Timberborn
Developer(s)Mechanistry
Publisher(s)Mechanistry
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseSeptember 15, 2021 (early access)
Genre(s)City-building
Mode(s)Single-player

Timberborn is an upcoming city-building video game developed and published by Mechanistry. Players help a colony of beavers survive resource shortages.

Gameplay

Players control a colony of beavers in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where humans have died out. Players build cities, using dams to make the wasteland more habitable and water wheels for power. Players must plan for periods of drought, which cause water levels to fall. This can cause crops to fail and make it difficult to collect the lumber necessary for building. New settlements can be built at any time, which are administered separately.[2] New technologies are unlocked over time.[3]

Development

The developer, Mechanistry, is based in Poland. The initial build did not simulate water and featured green land with water levels that dropped during droughts. After researching physics-based simulations of water, Mechanistry realized it could open up much more options. They changed the land to be more of a wasteland, implemented irrigation and dams, and gave beavers the ability to swim. Although Timberborn is 3D, the water simulation uses a 2D model.[4] Timberborn entered early access on September 15, 2021.[5]

Reception

Comparing it to games influenced by Banished, Rock Paper Shotgun praised Timberborn's focus on more than simply surviving resource shortages. In particular, they enjoyed how cities could be customized and how players could learn to exploit different features to make successful cities.[2] PC Gamer said it has "undeniable charm" and is "a remarkably pleasant time" but, as of 2021, did not capitalize enough on its beaver theme, which could help it stand out better against competing city-building games.[6] In contrast, Polygon enjoyed the beaver-specific elements, which they found to be very cute.[7]

As of September 2023, Timberborn has sold over 1 million copies.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Bolding, Jonathan (2023-06-19). "Beaverpunk city builder update boosts framerate, crop yields by as much as 80%". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  2. 1 2 Vega, Sin (2022-02-17). "The Rally Point: Timberborn breaks the boring "village vs winter" mould". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  3. ↑ Greer, Sam (2021-09-27). "Having a dam good time in Timberborn, the city builder about beavers". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  4. ↑ Amielanczyk, Michal; Dawidow, Kamil (2023-02-28). "Deep Dive: Designing the dynamic irrigation and water systems in Timberborn". Game Developer. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  5. ↑ Brown, Fraser (2021-08-26). "Build a beaver empire in Timberborn next month". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  6. ↑ Greer, Sam (2021-09-27). "Having a dam good time in Timberborn, the city builder about beavers". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  7. ↑ Clark, Nicole (2021-09-17). "Behold this city builder starring super-intelligent beavers". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  8. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (2023-09-19). "Hit beaver city builder celebrates 1 million copies sold by finally investing in a decent trailer". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
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