Ostriv

What the heck is Ostriv? Well, it is a city building game, which is a genre that I really do enjoy. I have spent hundreds of hours in games such as Sim City and Theme Park over the years so whenever one of these comes out that tries to do something different, I am all on board with it.

Humble Beginnings

Let me start by saying that Ostriv is a game that is being made by just one person and it has been in early access for a couple of years as I write this. The game has had some pretty substantial updates with a rathe big one happening in December of 2019. So please keep the rather humble development of the game in mind as we go forward.

18th Century Living

The setting of Ostriv is something that really did capture my eye. I liked how the game was set in the 18th century and as a result, things are very much different than in a game like Sim City for example. I found myself really invested in my little community and really did want to do what is best for them. The infrastructure that you need to set up and keep running in a game like this is very different from something like Sim City.

So Much To Do, So Little Time!

Look, I have already stated that Ostriv is a city building game so with that you have an idea of what to expect. I wanted to give you some examples here of how in-depth the game can be. Let start with something that you will be doing a lot and that is building a house. You do not just click a magic “build a house” button. Instead, you need to get all of the supplies which means you need to get the wood, get the clay, get the nails and do the construction. Everything in the game requires that you do something else and keeping it all going at the same time is the real challenge.

A great example of this is the way seasons can affect the game. I spent a great deal of time getting a dock built and a boathouse so that I could have a strong fishing industry. Well, winter came, froze over my waters and as my attention was mainly focused on that, people left my town as I did not have enough homes built! There are many things to keep your eye on in the game, but that is what I like about it. You always feel that you learn from your failures and that is good game design in my book.

I think that Ostriv is a really fun game and one that is great if you love city building games. It is way more in-depth than you would expect from a game made by just one person. Even though it is not finished yet, Ostriv has a ton of fun and gameplay that you can really sink your teeth into. Expect this game to take over your life as that is what it will do!

Final Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• I love the 18th contrary setting
• Keeping your townfolk happy is fun
• There is so much to do
• I love how much work you have to do
• The seasons really do have a dramatic effect on how things are

Cons:

• The game is still not finished
• It can be a long time between updates