Welcome to our review of the coziest city builder we’ve ever played: Fabledom. This fairytale-themed game allows players to build the kingdom of their dreams. Having recently achieved its 1.0 release and with a console release impending, it’s an exciting time to dive into this immersive world.
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Story
Fabledom’s story is deeply ingrained within its gameplay, as one might expect from a game with a fairytale theme. Upon starting a new game, players choose a character and are warmly welcomed by a narrator who guides them through the unfolding storyline. The game progresses through various quests, most of which revolve around achieving a “happily ever after” for your character. As you advance in the game, relationship building with neighboring kingdoms becomes an important aspect, giving players the choice of strengthening ties or conquering these kingdoms. This novel approach to integrating storyline into a city builder game enhances the fairytale vibe and the narrative style truly adds a touch of magic. As such, our rating for Fabledom’s story is ‘Fully Caffeinated’.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay in Fabledom encompasses solid city builder mechanics. Players start from scratch, growing and maintaining their kingdom and its inhabitants, known as ‘fablings’. These fablings have their own needs, such as housing, food, and coal, and can be assigned to work at various production buildings. As the game progresses through different chapters and kingdom sizes, more buildings that offer different effects or produce different resources become available. Expansion of the kingdom is possible by purchasing neighboring territories, each offering different resources and encounters. These encounters, themed around fairytales, add an extra layer of intrigue to the gameplay. In summary, the gameplay of Fabledom is balanced, detailed, and ‘Fully Caffeinated’.
PERFORMANCE
In terms of performance, Fabledom excels. The gameplay is smooth and bug-free, making for a seamless experience. Despite minor issues with road building and menu navigation, the game performs well overall and earns a ‘Juiced’ rating for performance.
DESIGN
Aesthetically, Fabledom employs a cute, cartoony style that perfectly complements its fairytale theme. The soundtrack and sound effects contribute to the magical atmosphere, and the addition of narration ties the story and gameplay together beautifully. The design of Fabledom earns a ‘Fully Caffeinated’ rating.
ORIGINALITY
Fabledom offers a unique take on the city builder genre. While the mechanics aren’t groundbreaking, the addition of relationship-building and fairy tale-themed encounters add a fresh spin to the game. The game successfully balances a cozy, wholesome feel with a challenging city building experience. For its originality, Fabledom earns a ‘Fully Caffeinated’ rating.
THE FINAL BREW
In conclusion, Fabledom is a magical city builder game with a fairytale theme that provides a comfortable twist on typical city builder games. Having played it through early access, the game now feels polished and complete and is certainly one you could easily lose hours playing. Fabledom is ‘Fully Caffeinated’ and ready for you to enjoy.
Fabledom is currently available on Steam and will soon be making its way to PS5 and Nintendo Switch later this year.
Check out Fabledom here: https://bit.ly/44gZGml
Until next time, stay caffeinated!