Keeping people warm is important in Clanfolk.
Rimworld is a great game, but it’s not stress-free – your colony may be growing smoothly, but suddenly, a group of psychotic, exploding rats invades your camp and burns down your carefully constructed base within minutes. Sometimes, you’ll want a more calming game.
The first time I met Clans It was released over a year ago as an early demo, promising but rough around the edges. I played it again this week and it has evolved considerably, becoming a more complete top-down colony builder. Rimworld style.
Here’s why Clans It could be a calmer alternative. Rimworld Just what you were looking for.
Clanfolk vs Rimworld
Clans is more grounded in the real world than its rivals, set in the medieval Scottish Highlands. You start out with three generations of a family and soon must invite outsiders into the settlement to expand the clan and ensure the next generation can continue to farm the land after the elders pass away.
I said this game is more calm. Rimworld And in many ways, that’s true — your settlers won’t go mad and chop off their own limbs, and hostile clans won’t appear out of nowhere to steal your food — but there is one big threat you’ll need to prepare for from the moment you start a new game: winter.
It’s bitterly cold in Scotland. The sun shines for only about six minutes a year. So by the time your first winter arrives, you’d better have a decent shelter, a fire, some clothes, and enough food for your family. Otherwise, you’re looking at a lot of funerals. Seriously, don’t underestimate how hard it will be to get through your first winter.
To do this, you’ll need to quickly progress through the tech tree (called “ideas” here) to get everything you need to survive the harsh winter months, which is the scariest part of the game: crafting one tool can suddenly unlock six others, and it’s easy to lose track of what you have access to and what you really need.
The best tip I can give you is to craft at least one of everything. Even if you don’t know why you need a particular tool or item at the moment, having one on hand is better than none. For example, if you don’t craft a clay jug to hold water, your colonists may have a hard time putting out fires (tip 2: don’t put a bed right next to a sparking torch. I learned this the hard way).
True game depth
New clan members need to be found to replace the elders.
There is a lot to understand ClansBeyond the tech tree, you’ll also need to master the delicate matter of hunting for food, trading with merchants, growing crops, raising animals, and procreating members of your clan so you don’t run out of manpower to do all of this.
There’s a lot to keep track of, and the game doesn’t always make it easy – for example, the system for choosing which colonists should focus on which tasks is complicated, Rimworld Version. Often the tasks you assign are not completed due to conflicting priorities. If winter comes and your bedroom still doesn’t have a roof, that can be a problem.
This is one of those types of games where the first time you play it is essentially a fact-finding mission, and you learn mistakes that you won’t repeat on your second or third playthrough.
But if I say it’s tedious, it’s not. This is one of those games where you look at the clock and realize you’ve been playing for four hours. It’s fascinating just to watch your colonists go about their day-to-day lives: mending fences, feeding babies, emptying eel cages, playing the flute, collapsing into bed.
There’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s hardly overwhelming, and a well-designed notification system will let you know if you’re running low on food or need more of a particular material to keep your build on track.
The level of threats to your settlers has become more predictable (winter and fire are the two big ones) meaning you won’t be on edge all the time. RimworldA squirrel with an Uzi gun can suddenly destroy hours of work.
Clan Status
Clans Although it’s been more than two years since its release, it’s still considered an unfinished “Early Access” game, with new features being added regularly – for example, a new personality and relationship system is currently being tested.
However, with only one developer posting updates about new features being added to the game, it does seem like this is a fairly small development effort.
Publisher Hooded Horse has also just released a new colony builder game. Nolandthis looks like a middle ground Clans and RimworldIt will be combat-focused.
But if you are looking for a more peaceful life, Clans It’s definitely worth adding to your Steam wishlist, and don’t forget to wrap your settlers up warm, winter is definitely coming.
