SteamWorld Build Reviews
Relaxing and brisk, but lacking in the substance needed to please genre fans and live up to the SteamWorld name.
SteamWorld Build is a simple but fun city builder cleverly combined with a dungeon-constructing miner that keeps things quick and casual.
All in all, Steamworld Build is a great addition to the series, providing a unique but refined take on the city builder genre. Anyone looking for a more complicated, hardcore experience might find it a touch underwhelming, at least until the game really starts to find its feet. Even so, its forgiving nature and slow but consistent feed of gameplay mechanics make it especially appealing to more casual players or folks new to the genre.
SteamWorld Build is proof that the SteamWorld formula can be applied to almost any genre with its mix of city building and dungeon mining combining for quite the treat.
SteamWorld Build is a unique hybrid that entertains for a time. Its early hours are fun, thanks to how well it uses simplified genre staples to create a more arcade-friendly gameplay loop, a sentiment bolstered by a solid tutorial and intuitive control scheme. Regrettably, SteamWorld Build's campaign overstays its welcome. The lackluster story and rigid final objectives turn what was initially an engaging experience into a tedious grind.
Its focus on balancing your economy's scales rather than turning a profit means the stakes are never that high in SteamWorld Build, but this is still a strong and distinctive twist on the upstairs/downstairs loop that made SteamWorld Dig so enticing a decade ago.
SteamWorld Build is a beautifully crafted game that seamlessly blends genres and ideas into a polished and premium package. There's not another management sim like it, but despite it running surprisingly well on Nintendo's system, it does leave us wanting for more reason to return to it. You're all but guaranteed to adore your first time through, but subsequent playthroughs may not carry the same magic. Still, with all that being said, this is undeniably a triumph of mechanical marvellousness.
SteamWorld Build is a deeply compelling city management title that adds new mechanics all the time, keeping you hooked throughout.
A joyous and relaxing city builder that will make you think
Ultimately, SteamWorld Build was a lot of what I like about the original IP and city simulations. It smartly mixes concepts from throughout the SteamWorld series into your management such as mining and monster control. Between overseeing the mines below and the town above, you’ll have a lot on your plate trying to make sure all the robots are happy and safe as you dig deeper and deeper to find the tech you need to escape the planet. That said, it’s a good blend, fit to please anyone who likes SteamWorld and city builders alike. Make sure your robots are oiled and happy and they’ll gladly venture into the unknown where mysterious discoveries await in this unique city sim.
What I mean to say is that if an extremely rigid city-builder doesn’t sound like a problem to you, or even if it sounds appealing, then SteamWorld Build is worth trying. I can honestly say that I didn’t hate the time I spent with it, even on the second playthrough. It just feels empty when I think back on it. I don’t think it’s going to stick with me. But there are far worse problems for a game to have than being too robotic.
An interesting blend of two game mechanics that lacks a bit of creativity typical of the series yet overall works very well.
Review in Italian | Read full review
SteamWorld Build will scratch that itch of town builder and dungeon crawler alike. It's an easy game to pick up and play, gradually introducing each layer of society and underground mining at a steady pace. A few elements could be improved to help levels flow better, but overall it's a very good experience that digs up yet another new genre for the SteamWorld franchise.
SteamWorld Build is a pleasant and exciting gaming adventure, calm and capable of captivating the player on the screen and transporting him to a fascinating world in a masterfully thought out hybrid. Even if more could have been done in terms of plot, the game design, the heart of the work, enriches it with notable nuances and approaches.
Review in Italian | Read full review
At first, this game seems simpler than most city builders. After playing through it, the right word is approachable. You’re eased into things with straightforward systems and limited units. Then things escalate, slow and steady. By the end, without realizing it, you’ve built a complex settlement full of moving parts and balanced resource ecosystems. I wish certain things like population breakdowns were more robust, but I still loved this game. For a deceptively deep city builder, you’ll want to check out SteamWorld Build.
Despite these missing quality of life features, SteamWorld Build still manages to be fairly addicting. Sense of progress is consistent enough even with occasional moments of waiting, and making discoveries feels rewarding enough to keep things engaging. The varied environments found throughout the game all feel uniquely designed, and accompanied by the blend of ambient sounds and satisfying soundtrack, the world as a whole comes off as intriguingly charming. Though it may not feel absolutely complete in its systems, SteamWorld Build is still a worthwhile venture for players looking for a creative new management sim.
SteamWorld Build is a delightful and very satisfying foray into the city-building genre. The two gameplay modes complement each other well, offering two very different but equally pleasing ways to gain resources. While we do wish the story could've lasted a little bit longer, the addictive gameplay and slick presentation makes it very easy to recommend.
Steamworld Build delivers an entertaining blend of city building and dungeon crawling, but the two pillars don't completely gel and myriad annoyances taint the experience.
SteamWorld Build is another great entry in this long-running series. This latest outing encouraged me to give simulations another go, taking a series I enjoy and introducing me to a genre I'm not usually fond of. The relaxing style and intuitive gameplay make this an accessible and interesting title for all players.
Great for both Citybuilder Noobs and Experts, SteamWorld Build offers a highly-replayable game with multiple maps and difficulties for players to take on.