Townscaper
| Townscaper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Oskar Stålberg |
| Publisher(s) | Oskar Stålberg |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | City-building game |
| Mode(s) | Single-Player |
Townscaper is an indie city builder video game. It was released for PC and Mac on the Steam platform in August 2021 by developer Oskar Stålberg. A port to the Nintendo Switch was released in August 2021, alongside which the Steam version left early access.[1][2] The mobile version was released in October 2021.[3][4] It was later ported to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and web browsers (as a demo) in December 2021.[5][6] It features low poly graphics and a simple, minimalist user interface.
Gameplay
Townscaper has no inherent objective or story and has been described by developer Stålberg as "more of a toy" than a game.[7] Users construct an island town by placing and removing colored blocks on an ocean. Various "rules" dictate these blocks' appearances, with some appearing as spires and others as balconies. This method of rule-based decoration allows arches, gardens, and stairways to be created without specific user instruction.[8]
Setting
Townscaper takes place on a large distorted grid set in an infinite sea.[7] This allows for towns that feel more organic and unstructured when compared to similar games that are based on regular grids.
Development
Townscaper was developed by Swedish[9] developer Oskar Stålberg, who previously worked on Bad North. Stålberg gave a talk at the IndieCade Europe 2019 event during development, showcasing some of the game's features, including terrain generation and procedural building design.[10]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 64/100[11] PC: 86/100[12] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| TouchArcade |   [13] |
As of November 28, 2022, Townscaper has over 16 500 reviews on Steam, with 96% of them being positive, giving the game an overwhelmingly positive rating.[14]
The game has a Metacritic critic score of 86%, but this score is only based on 4 reviews. Its user score is 7.9/10.[15]
Natalie Clayton of PC Gamer wrote: "Townscaper may not have the complexity of a Cities: Skylines, but its quaint towns littered with cobbled streets and old churches, dockyards and lighthouses feel more instantly homely than the sterile American-styled metropolises of "real" city-builders."
Christian Donlan of Eurogamer wrote: "...but met on its own terms, diving in when you've a few spare minutes to lay down a new neighbourhood, Townscaper is an absolutely joyous little time waster that's kept me busy since it first hit early access last year (opens in new tab). Now that it's out for real, I don't doubt it'll keep popping back in for a quick vacation for many months to come."
Tilly Lawton of Pocket Tactics wrote: "Townscaper serves up a gorgeous, illustrative art style, serene sound design, and a simple concept that’s sure to put you at ease."
References
- ^ "Cute town building toy Townscaper has left early access". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Life, Nintendo (2021-08-26). "Townscaper Is Out Now On Switch eShop". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ ""Townscaper Coming to Android and iOS October 20" - Games Press". www.gamespress.com. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Orr, Aaron; Editor, News. "Townscaper heading to iOS and Android on 20 October". pocketgamer.biz. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has generic name (help) - ^ "The beautiful Townscaper is now available to try in your browser". Eurogamer.net. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/wario64/status/1466213942355628037. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b "A game for our times: Townscaper". cnet. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Lovely town-building toy Townscaper is out in early access". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Oskar Stålberg". Twitter. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ "Organic Towns from Square Tiles". YouTube. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Townscaper for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Townscaper for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ Madnani, Mikhail (20 October 2021). "'Townscaper' iOS Review – Relaxing Brilliance". TouchArcade. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Save 35% on Townscaper on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
- ^ "Townscaper". Metacritic. Retrieved 2022-11-28.