When you think of builder sims, you’d typically think of larger-scale affairs like the classic SimCity or Civilization series, working to start from modest means to do something at a more grand scale. The thing is, sometimes you either don’t have the time or energy to take on anything quite that big, so it can be nice to tackle something more humble perhaps, like simply helping your fledgling Viking clan build itself up to survive and begin to thrive while simply trying to be sure you’ll be able to survive some harsh winters.

That’s the hook in Landnama, a self-proclaimed “non-violent, roguelite survival base builder”. By removing the concerns with building defenses, and getting into inevitable land and resource battles with your neighbors, here your focus is much more simple. You’ll need to balance your needs to explore the area, build critical infrastructure, and do at least some rudimentary planning to ensure you’ve set yourself up for success. You have one critical resource you need to keep an eye on, and that is your clan’s heart, which is expended when exploring or building and then replenished on a regular cycle by your active buildings.

It absolutely will take you a few runs to get the feel of things, trying to figure out how to temper your exploration and growth carefully and intelligently. It’s very easy to lose track of where you are in the cycle and accidentally leave yourself just short of the heart you needed to survive the rough winters, but if you’re too slow to act you’ll find yourself quickly outpaced by the increasingly tough winters you’ll face. Early on it also isn’t uncommon to misunderstand the importance of having a bit of a plan for development, as you won’t only require the proper type of land for certain buildings, you’ll also often need to be adjacent to others as well.

Once you get the hang of things, you’ll complete the scenario with your first clan and then immediately be challenged with another, just this time with a few more variables and challenges to take into account depending on your people or where you’re choosing to settle. What I appreciate about the game is that it stands out as being pretty unique by excluding the element of warfare, but then also by no means being an easy or cozy game in any way. This is a title designed to make you think quickly and make decisions under a fair amount of pressure, but being able to win or lose in only about 10 - 15 minutes makes it more of a bite-sized challenge than you’d normally expect.