Towns (2012)

Developer: Xavi Canal, Ben Palgi
Publisher: SMP
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Indie, RPG, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 1.4 of 5, 2,836 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 26 hours
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

Managing a settlement above a dungeon feels like an indirect strategy where you support heroes rather than control them.

deliberatemethodicalstrategicmanagingindirectchallengingpixelatedroguelike

What players say

Players describe an ambitious colony sim that was abandoned unfinished and outclassed by Dwarf Fortress and Rimworld. Sentiment is divided: many warn against buying a dead product, while hopefuls note the source code release could let the community revive it.

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.