Rimworld is a game that is hard to define as many would tell you it is a colony builder, war crime simulator or a simple base builder game but it is none of them – it is a storytelling game where you are playing it more to see how it ends and to help guide to an outcome you want while the storyteller does everything it can to fuck you over.
So much of this review will be based around the gameplay section and replayability so let’s not waste any more time.
Gameplay
In a nutshell, Rimworld is a very simple game with the idea you have a storyteller that will do different things such as provide you with gifts and hope while also doing stuff such as triggering a raid, random illness and much more. Different storytellers have different game logic with one being quite busy, one being hard and another being pure random where it will go whatever it pleases.
The player, so you, gets at least one pawn with the idea of building a colony that will stand against the test of time. With the colony, you can go down a tribal route that does not rely on using power or you can build a colony that is self-reliant and needs no help from the outside and that is the beauty of the game – you get to decide how you wish to play, what your goals are and to just enjoy whatever happens. This is a style of game where half of the enjoyment comes from wondering how it will end rather than just surviving.
When it comes to the colony side of the game you can carry out research, make new clothing, weapons, defence and other stuff to protect the colony and develop it further. Developing the colony isn’t just the only thing you have to worry about as your pawns are people and have their own needs. The needs of your pawn can either put them in a good or bad mood which can cause mental breaks should the needs not be controlled. While I will not go into much detail about the style of mental breaks it is an overstatement to say that in the early days of a colony, it can mean life or death and something that needs to be managed.
Replayability
Before I speak about how replayable Rimworld is, I am going to talk about the endings of the game. The first ending naturally is when everyone dies or the planet is wiped out but that vanilla game has an ending where you simply escape from the planet using a ship that you make yourself or find due to a friendly AI.
The first expansion, Royalty, has an ending where you escape the planet due to help from the elite class from an empire after helping them out and gaining royal favour. The second expansion, Ideoiogym, has an ending where a very advanced AI help you escape by bending what seems to be the laws of physics and I imagine the next expansion will bring more and likely start with an M.
As I wrote earlier the game itself is about seeing how everything will end and the path that your pawns and colony will take to get there. By a large margin, a massive amount of replay values comes from the massive modding community with some modders releasing what seems to be an “expansion” which amount of content and something I would recommend to check out as there seems to be a mod for anything you can think of. I would recommend every single mod that is named “Vanilla Expanded” as honestly, they feel like it should have come with the game and naturally, there are many Android mods for all your little robot needs.
I really can’t stress that Rimworld has so much replayability assuming you like this type of game and it is down to the open-ended nature of the game, the story-tellers that offer many different ways for things to happen and ultimately the mods that change the game in so many ways you will sometimes thing its another game.
Graphics
When it comes to the graphics there are two things I can say the first is they are cute and secondly do not expect too much for the type of game it is. Many mods change the graphics to new animations, new designs even simulating a 3D-style environment but I also do think for the type of game it is that it doesn’t need to have fancy graphics to be fun and it shows.
Music
Okay, this is the part of the review I will admit I have no idea as I typically play this game without any music. Nothing about Rimworld’s music jumps out to me as amazing or even noticeable although a lot of people seem to praise it very highly. You can always download a mod that adds new music or even something like Spotify in the background but the music that comes with the vanilla game is hit-and-miss for me.
Conclusion
Rimworld is one of those games where you can lose many hours a day playing it should it be a style of game you enjoy. I remember playing this on my Surface Pro for hours into the night aside from Crusader Kings and then looking up to see the sun has risen from its deep sleep.
I do feel when I do these reviews I always seem to rate games and films very high but I do think that is because I only tend to write about stuff I enjoy!
With that said, I rate Rimworld (and its expansions), the following.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Thanks for reading! You may be interested in this …
While I understand that some players may enjoy the storytelling aspect of Rimworld, it is important to acknowledge that the game offers much more than just that. The strategic elements of colony building and resource management are fundamental to the gameplay experience.
Rimworld provides players with the opportunity to make complex decisions that directly impact the survival and growth of their colony. From managing food supplies to defending against hostile raids, the game requires careful planning and tactical thinking. These gameplay mechanics are what make Rimworld engaging and challenging.
Furthermore, the various roles and skills of the colonists add depth to the gameplay. Each colonist has their own unique traits and abilities, which can greatly affect the success or failure of the colony. This aspect of the game encourages players to strategize and optimize their colonists’ tasks and responsibilities.