At the Gates Reviews

At the Gates is ranked in the 30th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Jan 23, 2019

At the Gates has a ton going for it, and this is easily the most addicted I've gotten to a game that I am reviewing. Although the replay value might not be as vast as some of the bigger 4X games on the market, it has enough of a unique and condensed feel that by the time you're getting ready to make moves to win, it hasn't overstayed its welcome by 20 hours.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2019

Jon Shafer’s At the Gates is a great 4X game that is promising and will keep you coming back for more. It’s beautiful, it has deep engaging systems and it’s flexible enough for players to experiment and optimize their playstyle and builds. Hopefully, At the Gates minor flaws can be worked out with post-launch support or by the time the next installment comes along.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 23, 2019

At The Gates' opening hours are vicious, but those who stick with it are rewarded with a satisfying blend of strategy and rogue-like gameplay

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Feb 12, 2019

For those who do understand their 4X genre, however, At The Gates will come across as a breath of fresh air. It's a ground-up rethink on how the genre can work, and what the 4X might look like as applied to the many cultures and civilizations out there that didn't have the imperialist intent that most 4X titles assume. For that, it's one of the most interesting strategy games I've played in years.

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Cultured Vultures
W.B. Mason
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jan 23, 2019

A different take on the genre makes Jon Shafer's At The Gates well worth checking out. This game is a labour of love for Jon Shafer, and it really shows.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 28, 2019

At the Gates is a definite core 4X experience that any fan of the genre should, at the very least, take a look at, if not play through with at least one tribe.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jan 23, 2019

It's take on managing clans, professions, and resources very clearly distinguish it from similar titles such Civilization. It has a couple of weak points I'd like to see improved, the AI in particular. But If you like titles that make you think and plan. You will probably enjoy At The Gates.

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7 / 10
Feb 4, 2019

At The Gates is a fresh, invigorating, more personal take on the grand strategy game, but a lacking late-game holds it back from greatness.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jan 24, 2019

At The Gates is a brutally hardcore strategy game that will keep fans engaged for dozens, if not hundreds of hours. The amount of time it takes to learn even the basics, coupled with its simplistic art style and obtuse menu-based UI, will scare off newcomers.

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Jan 23, 2019

Jon Shafer's At The Gates delivers great twists to a proven strategy formula, making it a roguelike worth checking out for strategy game fans.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2019

At the Gates is a good and acceptable independent experience (with leniency) that can be enjoyable and satisfying for players who don't have very high expectations from it. Because it's created by lead designer of Civilization V you can expect to see lots similarities with that game, and this might be a great thing for players who are struggling to cope with Civilization VI.

Review in Persian | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Feb 6, 2019

Should Jon Shafer's At the Gates be judged for what it is now, or what it has the potential to become? The experience is hamstrung by glitches, oversights, and unfinished systems, but playing a 4X game from the perspective of the barbarians remains a fantastic concept and some of that Civilization “one more turn” allure is still intact. Forgiving types may want to give At the Gates a try now, but most others should probably leave the game out in the cold until a few updates are released.

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60 / 100
Jan 31, 2019

Even with my frustrations with the interface, the game itself made me want to keep going.

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6 / 10.0
Jan 31, 2019

Jon Shafer's At the Gates is a unique 4X, with tons of fresh ideas, but many of them remain incomplete,

Review in Italian | Read full review

6 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2019

Decent strategy game with Civilization roots, but only one town and strong character management.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

OnlySP
Tayla Moulton
Jan 24, 2019

Jon Shafer’s attempt at slow-burn strategy has been mixed with rogue-like elements to give the game an original feel, and, overall, it works. At the Gates’s randomly generated land, clans, and enemies allow for hours of replayability The clans and personality features give the game an edge against its competitors and forces the player to strategically look at every move they make. At the Gates is a game that strategy lovers will enjoy and holds just enough depth and content to keep players entertained, but it can also be difficult to players new to the genre.

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3 / 5.0
Jan 31, 2019

So my final verdict on At The Gates is that it’s a 4X brimming with potential, but in its current state is certainly not a game I can recommend to everyone. The story of the development and of Jon Shafer himself is a hell of a tale, and I always hate sounding negative about projects like this but ultimately there some pretty big flaws holding the gates closed. Unless you’re a die-hard 4X consider waiting a while for this one.

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6 / 10.0
Feb 11, 2019

Jon Shafer’s At the Gates has some pretty amazing ideas, but the problem is that those ideas will not reach their true potential. Injecting different features and elements into the game has made the gameplay complicated and the slow process of gameplay makes the game frustrating.

Review in Persian | Read full review

57 / 100
Jan 23, 2019

Passive AI and a flawed economy ruin what could have been a refreshing 4X experiment.

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T.J. Hafer
Top Critic
4.8 / 10.0
Feb 13, 2019

At the Gates tries some ambitious new ideas that, in time, may leave a mark on the 4X genre. But today, it's far too broken to recommend.

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