Dawnfolk is a cheerful pixelart city builder that lets you raise a kingdom in minutes

City-builders come in all shapes and sizes, and Dawnfolk is no exception. This pixelart fantasy town grower is described as “charmingly dark and minimalist”, offering a unique gaming experience reminiscent of animated postage stamps. The game’s premise involves running a tile-based kingdom overcome by malevolent shadows, with the help of a fireball friend named Lueur who can light up tiles using glowdust. Players can grow crops, breed animals, and construct various buildings like taverns and temples on these illuminated tiles. While the game may appear trim and tidy, it offers a captivating gameplay experience as seen in the Steam demo.

The Steam page mentions that Dawnfolk is designed to be accessible to players who may not have the time to invest in learning complex grand strategy games. You can dive right in and start building your settlement immediately, progressing from a handful of tents to a bustling city in under an hour. The game’s simplicity comes at the cost of depth compared to traditional city-builders, resembling more of a strategy puzzle boardgame with adjacency bonuses influencing building placement and resource management.

Despite its simplicity, Dawnfolk offers a lively and immersive gaming experience. The world is filled with marketplace chatter, animal noises, and even military elements such as battling Orc camps and malevolent shadows. The combat system is presented as a minigame within the tiles, adding an interactive element to the gameplay.

While some of the minigames in Dawnfolk may feel basic and repetitive, the game overall provides a pleasant diversion for players seeking a casual gaming experience. Whether you’re flattening Orc camps or engaging in battles with shadows, Dawnfolk offers a unique blend of city-building and strategy elements. The game is now available for purchase, with a demo still accessible on Steam for those interested in trying it out.