River Towns is a product of Frogsong Studios, an independent game developer focused on creating imaginative and innovative gaming experiences. Originally a passion project, River Towns faced significant hurdles when financial difficulties forced Frogsong Studios to lay off its entire team in 2024. To salvage the project, Frogsong Studios launched a Kickstarter campaign, successfully raising over $13,000 to fund the game’s completion.
With River Towns, the development team aimed to create a compelling fusion of city-building and puzzle mechanics. The game utilizes procedurally generated buildings, ensuring that each level presents unique challenges and strategic opportunities. This design choice contributes to a dynamic and varied gameplay experience. Players are tasked with strategically placing buildings within a confined area, adhering to the distinct architectural styles and rules of different districts. The objective is to cultivate a thriving city while maximizing points and overall development. Consequently, gameplay involves more than simply fitting Tetris-like pieces together; players must also consider the specific district types being constructed.
Currently, River Towns is available exclusively on PC. Given the game’s relatively modest graphical demands, it does not require high-end hardware. The developers specify minimum requirements of 8 GB of RAM and compatibility with DirectX version 11, indicating that a dedicated high-performance graphics card is not essential.
The game exhibits some minor shortcomings that can subtly impact the user experience. The absence of gamepad support is notable, although the game is arguably more intuitive to control with a mouse and keyboard. However, this could present challenges for a potential console release. Regarding mouse controls, customizable button assignments would be a welcome addition, as the default control scheme can occasionally feel somewhat unwieldy. The most significant frustration stemmed from the lack of an undo function, which occasionally led to setbacks. Furthermore, the difficulty curve could benefit from refinement; the initial levels are remarkably straightforward, followed by an abrupt increase in difficulty without providing ample opportunity for players to acclimate.
In conclusion, River Towns offers a fresh take on the classic puzzle genre by integrating city-building elements with strategic gameplay. It is a worthwhile title for enthusiasts of both puzzle and city-building games.
Frogsong Studios provided a review code for the purpose of this evaluation. Submission of materials does not influence our editorial assessment.
