Info about DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS:

Official game description:
DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS + DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS ２ Bundle
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The block-building RPGs “DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS” and “DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2” are now available together as a bundle!
■Bundle Contents
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*   DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS (main game)  
*   DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 (main game)
About the Game
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The first title in the BUILDERS series, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS, is bringing its handy crafting features to Steam!  
Gather, craft and build to defeat defeat the evil Dragonlord and restore Alefgard to it's former glory!  
In a world made out of blocks, everything that you see can be materials used to create! Farm ingredients, craft various items and build your base to unite the people roaming the ruins. From buildings to entire towns, you have the freedom to make your village your very own.
■ Story
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BUILDERS is set in the realm of Alefgard, the setting for the first ever DRAGON QUEST game.  
The world of Alefgard has been plunged into darkness, its light stolen by the evil Dragonlord, and this story begins with the appearance of a young hero with a mysterious ability to build things... And so the stage is set for an epic tale in which the dark world of Alefgard is returned to life with the power of creation!
■ The first DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS title, helpful crafting features include:
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*    Place blocks remotely, or destroy blocks with ease, with just a single click of the mouse!  
*    Now Includes a helpful Undo feature, which allows you to put things back to how they were before!  
*    Now Featuring Big Bash, a useful feature introduced in DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 that allows you to break all objects in a particular area in one go!  
*    Terra Incognita, BUILDERS’ free build stage, the stackable block height is doubled!  
*    Includes fun side content, like collecting figurines of NPCs and monsters, or gathering pixels and exchanging them for a variety of handy items!  
*    Use Build Cards to share buildings with other players and bring their buildings to life on your island!
■ Includes all DLC from previous versions of DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS!
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The Steam version of DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS includes all of the DLC from past versions including the free build mode, Terra Incognita: Magic Carpet, Boss Monster Model Set, Astronomy Set and Pixel Ring.

Release date: 13 Feb, 2024

Categories: Base Building, Crafting, RPG, Single-player Story, Resource Management, Exploration, Sandbox Creation, Town Defense


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Fun, charming, and accessible experience (weight 0.96): The game is generally considered fun, charming, and relaxing, appealing to both newcomers and Dragon Quest veterans. It successfully blends Dragon Quest elements with Minecraft-style gameplay, offering a unique and enjoyable experience. Many reviewers highlight its accessibility and improvements over previous versions.
- Emphasis on town building (weight 0.23): The game places a strong emphasis on town and base building, providing players with a sense of accomplishment as they rebuild villages and defend them from enemies. The building system is praised for its freedom and integration with the narrative, making it an addictive aspect of the game.
- Improved PC/Steam Deck versions (weight 0.23): The PC and Steam Deck versions of the game are well-optimized and include significant quality-of-life improvements compared to the original console releases. These enhancements include UI overhauls, better controls, and additional features that make the game more user-friendly and enjoyable on these platforms.
- Engaging and well-written story (weight 0.16): The game features a well-written and engaging story that complements the gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the plot's quality, humor, and compelling atmosphere, making the story mode enjoyable and immersive.
- Quality-of-life improvements (weight 0.14): Several quality-of-life improvements enhance the gameplay experience, such as increased item stack limits and streamlined crafting processes. These changes reduce tedium and allow players to focus on building and exploring.
- No weapon/armor durability (weight 0.11): The removal of weapon and armor durability is a significant improvement, eliminating the need for constant resource gathering and preventing material depletion. This change makes the game easier and more enjoyable to play.
- Tribute to Dragon Quest 1 (weight 0.08): The game is a heartfelt tribute to Dragon Quest 1, appealing to fans of the original game and the JRPG genre. It effectively captures the essence of Dragon Quest, offering a nostalgic and enjoyable experience for those familiar with the series.
- Improved graphics and visuals (weight 0.07): The game features improved graphics and draw distance, enhancing the visual experience. Reviewers recommend setting the graphics quality to high to fully appreciate the visual improvements.
- Structured story mode chapters (weight 0.07): The game's story mode is structured into self-contained chapters, each with unique aspects and handcrafted worlds. This design provides a focused and engaging experience, with each chapter contributing to the overall narrative.
- Builder's Eye available early (weight 0.06): The inclusion of the Builder's Eye function from the beginning of the game makes building easier and more accessible. This feature allows players to plan and execute their constructions more efficiently.
- Excellent and cheerful soundtrack (weight 0.06): The game's soundtrack is praised for its excellence, positivity, and cheerful nature. The music enhances the overall experience and evokes a sense of nostalgia for fans of the series.
- Improved movement and exploration (weight 0.05): The game includes convenient features such as auto-walk over small bumps and the ability to climb one-block ledges without jumping. These additions enhance movement and exploration, making the game more fluid and enjoyable.
- Removed time limits, adjusted difficulty (weight 0.05): The removal of time limits and adjusted difficulty settings contribute to a more relaxed and enjoyable gameplay experience. This change allows players to explore and build at their own pace without the pressure of strict deadlines.

Common complaints:
- Poor PC port and UI (weight 0.32): The PC port suffers from poor optimization, downgraded textures, and UI issues stemming from its mobile origins. Reviewers noted unintuitive controls, cumbersome menus, and touch-screen elements that detract from the PC experience. This creates a feeling that the game is an outdated or inferior version compared to console or even mobile versions.
- Lacks content and replayability (weight 0.26): Compared to its sequel and other sandbox games like Minecraft, the game feels limited in content, replayability, and building freedom. Reviewers noted a lack of large-scale projects, repetitive gameplay, and fewer crafting options, making the experience less satisfying overall. The game also lacks quality of life features present in the sequel.
- Restricted building and limited zones (weight 0.23): Building is restricted by item placement limitations, small build zones, and limited resources. NPCs may not interact with structures outside the active zone, and the chapter-based structure makes town development feel wasted. These limitations stifle creativity and make building less rewarding.
- Pointless resource management (weight 0.12): Changes to inventory management and the removal of item durability have negatively impacted resource management. Increased inventory space and direct access to storage make resource gathering feel pointless. The absence of durability removes the need to consider cost vs. benefit when choosing equipment.
- Repetitive chapters and save bugs (weight 0.11): The game suffers from repetitive chapter design and save-related bugs. Players must restart from scratch in each chapter, and some chapters feel rushed or poorly designed. Save data corruption and loss of progress are also reported, severely impacting the player experience.
- Game-breaking technical issues (weight 0.09): The game has several technical issues that prevent players from starting or playing the game. These include fatal errors on startup, incompatibility with antivirus software, and save file corruption. These issues can make the game unplayable.
- Shallow RPG and simple combat (weight 0.09): The game's RPG elements are shallow, with limited item variety and simple combat. Some reviewers found the combat too easy, while others found it difficult due to enemy toughness. Overall, the game lacks depth and options in its combat system.
- Problematic camera (weight 0.04): The game has camera issues, especially indoors, where it tends to zoom in. This can make navigation and building difficult.
- Short map and game length (weight 0.04): The game's map and overall length are considered short compared to other games in the genre. This can make the experience feel rushed and less satisfying.
- Tedious quest design (weight 0.04): Quests often require rebuilding structures or collecting items repeatedly, leading to tedious back-and-forth gameplay.
- Placement and destruction delays (weight 0.04): There are delays when placing items consecutively and when destroying objects, even with rapid-fire settings. This makes building and deconstructing feel slow and unresponsive.
- Missing features from sequel (weight 0.04): The game lacks conceptual improvements and features from the sequel, such as gloves and a water bucket. This makes the experience feel dated and less convenient.
- Feels unfinished (weight 0.04): The game feels unfinished, with several components seeming half-finished. This contributes to a sense of disappointment and lack of polish.
- Annoying night-time ghosts (weight 0.03): The constant respawning of ghosts at night is more annoying than challenging. They disrupt exploration and the desire to stay up late, without posing a significant threat.
- Boring music and poor audio balance (weight 0.03): The background music is boring and can make the game feel sleepy. The sound effects and music balance is also poor, with some sound effects being much louder than others.
- Overly difficult sections (weight 0.03): Some chapters and boss fights are considered overly difficult, leading to frustration.

Gameplay feedback:
- Chapter-based progression with resets (weight 0.17): The game is structured into chapters, each set in a new location with reset progress and technology. This chapter-based system provides focused building experiences but requires players to reacquire resources and rebuild their inventory with each new chapter.
- Based on Dragon Quest 1 scenario (weight 0.09): The game is set in a "what if" scenario based on a choice in Dragon Quest 1, where the hero accepts the Dragonlord's offer. The story involves rebuilding towns in a ruined world, incorporating familiar music, items, and monsters from the Dragon Quest series.
- NPCs and room-based benefits (weight 0.09): The game features NPCs who provide requests and can craft items in specifically designed rooms, contributing to town development. Special room types grant experience and other benefits, adding a strategic layer to building design.
- Strength based on equipment (weight 0.06): The player's strength depends on crafted equipment rather than a leveling system. Crafting and mining are essential for character progression, allowing players to create weapons and armor to improve their combat abilities against monsters.
- Frequent monster attacks, town defense (weight 0.06): Monster attacks occur frequently, necessitating the construction of defensive structures to protect towns. Town progression triggers defense events where NPCs assist in battling monster groups.
- Controller-focused with unique mechanics (weight 0.05): The game was originally designed for controller use, but the porting team has made it playable with mouse and keyboard. There are also unique block placement mechanics.
- Relatively low difficulty (weight 0.04): The game's difficulty is relatively low, making it beginner-friendly, with a recommendation to try higher difficulty versions after clearing the main story. Some players feel the real game starts after the main story.
- Citizens assist the player (weight 0.04): Citizens can assist the player in various tasks such as cooking, crafting, gathering, and fighting. The player rebuilds towns and adventures to gain new materials and recipes.
- Chapter three difficulty spikes (weight 0.03): In chapter three, players face challenges such as delayed weapon unlocks and limited food access, creating difficulty spikes. These limitations can make early progress in the chapter frustrating.
- Player is the 'Builder', not hero (weight 0.03): The player embodies the role of a 'Builder' rather than a traditional hero, focusing on rebuilding the world and restoring the art of creation to its people.

Performance notes:
- Good performance on various platforms (weight 0.15): The game generally runs well, achieving 60fps on various devices like Steam Deck and Legion Go, and also on Linux. Some players have reported occasional minor lag or frame rate drops, especially with high settings or many NPCs, and the game may default to low graphical settings on Steam Deck.
- FPS drops with many NPCs (weight 0.02): Frame rate drops can occur when a large number of NPCs are present on screen, even early in the game. This can impact the player experience in populated areas.
- Very brief loading times (weight 0.02): Players have noted that the game has very short loading times, which contributes to a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
- Default resolution capped at 800p (weight 0.02): The game's resolution is capped at 800p by default, which may not be ideal for all players or display devices. Players may need to adjust settings to achieve higher resolutions if supported.

Recommendations:
- DQB2 preferred over first game (weight 0.51): Many reviewers suggest playing Dragon Quest Builders 2 instead of the first game due to its improvements and enhancements. Some recommend playing the first game only if you're interested in the story or prefer a more streamlined experience, or if you find it on sale. Playing the first game can provide context for the sequel, but it's generally considered less polished.
- Good mix RPG, building elements (weight 0.33): The game is recommended for its blend of RPG and building elements, appealing to fans of both genres. It's considered a fun and engaging experience, especially for those who enjoy casual gameplay, exploration, and a charming story. Some reviewers highlight its suitability for both newcomers and fans of the Dragon Quest series.
- Worth buying on sale (weight 0.15): Several reviews suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game, indicating that the full price may not be justified. The game is considered a worthwhile experience at a discounted price, but its value at full price is questionable, especially compared to the sequel.
- General positive recommendation (weight 0.08): These clusters contain general positive recommendations without specific details. While positive, they lack the constructive feedback and actionable insights of other points.
- PC port quality varies (weight 0.05): The quality of the PC port is a point of concern for some reviewers. While it's appreciated as an option for those without access to other platforms, the Steam version may have issues compared to the Switch or PS4 versions. Some players find it runs well on Steam Deck.
- Desire for a sequel (weight 0.03): Several reviewers express their hope for a sequel, indicating a desire for further installments in the Dragon Quest Builders series. This suggests that players are invested in the franchise and eager to see its continued development.

Other player notes:
- Dragon Quest meets Minecraft adventure (weight 0.09): The game blends Dragon Quest elements with Minecraft-like gameplay, but it leans more towards a structured, Zelda-style adventure rather than a pure sandbox experience.  It features throwbacks to Dragon Quest 1 and is often described as "Minecraft with a Dragon Quest theme."
- Completion requires ~40-50 hours (weight 0.04): The game takes around 40-50 hours to complete, and the achievements are straightforward, requiring thorough exploration and patience.  The achievements are generally considered easy to obtain.
- PC version offers full language support (weight 0.03): The PC version includes Simplified Chinese and supports all languages the game has been translated into. This ensures a wide range of language options for players.
- No expansions or microtransactions (weight 0.03): The game does not have any expansions or in-game purchases. This provides a complete experience without additional costs.
- No demo; different controls (weight 0.03): Unlike Builders 2, Dragon Quest Builders 1 does not have a demo available. Also, the controls are very different between the two games.
- Small installation size (<1GB) (weight 0.03): Despite the store page recommending 16GB of hard drive space, the game's actual installation size is less than 1GB. This makes it a relatively small game in terms of storage requirements.
- Play DQB1 before DQB2 (weight 0.03): Playing Dragon Quest Builders 1 is recommended before Dragon Quest Builders 2, as the former lays the foundations for the latter.  NPC dialogue in DQB2 references events from DQB1.
- PC port based on mobile (weight 0.02): The PC port of Dragon Quest Builders 1 is based on the mobile version of the game. This may influence the game's performance and graphical fidelity on PC.
- Terra Incognita: flexible sandbox (weight 0.02): Terra Incognita mode is a sandbox mode that allows players almost total flexibility in what they create. Players can also share their creations with friends.
- 30-hour campaign for 28 euros (weight 0.02): The game costs 28 euros and offers about 30 hours of campaign if you don't rush the scenario. This provides a reasonable amount of gameplay for the price.

Emotions:
- satisfaction (weight 0.42): Emotion: satisfaction
- disappointment (weight 0.09): Emotion: disappointment
- joy (weight 0.12): Emotion: joy
- frustration (weight 0.11): Emotion: frustration
- nostalgia (weight 0.06): Emotion: nostalgia
- excitement (weight 0.08): Emotion: excitement
- enjoyment (weight 0.02): Emotion: enjoyment
- hope (weight 0.02): Emotion: hope}