Farthest Frontier

Farthest Frontier needs a bit longer in the early access oven, but its realistic food systems and problem solving already provide a lot to enjoy.

Farthest Frontier has a lot of what I look for in a survival city builder: intricate production and farming systems, tough challenges balanced with chill moments, and plenty of customization (you can turn off bandit raids, hostile wildlife, and even diseases if you want a more peaceful experience). There's also enough variety that each of my cities (I'm on my third now) feels like it has its own distinct storyline and history. I built Bee City and Gold Gulch, and I can't wait to see my new town's identity develop… provided my settlers survive the next bear attack.

In my opinion, Farthest Frontier is a game of two faces. On one hand, it’s an incredibly deep and sophisticated economic and farming simulator that will thrill any fan of micromanagement. On the other hand, this brilliance is buried under a disastrous user interface and a boring progression system. It’s a game that rewards patience, but at the same time constantly tests it. If you’re willing to put up with the frustrating interface and take the time to learn the complex systems on your own, you’ll discover one of the most sophisticated survival city-builders on the market, where you’ll do absolutely everything and enjoy every single newborn and every building you construct. Everyone else will just wander around confused in the fog for dozens of hours.

Exquisitely designed with astonishingly deep gameplay mechanics, Farthest Frontier is the second masterpiece in the simulator genre this year that will impress fans for years to come.

Farthest Frontier transforms city-building into a genuine survival experience where crop rotation matters and plagues can end your dreams. It's demanding and occasionally frustrating, but watching your settlement evolve from desperate hovels to a thriving medieval town delivers satisfaction few games match.

Quote not yet available

If you're looking for a complex building strategy that pays close attention to detail, this is an excellent choice. However, be aware that progress is relatively slow and there is no full-fledged campaign.

Farthest Frontier is a game that can be both relaxing and challenging if the players want it so. The lovers of measured city building gameplay can find it very appealing, as each action is rewarding in both visual and gameplay sides. However, for a strategy game it doesn't have enough varieties for military or offensive building, thus hardcore fighters shouldn't judge it harshly. Overall, the game has potential to win over even more players than it already did in Earle Access, taking the place among other famous representatives of the genre. It has a lot to offer and even more potential to grow further.

Farthest Frontier will appeal to those who enjoy carefully managing their settlement without speeding up the passage of time, and the game will reward them with beautiful scenes of nature and medieval society.

Farthest Frontier is great for everyone, whether you've played Banished and Anno before or are just looking for the fantasy Manor Lords alluded to. It's hard, demanding, and often irritating, but it's also generous, engaging, and worth every hour you spend getting your small community through another harsh winter. This city-builder has compassion, unlike so many others.