This past week has seen a number of new games hit the market — indie and AAA titles alike. Games like For Honor, Sniper 4, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands are expected to been seen in Steam’s Top Seller list. But one indie title managed to claw its way into the top 10 list and become the top selling indie game this week: Northgard.
Northgard, the current project of Shiro Games — the creative minds behind other titles like Evoland & Evoland II — may only be in early access, but it already shows much promise with the available gameplay and great audio/visual elements.
So, what kind of game is Northgard?
My first impression of it felt a lot like a colony simulation game, something like Banished or Age of Empires — except that Northgard isn’t as “busy” as AoE but is busier than Banished.
You’re playing as a group of Vikings who have settled into a new, mysterious continent and must fight for control of the lands. There are currently 3 playable factions for aggressive/defensive/expansionist playstyles, and it looks like the team plans to expand to at least 5 factions.
There is a good balance of resource gathering, map exploration, settlement management, and battles. In addition to that, there are a number of ways to achieve a victory, which makes winning viable for all playstyles.
One of the unique aspects I like about the game is that there is limited building availability per map section, so you really need to plan out what it is you’re doing as you expand your colony. Also, assigning your villagers a job is a really fun and engaging way to add a bit more life into the game as it breaks up general units that do everything. Miners mine, Raiders raid, and Scouts scout.
Scouts, by the way, are pretty cool and useful units as they survey the lands and gather vital intel on their discoveries such as building limits, resources available, and they can even explore ruins giving your faction a possible boost over your rivals.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in playing, the game is currently on sale over on the Steam Marketplace for $17.99. We also have a Northgard starter guide to help you crush the other factions and conquer this new, mysterious land.
