Just over one year since it launched into early access, gorgeous city builder Of Life and Land has just hit its full 1.0 release. Its blocky aesthetics call Minecraft to mind, yet this surprisingly deep strategy game uses an involved simulation that demands careful management of your citizens, resources, and facilities to succeed. The result is at once as pretty and presentable as the likes of Against the Storm, yet with a systemic richness that will tickle the brains of anyone who enjoys games like Rimworld or Oxygen Not Included, and you can get it cheap to celebrate it stepping out of early access.
Of Life and Land puts you in charge of growing settlements from the ground up. Reminiscent of Manor Lords or, at times, Age of Empires, but with a deep environmental and population-led simulation akin to the likes of Rimworld, Of Life and Land is a rewarding city-building game that draws you in with its simple presentation only to uncover a deep well of systems. Your actions will have dramatic consequences on the world around you, and the animals that live there, as every resource is shared between humans, wildlife, and nature.
Weather effects and seasonal changes impact behavior and create situations you must respond to. Plants may only grow at certain times, or require more water as the temperature rises, while animals and people can suffer the effects of exhaustion if not cared for. As your settlement grows, you’ll continue to build out your supply chains for acquiring, processing, and distributing resources. Products must be transported manually to where they need to go, and you’ll gradually earn the ability to trade with other regions.
Along with developer Kerzoven’s premade scenarios, an editing tool lets you quickly build out your own maps block by block in a fashion very similar to Minecraft. You can shape the world to your liking, placing fauna and flora as you wish, creating paths and waterways, and then play on them or link them into other existing environments.
Since its early access launch in April 2024, Kerzoven has introduced physical dirt and humidity simulations, two animals (chickens and pike) that influence the ecosystem, education and retirement for your citizens, many more buildings including the likes of the guild house, and a trade-focused scenario, Risenna, that includes 11 maps.
With the jump to 1.0 comes another campaign option, The Counts of Lenzburg. Dropping you into the Central Plateau of medieval Switzerland, it tasks you with building the eponymous Lenzburg Castle, all while managing your trade routes and investigating mysterious ancient myths.
Of Life and Land’s full-launch version also adds castle buildings, single-city scenarios, a deeper trading system that takes into account factors such as production choices, and voice acting for the introductory sequences. There are new granaries, material storage facilities, city walls, gates, towers, stairs, and a wealth of decorations to really bring your towns to life. Finally comes a round of polish, menu upgrades, Twitch integration, and more achievements. There’s even a big Steam sale to celebrate the release.
Of Life and Land 1.0 is out now on Steam, and you can get it at a 40% discount through Friday May 30. Expect to pay $14.99 / £12.59 if you buy it now, or $24.99 / £20.99 after the sale ends. Find it here if you’re ready to get building.
Alternatively, take a look through more of the best sandbox games on PC right now, or even the best simulation games, for plenty more in-depth systems.
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