The Bonfire: Forsaken Lands

When done correctly, simplicity can work and make for a compelling game. This title doesn’t quite work out that way though

Borderline casual in simplicity and thoroughly indie, but very generous in doling out new bits to play with for the full, short, play length. It's kind of peaceful, clicky and not too demanding, except when it surprises you with a vicious nightly attack.

If you go by looks, it’d be easy to say that this is a game where the primary goal is survival, and that’s not wholly inaccurate early on. Once you’ve built up your defenses enough that the nightly monster attacks no longer pose a serious threat, however, what’s left is instead gameplay reminiscent of those browser clicker games that are so easy to get sucked into. You start by clicking to slowly obtain wood, but then you build a bonfire to draw workers to your little village. It’s not long before someone gives you a cart ensuring that workers can bring back more resources than they would otherwise, with this being just one of several job-specific equippables you’ll be crafting to increase worker productivity. This is less a game about survival than one of constant escalation, then, with the challenge coming more from pairing workers to tasks they’re suited to while balancing resource production than one where you’re constantly at risk.