Somewhere between puzzle and strategy game is Dawnfolk, a tile-placement city builder that has you plopping down buildings in order to gather resources so that you can build a settlement capable of driving back a supernatural darkness that has overtaken the world. From the fiery center of your camp you spread out across different terrain types, playing minigames to harvest their resources and placing buildings on what remains.
It's a satisfying setup, one that demands your attention from the start as you figure out how to combine adjacent buildings for bonuses—should you cut the forest for short-term gain or leave it undeveloped to boost the income from a nearby lumberjack? You cleared the darkness from some plains, but do you need a higher population or more food income? Where can you fit that church for a higher income of light to drive back the next storm of darkness?
Dawnfolk has a lot going on: You can play in campaign mode across a few linked story maps, sure, but you can also unlock puzzle, expedition, sandbox, and endless modes.
"You can dive right in and start building your settlement immediately, going from a handful of tents to a big city in less than an hour," says solo indie developer Darenn Keller. "Dawnfolk was designed to feel familiar, yet unlike any building strategy game you've ever played before. Unwind and play with ease, whether you're at home or on the go, with your gamepad, keyboard, or handheld console. Go back to the roots of gaming, where exploration and experimentation are the key to fun and discovery."
Spending a few hours with Dawnfolk really solidified that it's not just a run of the mill tile-plopper. It's especially interesting because while it does control with keyboard just fine, it also does pretty dang well on Steam Deck or with a controller on the couch—I'm always on the hunt for games like that.
You can find Dawnfolk on Steam, where it's $15.
