Dawnfolk

Lueur and the Dim Settlers is a simple-looking strategy game where you create a thriving town and reclaim the land from darkness. You expand your settlement by selecting different tiles to meet the resources and people you need. The simple tile-choosing expansion and resource-gathering mini-games make it both approachable and manageable in both turn-based and real-time play.

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The earth has been covered in strange obsidian monoliths that brought gloomy darkness to the land. Pockets of humanity survived by retreating to a rural existence. With the help of a mysterious creature that can repel the darkness, you work to rebuild a haven for the survivors.

Play involves gathering resources from tiles on a grid and building structures to house civilians and grow your infrastructure with taverns, churches, farms, and houses. You collect food or wood by playing a minigame, such as aiming and shooting at deer or timing your axe swings.

As you progress you unlock structures that automatically generate resources each day, letting you focus on the bigger picture. Play can be turn-based, where you decide when to advance the day. Or it can be real-time, where each day progresses at a set rate. Maximising your efficiency and expansion requires experimenting with different tactics and strategies for which buildings you make, where you make them, and in what order you do so.

The result is an approachable game that offers a streamlined city-building challenge. Beneath this simple exterior, there is a surprisingly complex strategy experience where resources and expansion must be carefully balanced. Slowly building out your settlement and finding the best ways to optimise your expansion is hugely rewarding.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Dawnfolk 18 months ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 2 weeks ago.