Doloc Town

8/10 - You should ABSOLUTELY give this game a chance!!
*Early Access Review*

One of the reviews on the Steam page calls it a "side-scroller Stardew Valley", but I think this game is so much more. As someone who does have thousands of hours in Stardew, Doloc Town is unique in its environmental art, character design, storyline, and mechanics. I totally get the comparison, because it scratches that same itch that makes me binge games like Stardew, BUT I truly think Doloc Town is its own unique game.

Pros
- Adorable art
- Unique character design
- Cool post-apocalyptic environment (which is a part of the mechanics too!!)
- Complex game mechanics like automation, tech trees, extreme weather, seed genetics, aquatic breeding, combat drones, parkour
- Hidden areas and chests
- Reduce, reuse, recycle!! (come be a trash goblin >:3)
- You can tell it's a work made with love and care

Cons
- Making money at the beginning feels really slow
- The number of quests near the beginning feel a little overwhelming
- If you focus on setting up your farm, you may forget where quests are supposed to take place on the map (at least I did lol)
- Could do with more QoL (not looked at mods if those would help and I'm still early-ish into the game, but I think some feedback could be applied to base game)

Feedback
- A more interactive map - like, let me make notes on where certain locations are, or highlight important storyline areas after I've visited them
- Let me choose where to save while in the game, rather than having to exit out to main menu

This is all I can think of for now off the top of my head, but I might edit this after 100+ hours or so!

Well polished, detailed post-apocalyptic farming sim that has it all.
Complex farming: Growth stages, watering, plant health, fertilizer, plant protection, and most unique - genes modifiers you can tinker with in late game.
You also need to unlock seeds to begin with. Find hidden, protected samples in the wild, do research and provide materials to get them.
The farm is 2D, you will build more horizontally than wide. You will be stacking a lot of containers and platforms. And it's fun and gives a really nice sense of progression from the tiny tent in the beginning to the industrial drone-automated farming hub you will later have.
Exploration is fun and rewarding: The map is big and full of hidden staches you can loot. Example: Not too far from the scrapper is a permanent bonus on health and energy you can reach as soon you get the double dash.
Later you'll be cruising around on a hover bike. If you dont just take the bus.
Areas unlock with you slowly restoring the enviroment.
Characters aren't too fleshed out but still adorable and individual.
You will meet and invite several distinct faction representative who will help you with your farming.
Friends will give you meaningful presents. Like some oldschool casette player you can fill with tapes you find all around the mpa.
And all of that is wrapped in an incredibly unique and well drawn pixel art.
Thus I give this game the highest compliment a German can give:
I can't complain.
I really can't. There's nothing that bothers me and I looked really hard.
Hell, my biggest concern with this game is that it's underpriced considering all the content it offers!
Big recommendation to everyone, not just fans of the farming sim.

*takes a deep breath, sighs*
*goes to the blacksmith, clicks to upgrade their pickaxe for the first time*
*pickaxe immediately upgrades*
*like, I already have it back*
*no waiting for two days*

Best game of the century, 11/10

I got Doloc Town thinking it would be just another farming sim. Boy was I wrong.
The story is already amazing and I haven't even gotten very far into it. The premise there is very dystopian but in a way I don't see very often. You're not mid apocalypse or so far after the apocalypse that it's wild country, but you're set only a few years after the apocalypse has occurred and society has clung to what normality they can in a post-apocalyptic world.
The NPCs in this game, even only being early access, feel very fleshed out and real. While there has not been an in-depth dive into any characters, though the new update will change that for a few, it is obvious that they have their own motivations and pasts.
The game is extremely immersive. I say immersive as in, not based on graphics, but on how believable the information is that the game is conveying to me. Generally, everything the game offers me in terms of lore, motivations, and even reasons why I can't go to an area, is all believable and even reasonable for the setting and the world.
The art is adorable, giving the in-game buildings and environment the sense of being somewhat haphazard without it becoming visually overwhelming. The music just ties it all together, obviously present but never in your face about it, it creates the perfect background to get pulled even further into the game.
The gameplay itself isn't incredibly unique, if you've played a farming sim, you know the drill. But the way Doloc Town approaches these gameplay elements feels very polished and I would call it expertly done. Nothing feels like an afterthought or like it was added just to check it off a list.
The combat doesn't feel clunky or like it is there just to cause the player annoyance and the use of drones makes it feel very fresh instead of overdone. It makes it fun rather than grindy.
Speaking of grinding, like most games, you will have to grind for things. But I think Doloc Town approaches resource collecting in a way that smooths over a lot of the boredom that comes with it. There's plenty of different things you can grind from farming, to fishing, to mining, to cooking, to scavenging. I think by having so many different options and areas where all of these can intersect, it feels less like going through the motions and more akin to it simply becoming your routine as a player.
Overall, I would have to say that Doloc Town might not be to everyone's taste, but it is an amazing game at its core. I rarely write reviews for games but I had to pause mid session to write this because of how in love with it I fell. And for it's price? Well, if you're on the fence I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Thank you, Developers, for the amazing game and I'm so incredibly excited for future updates.

Unfortunately it runs great on the deck and my productivity is suffering immensely
Beware

Normally, when playing 2D side-scrolling games, usually see farming systems merely as a side feature. Doloc Town it feels completely different.
farming is the core experience, and it’s so fun.
The game is set in a post apocalyptic world that evokes a lonely, desolate atmosphere. at the same time, the relationships among the NPCs living in town bring a heartwarming feel to the experience. soundtrack contributes immensely to this vibe it’s charming, concept of container farming, which fits the game's art style brilliantly.
gameplay is engaging, featuring systems like seed genetics, fish breeding, and environmental factors that affect your crops.
Combat in the game relies on drones, which you can either craft yourself or pick up as monster drops. However, combat isn't the main focus , the game is still in early access game , there's only one boss so far and the maps are fairly limited.
QoL features unlocked through quest progression make the game run much smoother compared to the early patches.
Looking ahead, the developers plan to introduce even more automated farming systems.
All of this makes waiting for the full release next month incredibly exciting

This is one of the only farming sim games that meaningfully shifts from and adds to the stardew valley formula. The game has a unique cozy post-apocalypse setting (inspired by GLT) and an equally unique genre combination of metroidvania/farming sim. The aesthetic, graphics, and mechanics all demonstrate a high level of polish and originality. At this point, it feels rare to find games that are willing to take risks and execute well on them, but Doloc Town fulfills that description. There's only so much I can say besides "you should stop looking at reviews and play this game."
The biggest issue I've experienced in this game is its translation. The game is originally Chinese. The English translation is fully serviceable, but it has its fair share of mistakes or unnatural bits. It's a relatively minor drawback to an otherwise great game, but worth mentioning.