Ostriv

This is a fun game that is still being updated for a casual gamer. The Developer hasn't overworked your computer but still made great graphics compared to the other corporate games out there.

"Ostriv" is an absolute gem in the indie gaming world, proving that Ukrainian developers can create projects on par with industry giants like Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. This city-building simulation is not just another game—it’s a labor of love that showcases the depth of talent in Ukraine’s gaming industry.

Set in the 18th-century Ukrainian countryside, "Ostriv" delivers an incredibly detailed and immersive experience. The game’s mechanics are well thought out, offering deep economic and social simulation that rivals even the biggest titles in the genre. From managing resources to ensuring the well-being of your villagers, every decision matters. The attention to detail, historical accuracy, and stunning visuals make it a truly unique experience.

What sets "Ostriv" apart is its passion-driven development. Despite being created by a small team, the game boasts impressive AI, beautiful landscapes, and a realistic approach to city-building. It’s a shining example that Ukrainian developers have the vision and capability to compete on the global stage.

If you're a fan of strategy and simulation games, "Ostriv" is a must-play. It’s not just a great indie game—it’s a statement that Ukraine is a rising force in the gaming industry. Highly recommended!

I love this little game, it is pretty simple at the start, but gets quite intricate. It is the labor of love for a small outfit (might honestly be like 1 dude) and they have been working on this game since at least 2018. It has come a long way and I'm excited to see where it ends up.

You start with a handful of people and have to build a town. 1st year is the hardest as its a race against winter but if you can make it you'll get to build a sweet little town with everything from fishing docks to soap production. You take charge of every level of the supply chain, building everything from scratch. There is some trading to get rid of excess and purchase what you might need. I like to have a diverse trade network, buying more raw resources than you can make, supply my industry. You can raise crops, animals, make leather and cloth for cloths, tallow and fat for soap really get into it making glass wear, lime, and bricks. I would like to see more resturant/entertainment buildings instead of more production/industry. There is a pub building for entertainment you supply with alcohol but more diversity would make that interesting. You can also educate children, build little parks, rudimentary health care, and religion.

The game gets a little laggy at high populations and I have stability issues over 1,000 people. Mostly it is issues with pathfinding, you'll get white lines that indicate a broken path, however the devs are fixing the issue as i have less broken paths in these later versions of the alpha. Which is cool as even though the game has been in development for a long time, they are keeping up on it.

Wonderful Chill town builder. Still alpha but well worth it. Bought before 2022, Glory to Ukraine.

i like this game, pity its development is a a snail's pace, but i like it

This is a great game, very calming, helps to unwind.

The way the buildings are constructed is so relaxing to watch. I recommend seeing it happen at least once for each building on the first speed. Game is cool af. Get it ASAP. It's already a very good game. Can only get better from here.

extremely good citybuilder. the paving system and non linear construction makes the village feel incredibly alive. it does have a complex resource system but this adds to the charm

Ostriv is a good game that has some nice innovate mechanics. It's not perfect and has flaws, unfortunately. It's simply too slow and undeveloped right now to be a superior medieval city simulator. What I now wish every game had was vector flexible buildings. There is no grid or fixed placement of buildings and crop fields, what a damn joy it is to have a wedge shaped building in a narrow fork in the road!

I think the game is on a good path. Quicker development (devs are working in Ukraine, so no fault their nation is invaded), stronger economics and mods would make this game edge out Foundations, Farthest Frontier, and Manor Lords.

6.5/10

Great city builder game with some really cool mechanics and some great visuals and art style, still in development but they are doing some pretty cool things with the game, definitely recommend to any one who enjoys city builders.

Thats one of potential games at this genre, calm and beautiful landscape amd still lot of room to grow, have been playing for a while and I'm expecting this game will be great even with this slow and steady development, good luck!

Didn't know that 18th Century Ukrainian Village Simulator was something that I needed in my life, turns out it is!

On a serious note, I actually think this game gives Manor Lords a run for it's money.

Its been in an early state for years, part of why i no longer support solo dev projects

Ostriv is not a game about conflict or quests, nor even about striving or struggling. There are no set tasks to accomplish, and no real sense of danger or strategy. So why is this a strong contender for the best little village-builder (not city builder) on Steam?

Picture a village somewhere in Eastern Europe during the eighteenth century. Peasant farmers go about their daily lives, working in shops, tilling their little gardens, and cutting trees from the forest. A few men in row-boats fish on the river. After the cold winter, the fruit trees begin to bloom and the plowmen set to work in the fields. Other workmen assemble wood and brick to build a distillery, or maybe a salt-pump. The passage of the seasons sees the village grow, attracting even more families. All the while, peaceful music plays.

This is Ostriv. It's a work of art; still in progress, but as stable, pleasant, and growing as the villages it offers to you to design. I can't recommend it more highly.

In an early state, but the little details and resource management aspects are excellent, and not difficult to learn.

Ostriv is a fantastic city builder with nostalgic vibes from the 2000's but with modern graphics and features. The game is set in 18th century Ukraine, with beautiful detail, and individual animated villagers all doing every detail of their jobs in real time as you build. I would compare it most to "Foundations" or Manor Lords (without the military) gameplay-wise, but with more realism in terms of graphics and presentation.

Ostriv has been in alpha early access for quite a while--in large part because its being developed by only one Ukrainian person (from what I can gather). It seems the developer really wants to get it right. Even in alpha, everything works like a finished product, with new buildings and features being added and tweaked as time and circumstances allow. The game play has come a long way in that regard, and has gotten noticeably more dynamic over time as buildings become more diverse and the economics complex.

After over 220 hours of enjoyment, I'm very impressed with just how much passion has been put into the this game. Performance wise, you can run this game smoothly with every other program in your computer open at the same time with no issues. Every bug or glitch gets addressed at some point it seems, quite thoroughly. yevhen8 is really putting mainstream game developers to shame.

My only complaint with the game is the "uneven terrain" limitation can be a bit frustrating sometimes when building, and maybe should be less punishing and even have its own overlay option, so you can more easily plan ahead for that terrain limitation as you build.

$24.99 to me is a more than reasonable price. The DLC's are cool, with Patron of the Arts being a nice touch, and the music DLC especially fits the time period, is well done, and sets a relaxing mood for game play. The music is all done by Ukrainian composers from Kharkiv and matches the passion of the game. Both are essentially understood to be tips for the developer and don't add any essential gameplay content, but aesthetic content. I recommend them both nevertheless since Ostriv is a passion project and a work of art. The DLCs reflect that, and it seems the developer wants the whole game to be available for all who buy the core game. I wish the corporate developers felt the same.

i brought this game on steam special glad i did ,i had this on my wishlist's for a while this is a Amazing game the detail , its frustrating at time trying to work those taxes , many many restarts you learn as you go this city building game is got to be one of the best i have ever played its up there with the best if you like city building etc and have a lot of patience this game is for you .......... i cannot stop playing this game i am so hooked hours and hours of fun , frustration, laughter.I take my hat off to the dev fantastic work .

I've really enjoyed this game. When I first played it, for some reason it didn't click in but, the 2nd go around it did. I like the pace and level of detail involved here where some things are learned as you go. Most of it is common sense and paying attention to details. This game feels like you are more involved with your people/city as it grows versus some other games which may be a bit more arcade in style. Its a relaxing game that you can adjust the speed / pace. If you are the type of person that doesn't mind learning as you go without having every detail explained to you then this will fit well with your play style. I would definitely recommend it.

Not the fastest but active developtment. Good City builder with it's own quirks. Goes new ways in building and economy. Many buildings can be adjusted a little before placing, allowing unusual shapes instead of a form of square. Interesting way of simulating the economy.

This game is fantastic! I have been playing this game since early stages of development (as soon as it became available on Steam). A lot of the obvious bugs have been addressed and in a war-zone to boot! Definitely suggest anyone who wants a city builder experience should try this game!!!

Really detailed and relaxing city builder. Has a character all its own, quite different from Banished and the like. Set in 1700s Ukraine, there is a unique detail and a real open world feel to this one, as the town and its street grid evolve dynamically and organically. The sole developer is a one-man show based in Ukraine, so show him some support!

More of a village builder then a city builder but very well balanced and interesting. It's very satisfying to finally have all the resources (planks, bricks, glass for windows) etc and seeing the buildings go up in detailed steps.

it is rather slowpaced and it's not the bustling city you will see in games like Cities: skyline.

Cute, relaxed city builder set in a slavic setting with enough complexity to keep me busy over a slow weekend.
I enjoyed playing it very much and can't wait what the developers will add next!

Ostriv is an incredible game with a unique approach to city-building. The level of detail, historical accuracy, and depth in economic management make it truly stand out. You can feel the passion and dedication of the developer in every aspect of the game.

I really enjoyed playing and can’t wait to see new buildings and features in future updates. Highly recommended for fans of the genre!

Solid city builder. Needs a bit more challenge at this state, once you start trading charcoal it's over.

This game is exactly what I look for in a city builder. There are plenty of options for building a custom city and the dynamics of the economy and the citizens needs are near lifelike. You can decorate your city for free and use the custom tool to make the house property and farm land any size you want. The graphics are great as well, showing the gradual snow melt as it turns to spring. There is a small learning curve with taxes but a little Reddit research and some trial and error will put you on track! I would definitely recommend if you want a relaxing city builder to play!

I understand the devs are in a tragic part of the world, but it really feels as though the game is trending in a bad direction. Too many complex systems to buy and sell food that my villagers grow in their personal gardens and not enough time allowing me to create a village that feels alive. I am sure this review will be controversial, but it's just losing its magic for me.

I started playing the game quite a while ago, and really enjoyed it. It was still in development when I played last so it didn't have any of the improvements, and so it's even better now. Such a cool and fun game, and it barely uses any storage space.

A good game. Alpha? Takes up about 500 MB? Basic city builder? yet its mechanics hooked me for 10 hours.

Great game, excellent mechanics. Super entertaining and just about the right amount of challenging.

There's something about this game that makes me happy and relaxed... especially in how you can see families grow and branch out in your village over time. I discovered at some point that you can even see people's work history. I noticed one worker I had fired many times from the forestry, and a 75yr old man working alone in the stone quarry and I actually felt bad for them. It's also funny and sad how two of my families are always in the red. I have to keep giving them financial aid from time to time. I'm pretty sure it's my fault they're so poor... but oh well.

Overall, I think some QOL are needed. The way maps are modeled could be improved and it would be nice to have a procedurally generated map with randomized resources. I also think players could be given more control over management. But overall, it was a solid experience with an interesting setting.

I am very disappointed, because the game does not run on my linux, not even with Proton. Protondb sais it is broken by the last update that was made 2 months ago.

Having played both Ostriv and Manor Lords, I can confidently say that while both offer deep city-building experiences, Ostriv stands out as the superior city-building simulator. Where Manor Lords leans into medieval strategy and military expansion, Ostriv focuses purely on the challenges of managing a growing settlement with a level of realism and complexity that city-building fans will appreciate.

Ostriv is an amazing city-builder that feels complete.
After spending time with Manor Lords and feeling like something was missing, I found Ostriv, and it delivers a much more finished and in-depth experience. While it may not have the same visual flair, it still looks great and runs smoothly. Dare I say one of the best city-building experiences out there. If you're looking for a well-rounded and engaging city-builder, Ostriv is absolutely worth it.

Slow and somewhat methodical. You need to treat this as a business simulator rather than a purely colony builder. Gold doesn't appear from the air/mines: you have a treasury -> you pay wages at your businesses - > your "employees" buy those goods -> repeat. You need to balance wages and cost of living - the latter needing to be slightly lower than the former. That way your citizens thrive but your treasury slowly dwindles. That can fixed with wealth taxes as well. That's step 1, then you realize the only way to grow your treasury and colony is to export excess goods (since gold cannot be created). That's a fun twist to the genre - not often seen (Lords and Villains).

Graphically clean and pretty. Solid performance - AI is better than most in its class. Bugs get fixed fast - but crashed a few times. Love the lack of a grid system - hate city builders with it. Content and mechanics are unfinished/unpolished as per usual for these types of games (EA). Lots of room to grow here. E.g., early industrialisation is hinted in the end game as the subsistence farmers move into apartments, that should be continued. Some form of "tech" tree would be cool (e.g., to improve farming/production rates, need better incorporation of products - metal parts used more -> industrial smithies), as would be edicts.

The UI is fairly polished and is clean. However some mechanics are a bit hidden/poorly explained. I have no idea if my citizens are happy, only upset when when critical products are missing (e.g., clothing, shoes, food -> no idea if soap or glassware helps, certainly doesn't improve production). Education produces managers, but do educated citizens help with other aspects of the production chain? No idea.

Need to incorporate nature into the game mechanics -> gathering of forest herbs and foodstuff, hunting -> transition away as your footprint/industrialization increases. Build upon the "pollution" mechanic <- somewhat present since some industries apparently make citizens sick, though that is not presented anywhere other than the occasional "flu" (may not be connected). This is a missed opportunity given I can smelt iron and fish side by side with no health effects. This would create urban and rural divides - which would add more strain to logistics, create more dynamic use of maps.

Know this is unfinished - but fun. Maybe come back in 5-10 years for the full vision?

One of my favorites.... love the vibe and look of the game and am looking forward to more detailed economy and buildings in the future.

Very addicting and very good game. I couldn't stop figuring out how to improve the city and its growth. I think it will be a very amazing game after some kinks get fixed. Definitely would recommend to try this game.

good game.Build Build Build.you can spend 50 hours before getting board.We Need some weird fixes and a DLC or 2

Ostriv is a very fun Ukrainian town building game. If you do not like the complex economy system then you can always download cheats.

I have a strong computer yet I still find at random tasks the game crashes. Built produce and tried to choose apples...crash. Tried to build a trading post...crashes.

Great 18th century city builder. My particular like is the organic path creation through desire paths. Pretty well balanced system, where you have to rely on trade with NPC towns to meet all your needs.

So relaxing and satisfying to play. I can't wait for the next update!

A spiritual successor to banished . excellent game, looking forward for more updates

Ostriv isn’t just a city-building game; it’s a living, breathing storybook where the lives of your citizens unfold with remarkable depth and charm. One of the game’s most delightful features is its ability to weave together the varied and touching stories of the families in your settlement. As you nurture your village from its humble beginnings, you’ll witness the rise of generations, from new arrivals seeking a fresh start to families growing and thriving under your guidance.


In Ostriv, your city becomes more than a collection of buildings—it transforms into a home for generations of families. You’ll watch as settlers arrive with dreams of a better life, find love, marry, and have children who then grow up to contribute to the community. These interwoven stories give a profound sense of continuity and progression, making every decision feel impactful as you shape not just a settlement but the lives of its people.



What makes these stories even more special is the attention to detail. The animations and routines of the villagers bring their lives to the forefront. It’s this vibrancy that makes Ostriv stand out—it’s not just about managing resources or constructing buildings, but about fostering a community that feels alive and real.


Every decision you make as a player—whether it’s where to place a school, how to balance food supplies, or which trade agreements to prioritise—has a ripple effect on the lives of your villagers. You’re not just building infrastructure; you’re creating opportunities for families to flourish and thrive. It’s deeply satisfying to see your efforts pay off as families grow, generations prosper, and your village transforms into a thriving town.


For anyone who loves city-building games, the generational storytelling in Ostriv is a feature that sets it apart from the rest. It adds an emotional layer that makes every milestone in your village feel deeply personal. Watching families grow and contribute to the legacy of your settlement is a rewarding experience that few games manage to capture with such authenticity.


Ostriv is a game with heart, where every citizen has a story and every generation leaves its mark on your settlement. It’s not just about building a city; it’s about creating a living tapestry of interconnected lives. If you’re looking for a city-building game that combines strategic depth with heartfelt storytelling, Ostriv is an absolute must-play.

I absolutely love this game! It is very relaxing and the graphics are nice. I recommend it if you are interested in city building type of games.

Best city builder game I have played so far. It is so addictive and perfectly captures life of a typical Ukrainian village with slow, simple life. The music is amazing I could listen to it forever. 10/10

You would love this game if you like old-settlers based resources management + population and tax managemnt on top of this)
Quite meditative if you set speed to 1 (and you don't need to run it faster tbh, just take your time and chill)

Good bulding and citizens economy details

a beautiful game - picturesque and satisfying. a huge achievement.

In this game you can live through a history of a small town, building your own story on top of the game mechanics. It's weird, but somehow you connect with your first citizens, celebrate the birth of their children, shine a smile when first piglets are born in the barn. The crops are growing, the smithy is almost complete and everyone is happy. Oh look, here come the first traders!

Then, it all changes at some point, and all you care is having peasants work hard on the coal production, whilst their cute little huts are being torn down to clear space for your new shiny stone buildings of the Market square. Hop plantation and wheat fields are delivering under supervision of educated managers, using all the modern technology advancements to optimize crop production. Trade ships are leaving my port filled with coal, horilka and beer. The taxflow is optimized to shave the gold off the wealthy into my budget (the barber dude must hate me), but not too harsh on the populace. The super-over-the-budget highway you built for iron production logistics is barely used, but still looks great from the bird's eye view. You "name" the streets and squares to commemorate the accomplishments of the pioneers, and arrange the tombs on the cemetery nicely so that your first mayor, who is now 79, has food for thought each time he takes a walk to the church.

EDIT: Emotions aside, it is a solid economical system that allows an interested player to thrive on. The game can get a player interested despite the outdated visuals and minor bugs you encounter here and there. The amount of attention to detail is able to captivate and feed the interest to experiment, evolve and succeed. That's why the gaming experience is so organic and there are a lot of beautiful organic medieval Europe towns on the streams. That's probably why it's so rewarding to watch the town grow and achieve new capabilities, to see the narrow short paths between the huts become the wide dirt roads between busy facilities.

The road building does not exist in this game by the way, at least the way it does in Manor Lords, an inevitable comparison. Sure, user can designate some quadrilateral surface to be bricked, but building a brick road is a pain in the ass. It's tough to set the stone buildings in the right spots to line up, the inclined surface cannot be leveled so a lot of attractive real estate is wasted, and the way the buildings can be "customized" by skewing the model and textures is definitely cursed.

The game would benefit much from QOL updates like ML-style house plotting, without a risk to become a clone of ML - the shift of focus to a single town is a differentiating one IMHO. And of course the game could benefit from new content - more buildings, trades, diplomacy, military, shipbuilding.

I also wish the creator was able to fund an UE team to improve the graphics, but honestly with this level of detail you quickly forget about lack of the shaders or grass. Just don't, I bid you - don't ever try to take a really good look at the reflection of the sun in the river.

Anyway, for me it was a smooth and peaceful experience, sure hope this game keeps getting updates.

Buy the game to support the developer!