Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same applies to your kingdom (town) in Fabledom, though I guarantee that any city builder fan will cram as much as they can into one day – there’s just so much going on here, you can’t help but take the citizenship test and muscle on in.
Currently in the Early Access phase, I’ve been keeping a distant eye on the game in fear of being swallowed up by Father Time. That was a realistic fear. After about 20 minutes or so of initial tutorial-type shenanigans and a distracting daughter intent on informing me that the in-game music sounds like Peppa Pig, I was hooked. But what makes Fabledom different from the hundreds of other builders?
Fablings.
Ok, that’s not an exclusive answer, and probably not one of my go-to arguments, but the residents in the game are adorable characters that’ll give even the most cynical smile-dodger a lift. Take that, Sim City 2000 –not so immersive now when a big-nosed weebly little farmer is shuffling down the beaten track to be with his kin. Awwwwww.
Fabledom Early Access Preview
You might be sitting on the fence, as Fabledom has been in Early Access since last year. Do you need a reason to take a punt? Let me give you a few. First of all, Grenaa Games hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the game mechanics. Camera movements, resources, and seasonal cycles have the familiar traits you’d expect from the genre. The most notable aspect will be the cute visuals and, get this: the warmth.
Your journey begins with a few settlers and a resource cart. The task at hand is to build them somewhere to reside, then a water source, food, production units, and ever-evolving tech. Alright, not tech per se, but structures that improve your existing settings, making the people more efficient and the location more desirable. The more people you attract, the more options you unlock in the build menu.
Of course, there’s a caveat to this: mouths to feed. On top of this, there’s that dreaded seasonal cycle where you’ll need to stock up on food and produce enough coal to keep everyone warm. Dirt tracks (later upgradeable) allow the Fablings to move hastily between spots, but they are pretty carefree and take their time, even when you speed up play. This is a great feature, by the way. While there are more than enough challenges, Fabledom never feels overwhelming.
And They’ll All Live Happily Ever After…?
As the population increases, so too does the need to expand. Territory can be purchased using the gold you earn from your subjects, plus you can build relationships – even romantic ones – with leaders of neighbouring towns. Send them a gift, whisper sweet nothings, and if you play your cards right, maybe they’ll add you on Snapchat. One step at a time, mind.
In my opinion, the biggest draw of Fabledom is the pace. It won’t meet everyone’s needs as it’s pretty slow, but with a chill vibe. I’ve played more than my fair share of city builders and find myself lost in fast-paced gameplay, micromanagement, and overly complicated development trees that aren’t always clear. None of that applies here.
As an Early Access, there’s still some heavy lifting to do. Sometimes, haste and purpose are absent, but that’s also what made it refreshing, and I wasn’t in a particular hurry. There are more than enough city builders out there, so what do you pick? Give this a look if you fancy something that borders on the casual side with intuitive controls, lovely visuals, and a splash of fantasy.
