Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles

I really liked the style and overall theme of Bulwark. The ability to build cities and manage resources in a simple way allows for a pretty good flow of game play. Plus it's pretty fun to build cities across a large ocean from an airship.

That said, I do have some issues with the game as well. The population being controlled by randomly building was annoying. The buildings being generated randomly along my pathways was cool but got annoying pretty fast. The number of captains is pretty limiting after awhile.
Lastly, the story drops off pretty quickly. I learned more about the world from Google.

Game is decent..
the world can be stunning and the building is cool..
the story is ehhh not really there though what is at least makes sense..
For me the mid game is a bit too much of a repetitive grind and so far i dont know if theres really an end game to it since getting from the mid game to anything beyond what feels like mid game doesnt seem to be happening for me...
Even tho my city is bigger than the maw and i have more splinters than i know what to do with?
Thats just my experience though .. its still a good game and i hope to see it grow and become even better.

THE GOOD:
Simple controls.
Unique building style.
Cool World/Map.
Visually can be stunning.
Well Voiced.

THE BAD:
Some minor bugs.
Mid game slump.
Not much story/ Goals making it a tad grindy and repetitive.

This being said its still a unique game and worth a positive review

Ambient chill game that makes really pretty cities. Like, they're super pretty. Just look at them.

Bulwark is the one of the most unique city builders I have ever played. It is a massive open world with very unique building mechanics and factions. I have had a great time and I haven't even started a second play through, the best part for me is the just trading mechanics because you can have trade routes across the entire world.

We've won the day!

Brilliant solo dev game. Dev listens, produces fixes all the time, he's very active, always replies to discussions and bad reviews and provides new content quite often.
The ONLY drawback regarding the game is that ppl who don't read info or listen to the helpful man in the corner of the screen are gonna have a bad time. Maybe make the player do a locked tutorial?
I 100%'d this game in 26 hours. but it took the first 10 hours to understand most things. All because I rushed ahead. My own mistake.
Game mechanics are NOT what you're expecting.

Awesome game, worth £/$15 and dev is a top man

Very simple yet so engaging game.
I bought the game on sale for about 9.- Euro. Worth every penny.
I really appreciate the voiced ingame tips from the developer.
Game feels bug free.
The only downside i see is the lack of detailed explanations to the game mechanics. Somethings you have to find out by trial and error but that is a minor thing.
I am addicted to building sky high towers.

If you deep dive into this game its worth 20.-
If you are incredibly bored and jumping from game to game till the next "big thing" is here then buy it on sale for about 10.- because we all know you just need some filler.

Recommended game!

Very stylish.
There isn't much strategy, story or management here, mostly just creative building. You can really make impressive cities/fortresses, especially at the edge of the world. That aspect is great. You only control part of the process, you make the foundations and paths, the game generates housing on its own. No strict detection of walls/collision so stuff can be superimposed. It's good and bad.
There is attention to detail, with a day and night cycle and buildings getting snowy in the northern part of the map.
The main interest to me is to bring all the factions together and try to balance them so none has the majority, so everybody is satisfied and you get access to all their ship captains and tower commanders.
The performance is good but that's because there is no animated population in settlements.
The game is missing some QoL, the management of trade routes is tedious, especially with frequent attacks. There isn't enough fighting ships to protect them all, they are limited in number. Same goes with the airship fleet but it's more minor.
Now the developper is very caring about this game and has been providing regular updates improving it since release. He also takes the time to give detailed replies to everyone. Well worth supporting.

loving the game. as for the other reviewers concerning clipping when building and inability to select other structures i agree with them nevertheless this is still an enjoyable game plus the price when its on sale is very generous

Loved the style and aesthetic, but the interface with controller is a nightmare. I takes me out of the game constantly as i try to fumble around to navigate the world or try to select something specific. It's not innovative, its annoying.

Nice little Sandbox Builder. Dont expect too deep of a simulation. Just enjoy the nice artstyle and have fun!

A delightful creative builder game with simple and intuitive mechanics. The setting is a great iteration on post cataclysm fantasy steam punk. Its a well made game with intuitive mechanics put together by a single dev who is always involved with the community. Airships, pirates, and kraken, what's not to love?

Most enjoyable, free build and adventure... sail or fly around, gaining more and more ships and settlements, great visuals and music

Great game to chill and build with some interesting new mecanics

Big fan of this game!
10/10 very fun

Love the art style, the music and the gameplay.
Really fills that spot for a casual city builder while still having action and story if you want.

The developer is also super responsive when it comes to bugs if you find any.

Well worth 20 bucks.

I approve this message.

Absolutely gorgeous visuals. The controller implementation also works astonishingly well. Perfect for a chill time on the couch.

I remember I played the demo when it first came out and I didn't think much of it at the time, even though I gave it less than 20 minutes for trial and error. I just got this last week when it was on sale and it has become my go to for quick play relaxation between duties taking care of my children. It doesn't feel like it at first, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes and it is fun unlocking the different options. just laying out grand cities is fun too. I would say this game is worth it at full price if you want a fun game for the steam deck or that you can get a quick game in between family duties. If it is on sale, then you have no excuse not to get it. Enjoy!

Wish I had more time to play this atm. One of the most unique city builders / RTS games I've ever played. The controls and resource management are taking a little to get my head around but its a good change up imo. Will update this review once I've put more time into it, but if this is truly one developer working on this then I'm impressed to say the least.

Honestly, its one of the chillest experiences I've had in a while. I really enjoy the fluid building and movement mechanics. its so easy to play and the art style is fantastic. Wonderful job

For a simple builder, it's full of charm and complex mechanics. Really can see the love put into this one.

Looked interesting but it's just spam buildings until you blindly figure out what was holding you back. Pretty frustrating.

Unique and beautiful! For the price, this is an easy no-brainer! As other reviews have said, the systems are easily accessible, but engaging. Expansion feels quite rewarding. I don't feel like this has quite the session depth of other city builders, but I find my self coming back regularly due to the style and unique gameplay.

Really fun game and totally worth the money!

Always finding myself playing this between large games, just kinda comfortable being able to build a beautiful city with such little effort. Worth the price tag for me, but if not for you its on sale semi-regularly.

Truly unique with a stunning atmosphere. We need more developers like this.

you will see the entirety of the game's content rather quickly, but it is not the kind of game meant to constantly surprise you with new things. If you are here for chill citybuilding, it's an absolutely lovely experience

i smashed this game out the first day it launched and was worth the money its improved and improved

I love cityskylines/city building games but it could be over complicated sometimes. This game is the casual chill version of those games. It has a lot of potential both lorewise and gameplay. So excited for future content the dev has to offer.

I like the building mechanic in how things seem to grow on their own. i like the art and the ideas are solid.

This is a pretty relaxed sandbox game with simple mechanics but it all flushes together really nicely.
Id like to see more. "more what?" - all of it. more in general. - same vibe but more. just fill it with random semi nerative junk. have it play off of artifacts you find.

Force random trade requirements. make the relic turn into a thing. just more odd ways to make the same thing happen. honestly, i hope they keep doing what they do but find ways to include more.

<> the game is good and everything feels nice. but you sort of run out of things to do. I would love to see a small bit of world building that leans on things they already have. like honestly get the voices to blad a few more lines about this or that depending on the factions you deal with.

Have relics evolve similar to the town halls but doing so makes a small nerrative and bit of world build. in the end of the day, i like watching things move and evolve. i like the idea and then it runs out. stops. evolution quits. i find myself still flying around and enjoying the nonsense ive made but no one else in the world cares.

lol good game, in the end i want more. thats pretty much that. more reasons to do what is,

not even oodles of content needed. just more meshing. more life.


example of world build
**** if you play a mancer chapter - little tougher to get imperials to join, their random settlements might request and prices go up,

Captains mention

Emissaries propose things,

force use, make life, evolve that way. just nerate the simplest things and this game will be top notch.

Mods would be awesome too -

Introduce an emisary for the player. tells you more about what people thing rather than how to actually play.

<> a freeman settlement could complain they want a lighthouse, which is an artifact already. then they brag they got it when you go by. or maybe freeman doesnt like theres a mancer guard. theyd fel safer with imperial ties nearbye.

just little semi nerratives that use whats already here. i want the world to love itself asmuch as i love it.

I thought I already reviewed this game! It's a gem of a construction canvas. The game isn't so much about resources as it is about just making something "cool". I never felt too challenged to complete basic objectives I set for myself and I always have the option of making the game more difficult if I ever feel the need. This along with a very sociable and interactive dev makes Bulwark and absolute joy to play. Don't be lame, buy this game.

Kudos to Tomas who put this masterpiece together.

Not much to say than just an overall polished game. I enjoyed it a lot and the dev is still updating the game. which is a huge plus for upcoming update.

The developer is a very skilled person and listens to feedback. I enjoy the simple controls and complicated building mechanics. The addition of architectural updates and an expanded warfare system was appreciated. I wish the trade mechanic was a bit different but can't put my finger on how.

It isn't a very deep or complex game, but you're never sure if you are doing things right to make "progress". But the freedom to build and expand, and the aesthetic variation of factions and unique buildings all with few limits on building placement give an architectural spark I have rarely found. It is a nice cosy game and I look forward to seeing what else is added in the future.

For such a simple little game it sure punches above its weight in terms of Time-Vampire attributes.

Less of a city-builder and more of a 'city-sculptor', this is a beautiful, innovative game that's cleverly and lovingly designed.

While some parts do feel a bit early-access, what's there is already an enjoyable experience and the developer continues to support the game with substantial free updates. DLCs are just additional supporter purchases and completely optional. Highly recommended and I'm glad to support great indie devs.

My review is not an unconditional yes, it's a YES, BUT.

Would I recommend the game (preferably with a 20-30% discount)? Yes. But! Before buying it, you should be aware that:

1. The game is effectively an early access title (even if it's officially not), because it's evolving and expanding a lot as the solo developer work on it (naval mode, edge of the world, etc.).
2. Some of the mechanics are not polished, and there is some clear lack of balancing (e.g. splinters generation and collecting/managing units).
3. The controls are not very intuitive (how to build and move between nodes and city/vehicle mode), nor are some of the mechanics (resources reach per node). They seem designed with a controller in mind.
4. The game is purely sandbox mode, with no levels nor missions as such, just varying starting points in the world and kinda of an overall open objective for each faction.
5. The RTS mechanics are basic, so you'll win most fights just by brute force superiority.

However, it is enjoyable? Yes. So prioritise the game if you value:

1. Eye candy graphics and captivating atmosphere.
2. Experimenting with creative base building, without harsh resource constraints and by figuring out a lot on your own.
3. Re-playability as new, sometimes radical, features are added by the developer.

Speaking of which: the dev is an absolute chad who does this because he likes it and he can. So don't expect a clear roadmap nor a strong marketing department - the game evolves in part based on players' feedback, and as long as the guy enjoys working on it and it's economically feasible to do so (his words), which also explains the relatively pricey cosmetic DLCs. But he cares about the title and it's his work of passion, so this should be taken into account when deciding whether to buy it.

Summing up:
- Do you enjoy a sandbox, atmospheric, creative building and exploration game without hand-holding? Buy
- Do you like complex base building titles with advanced logistics or proper 4X mechanics, and hate early access? Buy not

Chill sandbox game without being boring. The procedural generation of houses is great and you can make some really nice looking castles.
There is a natural challenge (factions will slowly start disliking you more when your population of the opposing faction grows) so I don't feel like I'm attacking others 'just because'.
The artstyle is unique and looks great.

Great Game. It's a great game to play for chilling out or while listening to a podcast. It's an easy to play city builder and the best part is that it looks good! Have fun playing.

Just getting into it but love the building mechanics

Great great Sandbox for people who love Steampunk aesthetics or chill Settlementbuilding. Single Dev continously updating it and his own gameworld which is a great.

Lots of fun, great little nods to fantasy franchises throughout. Quick to learn interface and it's an immersive experience. Mancers are my favourite faction by far

Great little city builder and exploration game. The steampunk aesthetic is charming and overall very enjoyable and relaxing game. Worth the price, but especially on sale. For me designing a cool city or fortress is fun.

A city builder that's hard to compare to others in the genre. Worth checking out if you want something more relaxed and not full of fiddly details 8/10

its very very good. the ux and setting up trade routes should be streamlined a bit

I didn't enjoy this game. I do like the artwork but there seems to be no point or challenge to the game (although I acknowledge it is a sandbox). Constantly clicking to add to your base is not an enjoyable game for me. There are no missions, very little advancement etc.

A very simple, accessible city sim that doesn't require a whole lot of micromanagement and moving buildings. The system of building structures across islands, and then blank spaces between the structures being filled in by small settlements all by itself is interesting, and it's fun to watch these steampunk cities build themselves. I'm also invested in the setting itself, which is also explored in the previous Falconeer game.

From playing the day it released and watching the updates come through,
I can easily recommend this to anyone who wants to play a good strategy game.
What I love about this game:
Frequent updates and previews.
The game has had no crashes or bugs on my end.
The building system is unique but in a good way.
The pace in-game isn't stressful.

Great game to just relax and build some incredible looking structures.

Great game, has an interesting 'spoke and hub' kind of way of building. It can be a bit wonky to get your buildings looking just right but outside of aesthetics it wont affect your city if half of the buildings are inside eachother.

Very unique procedural city builder with some light rts elements, set in a maritime steam punk-esque setting. I'm not 100% sure but it seems to be made by one dude, Tomas Sala, if that's the case, this is a pretty impressive game to pull off for one dev. He's pretty active too and working on some cool updates.

Low-Complaxity, cozy city builder.
Raising population of different factions is at times difficult to understand.

Very fun, casual free-form city builder. One of my favourite games to zone out and listen to podcasts or audiobooks while playing. The solo dev is very dedicated and is actively adding to the game still.

The building system is pretty unique and probably won't be for everyone. Definitely try the demo first before buying.