Against the Storm

Never the same game twice, Against the Storm is a rare gem of a city builder that thrives on chaos but exists in perfect balance, evolving with you as you learn and adapt.

Against the Storm is a well-designed, charming, enthralling roguelike city builder.

An inventive roguelite citybuilder brimming with challenge and excitement, making it a bold step forward for both genres.

Against the Storm is easily my favorite city builder to reach its full release this year. It manages to escape from the sometimes dull lack of progression felt in some other builders, while also providing a lot of depth to sink your teeth into. Because of that, it lives for far longer than most games in the genre can claim. Eremite Games has really built something special here. A very nearly perfect storm.

An exceptionally well-functioning, tight building and resource management game.

Against the Storm feels like a perfect fit for the Switch—you can jump in for an hour or two and complete a settlement from scratch, ready to move on to the next. The roguelike aspects keep the game fresh and challenging and make it stand out from other similar games. It won’t be for everyone, but fans of this genre will find Against the Storm is part of their game rotation for a long time to come.

Against the Storm's genre hybridity does jettison some of the base pleasures of the city builder, but otherwise, Eremite Games has crafted a compelling 'just one more settlement' roguelike gameplay loop. With the combination of a beautiful and familiar fantasy aesthetic, strong foundational mechanics with a lot of variety, and a remarkably intuitive adaptation from its PC roots to a controller, Against the Storm is an assured and accomplished console port.

Ultimately, Against the Storm succeeds because it is full of confidence with its vision and it embraces its concept without hesitation or weak underdeveloped design choices. It trims the fat, focuses on the moment-to-moment thrill of problem-solving, and keeps you moving forward. It's thoughtful without being overbearing, rich without being bloated, and endlessly replayable without losing its sense of identity. Few games blend atmosphere, mechanics, and challenge this elegantly and fewer still feel this good on a handheld.

Against the Storm is the kind of city-builder that even the most hardcore fans of the genre will feel the pressure in. It may not be for everyone, but for players looking for a surprisingly cosy wind-down game for an hour or so per settlement that still gives some challenge, Against the Storm might be worth braving the weather for.

Overall, however, I found myself playing long and deep sessions of Against the Storm. There are times when complexity can be a good thing, if it’s done well. Against the Storm gets that much right, giving us a challenging and also rewarding city builder with a compelling replay loop that will have you playing right through the night for weeks at a time.