Summary
Thecity-buildingand colony-sim genres, while full of complexity, have become somewhat tired over the years, arguably due to the sheer number of games that fit the description. However, in December 2023,Against the Stormcame out of Early Access. This dark fantasy strategy game tasks players with leading a variety of fantastical races amid apocalyptic weather conditions.
What’s unique aboutAgainst the Stormis that it takes the cornerstone mechanics of city-builders and colony-sims and puts them in a rogue-lite structure; instead of building one giant settlement, players make their way through several runs, building countless settlements. The game’s visual style borrows from old-school strategy games likeWarcraft, with a distinctive, painterly cartoon style.Against the Stormis a truly unique game, and there have yet to be any games that build on its ideas, but these examples offer similar experiences.
This turn-based colony simulator also features rogue-like elements, primarily in its structure.Terraformersfeels very similar to a board game, with a heavy focus on management and strategy, but its procedural generation and clean user-interface take full advantage of its digital format.
Fans ofAgainst the Stormwill likely enjoy the colony management gameplay ofTerraformers, and the game’s procedural generation also helps to make the game feel more like a rogue-like. However, the turn-based nature ofTerraformers, as well as its relatively static graphical style, may turn some fans ofAgainst the Stormaway.
This post-apocalyptic city-builder features traditional city-building gameplayset in a harsh world.Endzone’senvironments are hostile, with radiation, sandstorms, and even toxic rain. This focus on building a city in a harsh environment with survival elements is likely to appeal to fans ofAgainst the Storm.
Success inEndzoneusually boils down to how well players can plan ahead, as the game will frequently throw droughts and raids at the player that require preparation to survive. This gameplay, while not identical toAgainst the Storm, offers a similar experience. However,Endzonestill lacks the addictive, well-crafted rogue-lite loop ofAgainst the Storm, and it could be argued thatEndzone’sgameplay and graphical style aren’t as polished.
This society management game, from the team behindThis War of Mine, tasks players with building up a city around a giant hearth while managing its denizens.Frostpunkfeatures dark themes, and its harsh environments and realities often force the player into making tough decisions.
Fans ofAgainst the Stormmight enjoyFrostpunkfor itsdark, apocalyptic themes, as well as its focus on trial-and-error city-building. AlthoughFrostpunkis more about resource management and survival than it is about city-building, its unique gameplay may also appeal to fans ofAgainst the Storm.
Thisunique rogue-lite deck-builderfeatures city-building and base-defense elements similar to games such asKingdomandThronefall, allowing players to construct buildings to strengthen the defense of their city.Ratropolisis a fast-paced game,tasking players with survivingthirty waves of relentless enemies, but its city-building elements are fairly limited in comparison toAgainst the Storm.
For fans ofAgainst the Storm,Ratropolisis among the few games that offer a combination of city-building and rogue-lite gameplay. However, unlikeAgainst the Storm,Ratropolisfocuses more on its base-defense and deck-building mechanics than its city-building elements. Despite this, fans ofAgainst the Stormmay also enjoy the novel gameplay on offer here.
This rogue-lite city-builder God game tasks players with playing a variety of cards to build island settlements. The game features three playable Gods, each with their own unique cards and abilities, allowing for runs that feel different every time.
Similar toAgainst the Storm,These Doomed Islesfeatures a solid and enjoyably repetitive run-based gameplay loop, tasking players with bothbuilding and defendingtheir settlement. However,These Doomed Islesalso manages to be unique with itsGod-game mechanicsand deck-building elements.
Taking heavyinspiration from board games,dotAGEfeatures strategic worker-placement gameplay that tasks players with assigning their workers to a variety of tasks to run a successful settlement. UnlikeAgainst the Storm,dotAGEis turn-based. However, its combination of rogue-lite structure, city-building gameplay, and survival elements make it a very similar experience.
dotAGEtasks players with preparing and organizing their settlement to defend against catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and disease. These events keep players on their toes by constantly giving them something to worry about. WhiledotAGEhas its own unique look and feel, it manages to provide a well-crafted and similar experience to that ofAgainst the Storm.
