Folklands Review

Building a village from nothing is a rewarding experience, and Folklands embraces that simplicity with a calming yet engaging take on the city-building genre. Unlike its more complex genre counterparts, Folklands strips away excessive micromanagement present in many city-building games in favor of a more fluid and organic approach to settlement growth. Each decision—from chopping down trees to placing new buildings—feels intuitive, making it easy to get lost in the rhythm of expansion.

Developed by indie creators Bromantic Games, Folklands leans into a minimalist aesthetic while not really sacrificing depth. The game slowly introduces layers of strategy, requiring players to balance resource gathering, efficient construction, and long-term planning. 

Progression feels natural, and there's a satisfying sense of momentum as small clusters of buildings evolve into bustling villages. Though it may not have the overwhelming depth of bigger strategy titles such as Frostpunk 2 or Manor Lords, its focus on accessibility and smooth gameplay flow makes it a compelling experience for both casual and seasoned players alike.

In Folklands, the core gameplay revolves around establishing and expanding a settlement by gathering resources, constructing buildings, and managing the needs of your citizens. Players begin by harvesting basic materials like wood and stone, which are essential for initial construction projects. 

As the settlement grows, the game introduces more complex production chains, such as refining raw materials into processed goods to support advanced structures and satisfy the evolving needs of the populace. This progression mirrors classic city-building titles, harkening back to the games of old, like the Settlers.

Building a thriving settlement in Folklands follows a natural progression followed by many of the genre standards, beginning with resource gathering before expanding into more complex structures. The first step is to create a builder's hut, and connect a road to it. Watch as it is slowly built. 

This lets you move on to securing basic materials. This includes the building of a Woodcutter, a Stonecutter, and a Sawmill. Woodcutters and Stonecutters do the usual collection of logs and stone, key building resources.

The Sawmill turns your logs into planks, which are necessary to maintain buildings. See, in the deceptive simplicity of Folklands, you still have to engage in a lot of strategic thinking, as your builder's hut has a range in which it works to restore and repair structures using planks. 

Unmaintained buildings will have a bigger tendency to catch fire or collapse entirely. As for woodcutters and stonecutters, you can assign them specific areas or task them to cut down their specific resources in a certain area to make way for buildings.

This is very important as in Folklands, you often will be starved for having areas to build in. The build layout and map are basically in a grid pattern, so you'll often need to plan ahead and ensure you are placing things correctly to be attached to roads, and be in range for resources, as well as resource drop-off points or storage.

Once resources are secured, food production becomes the next priority. Early on, a berry hut allows foraging, offering a temporary source of sustenance. However, as the population grows, farms become necessary to ensure a steady and reliable food supply. Proper food management is crucial, as starving villagers will hinder progress and slow down construction efforts. You'll also need to supply water by building a well.

With resources, food, and water in place, the settlement can expand by constructing houses to accommodate a growing population. More citizens mean more workers to gather materials and build, but they also increase the demand for food and supplies. Food and water are distributed via market stalls where you assign those resources as well as a certain amount that villagers around the area can buy.

As production scales up, efficient storage and distribution are necessary. Storages help you organize resources, and they can pretty much just go on top of roads. So there's no reason not to spam them. 

As your small settlement grows to house 25 people, you will advance into the next stage, growing into a small village and unlocking many new structures and mechanics. Firstly, you'll be able to trade and expand.

In the Folklands, trade and expansion are the primary tools of expansion. A trading post enables commerce with neighboring settlements, opening opportunities to import scarce resources and export surplus goods. You will also be able to interact with your neighbors or larger entities, getting quests from them that let you earn more funds. 

This is an essential system, as in Folklands, you have no real way to create tools early on, so you will have to rely on trading to get your tools. It also helps to sell surplus resources, especially those you don't really have storage for. 

You can also start to expand with the Expansion Tower, which lets you expand your territory and search for mineral deposits. The Expansion tower is the main way you gain and unlock new areas. 

The second system that changes things is the Fire Protection System. Wherein, you need to build a Fire House and stock it up with enough water to have the security of preventing fires. Fires can randomly break out and be incredibly destructive. So having them is a must. And you shouldn't skimp out on them either, as they all have a specific range, so you can't just have one Fire House for your entire city.

You'll also get to deal with your villagers having new wants and requirements, which you can indulge in. This includes getting them fish as an alternate food source. All this goes towards making them happy, and the happier your town is, the more people will come to your town, provided you have enough accommodations.

Your settlement should continue to develop, eventually evolving into a bustling and self-sustaining village. Folklands carefully balances this city-building progression, making each stage feel rewarding while keeping the overall experience accessible and engaging, all the while being very simple. No needlessly complicated tech trees or unlockables here.

There are two other tiers that gradually unlock newer things, from new resources, with wheat, beer, flour, and bread, and eventually, coal, iron, and various tools. Soon enough, you'll have entire production chains running to sustain your village as you potentially transition from an economy centered around gathering wood to being able to buy wood, create tools, and sell them. Your houses can be upgraded as well, provided you give them a variety of food, some decorations around their house, and a few other things. 

Visually, Folklands adopts a minimalist, painterly art style that complements its tranquil gameplay. The soft color palette and simple yet charming building designs create an inviting atmosphere. While specific details about the musical score are limited, the overall ambiance suggests a soothing soundtrack that enhances the meditative experience of city-building. The visuals are really something as they give off a very retro vibe, while actually having very detailed and deep art styles.

As for the UI, the menus and tooltips could provide more detailed information to assist players, especially those new to the genre. It could also do with more functions; for example, when opening a new menu, the old one just stays there, so you have to manually close it. This is, naturally, perfectly understandable for an Early Access game.

Much of Folklands' charm comes from its tranquil atmosphere. The soft, painterly visuals and ambient sound design create a relaxing environment that encourages experimentation rather than punishes mistakes. 

Instead of feeling pressured by overwhelming mechanics, players are free to refine their settlements at their own pace. It's a game that thrives on its simplicity, offering a meditative yet rewarding loop that keeps you coming back for just one more upgrade.

Ultimately, Folklands offers a refreshing take on the city-building genre by focusing on simplicity without sacrificing depth. Its blend of resource management, procedural generation, and flexible gameplay modes provides an experience that is both relaxing and engaging. Whether you're a newcomer to the genre or a seasoned city-builder looking for a more laid-back endeavor, Folklands invites you to build, manage, and thrive at your own pace.