Alongside heavy hitters such as Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress, and Oxygen Not Included, there are some other fantastic colony sims to be found on Steam, and one that might have flown under your radar is Clanfolk. The rural medieval management game set in the Scottish Highlands has a small but mighty reputation, with a 90% review score showing that it’s certainly worth your attention, and developer MinMax Games has just launched a big update packed with politics, bridge-building, and beavers, which you can check out now alongside a hefty Steam sale discount if you’re jumping in for the first time.
If you’re not already familiar with Clanfolk, it starts you out with just a small family on an empty plot of land up in the Highlands of Scotland, where you’ll establish a cozy home, till the fields, raise livestock, and pack in supplies to withstand those bitter northern frosts when winter comes. Then, in that satisfying manner of the best colony management games, you’ll slowly expand your settlement and your family, passing knowledge and skills between generations of individuals each with their own traits, skill sets, and aspirations.
The new Clanfolk update implements a swimming mechanic, which came after an extensive development process resulting from a desire to add beavers. Those furry friends have also led to the introduction of both rivers and a water depth system, which in turn has improved the look and feel of shorelines. To round all this out, the update also brings a range of additional construction options to the table, including the likes of bridges and piers.
In order to complement all this, the team has created some new maps with all manner of shorelines, rivers, and so on, which it’s woven into its map generation tech. That technical work has also given weather an upgrade – you’ll now see clouds and lightning in the sky, both of which feel like very worthwhile additions to the Scottish landscape of Clanfolk.
The politics of the clan and their neighboring settlements have also been given an update with the introduction of a negotiation system. This will run over long stretches, and you’ll need to make use of the new persuasion and intimidation skills to get ahead of the game. Make too many wrong steps, and you might wind up with a brawl on your hands – but play your cards right and you’ll come out on top. If this update has you curious, there’s good news, as a Steam sale means you can snag it cheaply right now.
Clanfolk is available now on Steam, with a 40% discount available until Sunday May 5. That means you’ll pay just $17.99/£14.99 if you decide to buy it now, down from its usual price of $29.99/£24.99.
Alternatively, we’ve got more of the best sandbox games and the best city-building games in 2024 for plenty of top-notch ways to exercise your creative muscles.
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