Townscaperallows players to finally build the diorama of their dreams. It’s perfect for folks who love helping their children with diorama school projects, or find building LEGOs therapeutic. It’s a simple game where players just click on empty spaces, and out come the buildings or platforms for them to customize.
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It’s like being an architectural major’s deity of choice — literally creating structurally sound townscapes out of nothing. In an industry where power fantasies, killing, and destruction are the norm, getting to build something is a lovelychange of scenery. Truth be told, everyone probably needs more games likeTownscaper.With that in mind, these other titles should do the trick for folks looking for more games in that vein.
8Dorfromantik
Dorfromatikis one of the most recent titles here, and players can think of it as a cross betweenTownscaperandCivilization. Gamers get to plop down hexagonal tiles each representing a type of landscape. Put enough of them in compatible order, and players get a functioning and ever-expanding village with its own open spaces, in case the dairy factory needs grass.
UnlikeTownscaper,though,Dorfromatikgives players a sense of progression as some tiles are locked behind certain progress milestones. Quests are also available, making it more like a puzzle game where players solve some of their town’s shortcomings. The best way to describe it is that ifTownscaperis a bucket of LEGOs, thenDorfromatikis a jigsaw puzzle.
7Wonderbox
It seems March 2021 was a productive month for creative and chill video games, asWonderboxwas also released around that time. It’s primarily a fantasy adventure game, but players actually get to create their own adventure instances orgame worlds. They can then share it with others and peruse some of the other players' adventures.
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Creating an adventure starts with crafting the landscape, and many players will findWonderboxto be well-equipped for that venture. The only downside is that it’s limited to Apple devices for now. If players have iPhones though, they can check it out there.
6Old Man’s Journey
BeforeTownscaperwas even released, games that love their pastel-colored locales and nostalgic atmosphere straight out of Instagram filters had already been done masterfully.Old Man’s Journeyis a shining example of this notion.
It’s a calming tale of an old man who leaves his home for some soul-searching. Players can then help him in his journey by reshaping landscapes. This is not unlikeTownscaperwhen they’re building houses and platforms.
5Cloud Gardens
One doesn’t usually expect a post-apocalypticgame to be relaxing, butCloud Gardensmanaged it with flying colors. This managerial sim is all about teaching the players the value of resilience in a somberly tranquil wasteland of a former civilization.
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How do they do that? By planting, of course. Players choose to drape moss, orchids, or other kinds of vegetation over the crumbling remains of cities. In a sense, they’re beautifying the world again, and rebirthing the ecosystems that perished during the apocalypse.
4Atlas Architect
Forget about making puny buildings. InAtlas Architect, players build the earth and shape it as they see fit. Initially, everyone is given a vast expanse of water or seas. Players can then start populating that blue void with some lush greens and rugged greys.
Afterward, they can put a literal kingdom that’s reminiscent of Disney World in the lands that they built. Feudalism has never been this fun and creative. To that end,Atlas Architectis probably the most similar title here when compared withTownscaper.
3Kingdoms And Castles
For those looking for something more challenging than building houses and platforms of different colors,Kingdoms and Castlesactually threatens players with a game over screen. It’s a medieval fantasycity-builderwhere the cute graphics hide a hardcore facade.
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Over time, as players expand their fiefdom into a kingdom, progressively deadlier threats will assail their borders until dragons start seeing their town squares as target practice. Economics and city planning thus play an important role here, and creativity more or less takes a backseat.
2Super Build
Super Buildis similar toKingdoms and Castles,except its easy andpeaceful modeis mandatory. This game won’t stress players out with unnecessary threats to their creations, internal or external. It’s a relaxing medieval city builder with no goals, no objectives, and no pressure.
Players just build their own medieval nation as they see fit. Want to build a suboptimal hamlet with more focus on aesthetics than practicality?Super Buildis the perfect game for that. It also helps that players can start monumental projects such as pyramid-sized tombs and many other marvels of human history.
1Islanders
Islandersoffers a great balance between strategy and minimalism in buildingsimulators. It is a city-builder and there is a chance of failing, but given how simple the game’s mechanics are, players usually won’t find much pressure in this game.
Players are free to build any building they like without resource restrictions but their building pool is limited depending on the landscape. That means they will still have to strategically pick good spots for certain buildings where they can balance out style and functionality.
