The Block (2022)

Developer: Paul Schnepf
Publisher: Future Friends Games
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Genres: Casual, Indie
Rating: 3.6 of 5, 185 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 16 minutes
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A tiny, no-pressure toy-like city builder where you casually arrange cute tiles for a few minutes of soothing, low-stakes creation.

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What players say

Players call The Block a relaxing fidget toy rather than a game, with no goals or scores. Many wish for more building pieces and the ability to zoom in, and a few compare it to Islanders but without that game's objectives.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.