Review: Dawnfolk Is a Game That Really Prioritizes Resources

Many city management games come down to collecting and properly using resources, with other elements and systems just overcomplicating things. Which means all you really need for these types of titles to get  you is for that core acquisition and implementation mechanic to feel really satisfying and sound. Darenn Keller’s Dawnfolk knows the exact buttons to press to reward you for every little action and encourage you to keep building and experimenting with your cities.

Your whole kingdom fell. Darkness and the dangers lurking within it completely enveloped the land. Every settlement is deserted, destroyed, rolled back and captured. However, there is hope. After encountering a being known as Lueur, you’re able to gather light to illuminate those stolen spaces and face back against the threatening storms, allowing you to rebuild and gather the resources to once again allow people to live happy and productive lives. This happens one tile at a time, in the most captivating and low-res sort of way.

In Dawnfolk you’re taking back territory against the dark. You set up around your home tile. Depending on the type of land or items in a space, you can establish presences that net you people, earn you materials, collect food, or gather light. This allows you to build new locations with the assets, purify spaces to expand or fight hazardous storms, or forge connections. Keep doing well and you can expand your home to use the power of science to further advance your buildings. You’re constantly developing your cities and reclaiming areas that fell to danger, one tile at a time. It’s all very thoughtful and, unless you’re going through a brief minigame to collect certain items, the game lets you take your time. Though said minigames can be automated if you build a certain building, even eliminating that pressure.

While Dawnfolk is a very straightforward city simulation and resource management game, I also appreciated the times when it would tap into other genres. For example, opportunities will come up when you can make choices about the people who reside in your empire. In one case, I was told that some fishermen went missing. I could expend resources to search for them or save up. I took the risk, and one was found. However, that led to another choice involving a deserted island, which lent itself to more consequences based on my actions. 

The range of modes also help with that exploration of opportunities, particularly the Puzzle one. In addition to the Story maps, which you need to play to earn the currency to unlock the additional modes and more campaign segments, there are Puzzle, Curious Expedition, Sandbox, and Endless options. Sandbox and Endless both offer a very freeform approach of the traditional experience, allowing you to keep going just as you would in a finished Story map. Curious Expedition feel a bit like Story sessions, only with sillier requirements for success. Puzzle mode is fantastic in that there are specific scenarios and a daily puzzle. You’ll have a goal to reach and start out with a set number of resources. You’ll need to arrange things in such a way that you meet certain milestones on a daily basis to win, and it really forces you to think about how to best use the plots and potential assets. 

And the thing is, no matter which way you play, the foundations and systems in Dawnfolk are so strong that it works. It carries over beautifully. It’s a joy to gradually build up, expand out, rearrange as you decide to make different choices, and see what you can do with the territories and assets available to you. If you are in the campaign, it’s about decisions that let you weather storms. If it’s a puzzle, it’s playing around with the “pieces” of land to meet criteria. With Curious Expeditions, it’s about understanding the twist. In Sandbox or Endless, it’s taking time to enjoy what the game has to offer with few restrictions. 

There’s also that fantastic aesthetic. Dawnfolk is a minimalistic game with lots of sprites that are incredibly effective at conveying information. You always know exactly what you’re looking at. However, there’s also this fantastic element of darkness woven into everything. So it isn’t just a general ambiance, it’s a part of the story and a gameplay mechanic. It all works into everything seamlessly, resulting in a game that feels so cohesive and dedicated to the point of lighting the way through dismal times.

I adore Dawnfolk, and I relish every opportunity I get to go through the game’s modes and build up a new homeland. It’s one of those city building and management sims that offers a sufficient challenge, but also doesn’t penalize you for decisions you make as you find your way through situations. Given the array of options also offered beyond a traditional campaign, it also felt like Darenn Keller somehow considered any possible situation I might be in when I head into a session, resulting in it feeling like I always have a moment for it.

Dawnfolk is available for PCs.