Fabledom [PC] | REVIEW

With its whimsical fairytale-like setting and simple yet satisfying gameplay mechanics, Fabledom is one city-building experience that’s sure to appeal to both newbies and veterans of the genre.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Fabledom has actually been available for a while, with the game hitting Early Access on Steam back in 2023 and seeing a plethora of updates in that time as it has grown into a more fleshed-out experience. Of course, all city-builders start off simple and Fabledom is no different, with the game giving players a country to call home as they lay the foundations of their first village. From there, they’ll lead their populace (affectionately known as ‘Fablings’) into prosperity, with their cosy village eventually expanding into a gigantic kingdom that spreads further and further across the land.

Again, Fabledom follows the blueprint of the genre in this regard, with players collecting resources, expanding their village with buildings that serve a variety of functions, ensuring their Fablings are kept happy and fed, upgrading their Fablings and facilities to continue to develop their village, and building an army to ensure it stays safe from the many threats roaming the land. You live in a world based around fairytales after all, so don’t be surprised to encounter some creatures that need taking care of.

Admittedly, you would’ve seen the core gameplay mechanics plenty of times before if you’re familiar with the genre, with Fabledom not really innovating upon the formula too much. In some ways, it even simplifies some processes, with building or resource-gathering a lot more straightforward than in similar titles. Managing your buildings is a LOT easier too, especially when compared to some city-builders that demand players fine-tune every aspect of their city’s design and ensure that they’re fully interconnected with amenities… Fabledom doesn’t require any of that. It was rare that I found myself in troubled situations where resources would run low when playing, with the forgiving difficulty ensuring your mistakes don’t get punished too much.

“Some of these fairytale encounters can genuinely affect your kingdom too, with it easy to find yourself on the wrong side of a witch’s curse or facing off against an unruly giant if you’re not too careful.”

Whilst this easier-going approach may not appeal to everyone, I think it’s one of Fabledom’s greatest strengths. It’s so easy to pick up and play almost immediately, whilst there’s enough going on in the game to keep players busy when managing their kingdom. There’s a rewarding sense of progression that sees new mechanics continually come into play to keep the experience fresh, and whilst it might not necessarily be challenging, Fabledom will certainly keep players busy ensuring that their kingdom is efficiently run. Best of all? It gives a steady flow of objectives that ensure your progression is meaningful and easy to follow, all whilst offering enough little distractions to ensure you can play at your own pace and experiment in your own little ways.

That’s not to say there aren’t some complex mechanics in play though, with players having to recruit heroes to send out on missions, forge alliances with other kingdoms to set up a trading network, build armies and go to war when the time calls for it, and even potentially marry the prince or princess of another kingdom to get your ‘happily ever after’. Fabledom is very accessible in design, but it brings with it plenty of depth to ensure players will be kept fully invested in developing their kingdom into the most prestigious (and, if you want, most powerful) in all of the land.

It’s absolutely oozing with charm too, with Fabledom going all-out when embracing its fairytale-themed premise. Whilst expanding your land and building your kingdom, you’ll encounter peculiar scenarios that’ll see you interact with fairytale characters and creatures in all sorts of quirky little ways. Some of these fairytale encounters can genuinely affect your kingdom too, with it easy to find yourself on the wrong side of a witch’s curse or facing off against an unruly giant if you’re not too careful. These were some of my favourite moments of the game, with it always a pleasant surprise to see what you might encounter next – even IF it might not always work out in your favour.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The only downside to the gameplay is that the pace could be a little slow at times, with your Fablings not exactly a spritely bunch when it comes to performing actions. Maybe it was more noticeable because of the laidback nature of the game, but there were plenty of occasions where I felt like I was simply left aimlessly waiting for them to complete a straightforward task. It’s a minor issue, but after spending over twenty-hours with the game so far, it’s something I noticed quite regularly.

I can’t end this review without mentioning the game’s presentation, which is an absolute delight throughout. Everything has this cutesy charm to it (even the dragons which are always a foreboding sight), whilst the ever-changing landscapes truly feel like they have come straight out of the pages of a fairytale. And seeing your small village expand into a massive kingdom? It’s glorious, with the sense of scale proving really impressive, whether that’s with the castle overlooking your kingdom or with a giant beanstalk in the distance that ominously reaches up into the clouds…

Developer: Grenaa Games
Publisher: Dear Villagers, Doyoyo Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1651560/Fabledom/