Partnering up with Tiny Build, T4interactive launched Community Inc on Steam last week. This game, just by looking at its name is everything you’d expect as you manage a community on your own plot visited often by other traders.
Lings are your community companions you have to provide, organize and keep thriving. Each Ling comes with its own attributes so you may assign crafts or professions strategically aiding the success of your plot turning into a village, then a city and so forth but be warned! Weather, animals and other communities who trade with you also impact your progress along with the happiness of your Lings.
A Kiwi bird’s eye view of Community Inc
Let’s not beat around the bush! It took me a multitude of times to get all crafting apparatus built along with a shop, house, warehouse and animal pens before my Lings would commit suicide freaking me out the first time! Apparently that little green apple flashing on the right of a very handy UI means something! In fact, navigating the UI first is the best advice I can give you as their is a level of depth in Community Inc that is really user friendly and enjoyable.
What else is enjoyable is not everything is obvious.
You don’t know what traders get along with who at first. You are not 100% certain the order you are building, let alone gathering is the best order as resources matter and you might not realize until it’s too late that every decision impacts everything. Never fear though you can just quit the game at any time and start again or save your community to come back to later and keep going.
The music is delightful along with the artwork and key control movement makes for quick work and taking in everything going on with your Lings and traders who visit often.
There are three modes available and the ability to choose how your land flourishes as well as minimal server issues easily fixed by restarting (don’t forget to save!) but the best “warning” I can give you is that there is also a time munching kind of voodoo going on in Community Inc because it is so addictive! One minute you think let’s just see if I can get this much done and next minute you know it’s way passed whatever time you were meant to do many other things including writing this review! It’s that addictive.
Server stability needs to be looked at as my game froze more than once and I could not save it so had to relog and start again. Also, my Lings don’t seem to always do what they are told along with crafting and building orders needing some updates to order efficiently. I would not currently recommend putting down more than one unbuilt structure at a time if you need to craft items.
All in all, though this game really is surprisingly very good and if you enjoy progressive building or economic games that have politics and whimsy you will enjoy Community Inc. Jump on in and let us know how you find it! Oh and if you figure out how to pick up treasure instead of destroying it like I keep doing, let me know also in the comments!
