TOWNSCAPER Review for Steam

Townscaper is a quaint, simple game that provides refreshingly calm graphics and encourages the player to slow down, breathe, and create a work of art. It’s now available on Steam, and comes from developer Oskar Stålberg and publisher Raw Fury.

Townscaper becomes whatever you make of it, allowing you to bring your artistic visions to life through the creation of adorable towns. The simplicity of this game is what makes it so beautiful – it’s calming, refreshing, and gives you creative control over the world you choose to make. Whether you are an experienced gamer or a brand-new beginner, this game holds something for everybody. The instructions of the game are simple – click a spot on the screen that’s connected to your town, and add a new house. You begin with a small patch of houses, branching from the water. From then on, the motive of the game is completely subjective – Townscaper acts as a tool for you to bring your artistic vision to life. 

The artwork is phenomenal – each block is drawn with immense care, and the little details are what really bring this game together. As each house is placed, the immersive background reacts in a different way. Whether it’s a flock of seagulls flying off, or a ripple in the water below, it’s evident that the artists and developers of this game put meticulous thought into the dynamic art that creates Townscaper. The way the landscape transforms is also unexpected and beautiful – each additional house, whether it blossoms from the side or from the top of the buildings – adjusts the surrounding town in it’s own way. Maybe wooden legs will pop out underneath, supporting the expanding houses from below, or the cascading blocks will twist, shifting slightly to accommodate their new neighbor.

There are a handful of modifiers that the player can customize to personalize the game more and make it their own – different settings allow you to create different atmospheres, my personal favorite being the “snow biome.” This transforms the town into a smooth, frosty white, creating a chilly yet comforting aura. The game offers a wide variety of color, allowing you to stack different shades and hues on top of each other, creating a colorful and bright town that stands out amongst the watery backdrop. The sound effects, which are minimal but effective, add another layer of depth and dimension to the game, immersing the player deeper into their own creation. Townscaper has mastered the art of simple beauty, choosing to stay minimalistic with their controls and instructions, and instead focusing on the players’ interpretation of the tools they’ve been given. 

For those who want to branch out from the artistic aspect of this game, Townscaper also acts as a strategy game. Players can challenge themselves to build towns that fulfill certain aspects, in whichever creative way they would like. If you’re stuck on where to take your town next, try building upwards, creating a city that stretches up into the sky. Or, attempt to make an integrated canal network, spanning far and wide through the water. The limits are endless, and the only boundaries that exist are the ones you create yourself.

Overall, I give this game a 9/10. Townscaper is charming and sweet – a perfect little escape from reality that I found myself revisiting over and over again.

Check Out the Townscaper Trailer:

Townscaper is available for Windows PC and Mac for $5.99 via Steam.

Emily Chou

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College student who grew up loving writing, and got drawn into the world of gaming during the pandemic. When I'm not exploring new games, I like to code, watch anime, or make pixel art.

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