There is something unquestionably cathartic about city builders. Going from nothing to a thriving macrocosm of activity can be an intensely rewarding experience. Of course, there are a lot of city building games out there. Some are easy to get stuck into – others require hours of learning, thought, and planning. Terrascape falls somewhere in between the two thanks to its cognitively challenging but surprisingly fun card based puzzle gameplay.
As opposed to starting out with a number of units and placing them to satisfy the needs of your population, TerraScape is revolves around unit cards that are randomly allocated from category-specific decks. You start out by placing your Keep (the kingdom’s hub). From there, you place buildings like Cottages, Lumberjack lodges, Markets, and more with the goal of maximising your point score.
In Terrascape, points are earned by choosing the optimal placement for each building unit. For instance, placing Cottages within the vicinity of your Keep rewards 3 points whereas placing them next to a Longhouse grants 6 points.
As you collect points, you earn the ability to draw another random card from the deck. You then get to pick one from a selection of category cards e.g. Forestry, City, Infrastructure. You are then given units from within that category. If you run out of cards, it’s game over. So, you have to be careful to choose the best placement for every unit.
You don’t really “win” in TerraScape, instead you continually better yourself by beating previous high scores or by completing challenges. These are central parts of the game’s two modes: Free Play and Puzzle Challenges. The former allows you to build your own city with the aim of scoring as many points as possible on randomly generated Terras (maps). The latter features increasingly difficult puzzles in which you have to meet puzzle targets by identifying the best placements for specific units.
Free Play is probably where you’ll spend most of your time. As the name suggests, it gives you the most freedom to build the city that you want. Leveling up through the six civilisation stages, unlocking additional units, and expanding your kingdom is a super satisfying yet relaxing experience. Consequently, TerraScape is a great way to unwind after a stressful day.
TerraScape Review: Verdict
TerraScape provides a highly rewarding puzzle-based twist on the city building genre that will keep you coming back for more.
While the overall package significantly lacks depth that could be filled with additional modes, what’s there is well made and will keep puzzle fans decently entertained. Hopefully, future updates will add more content to help extend TerraScape‘s lifespan and expand its offering.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Version played: PC (Steam)
Have you checked out TerraScape? What did you think? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
