Dawnmaker

Dawnmaker is an intriguing strategy title that merges city-building principles with deckbuilding mechanics in a way that feels both familiar and refreshingly distinct. Developed by Arpentor Studio and published by Acram Digital, the game places players in the role of a caretaker tasked with restoring civilization across the mist-covered lands of Heksiga. The world has been consumed by a dangerous Smog, leaving only ancient lighthouses as bastions of hope. From its opening moments, Dawnmaker establishes a compelling premise centered on rebuilding, discovery, and survival, inviting players into a slower and more contemplative experience than many modern strategy games. The game's foundation lies in its turn-based design, where every action carries significance. Players build settlements around their lighthouse by drawing and utilizing cards that represent structures, resources, and technological advancements. This fusion of mechanics creates a satisfying rhythm, as each turn presents opportunities to refine a strategy or adapt to changing circumstances. Managing resources becomes a balancing act that never feels overly punishing, while the gradual expansion of one's settlement offer…

1 I GOT THIS ON SALE FOR UNDER 10 DOLLARS (UNSURE IF IT WAS WORTH 15 BUT DEFINITELY 10) 2 THIS GAME IS SET UP MORE LIKE A BOARD GAME AND IS THEREFORE FAIRLY SIMPLIFIED IN TERMS OF GAMEPLAY (SOLITAIRE STYLE) 3. DO NOT EXPECT A LOT OF RNG OR INFINITE WORLD BUILDING (SEE 2) THIS GAME WAS FUN THIS GAME IS NOT ROGUELITE SUPPORT THE PROGRAM CREATORS AS YOU CAN TELL THEY HAVE A VERY POLISHED, SIMPLE GAME!

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Interesting concept. I played 23 hours to victory (left two 4* and maybe one 3* nodes alone, but completed the right and down side). Beyond that see no replay value. If was fun and certainly matches the price. It's somewhat annoying that the space is limited and RNG gives you the wrong buildings in the shop and in the market -- but without that where would be the challenge :) The key is patience: just take the extra turns before upgrading the stationtill the fog penalty is low. What I found odd is that many buildings and cards are obviously bad -- or feel like that. And the level 5 stuff never seen play for me or too little to mention, vicotory was 1-2 turns form last upgrade. So some tuning could be useful.

https://youtu.be/RVd2IrghzQA Difficulty may be a bit tightly tuned but the 4x deck builder has some interesting hooks to bring players in with.

While it is a nice little puzzle/resource management game, I can't really recommend it. There isn't a lot of content, and you're probably tired out in 5-10 hours. The gameplay is repetitive and what's on offer here is of lower quality than what this genre generally has to offer.