casual and relaxed, often playing the game alongside other activities. Motivation: Relaxation and casual gameplay. Stance: sale.

Strategy Deck-Builder: Focused on strategy and deck-building, often comparing the game to other similar titles. Motivation: Strategic gameplay and deck-building mechanics. Stance: buy.