Welcome to antiquity

Tribe: Primitive Builder, developed by Space Boat Studios, Polyslash and Baked Games S.A. and distributed by PlayWay S.A., released on October 12, 2023, available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X.

It's a construction and survival game, with RPG elements and an open world, set on a large island, where we are a newly arrived builder who needs to prove himself to the gods, overcoming challenges and managing the tribe.




The basics

Firstly, the game's initial development dynamics are based on dialogues and small tutorials presented by the tribe's elder, who guides us and gives us tasks to familiarize us with the mechanics.

I particularly like this system, since the game's tutorial is mixed with the gameplay and although everything is very simple and even relaxing, the game is not boring.

The game itself is very easy, everything fits together as it should, the story flows smoothly and the game presents very little difficulty. It is worth mentioning that this is a single player game and that we will be necessarily alone.

The game's setting is certainly its biggest attraction, as, for example, fans of Grounded, Valheim and The Forest will feel comfortable, and new players who are interested will adapt very well.

The similarities that Tribe: Primitive Builder has with other games are undeniable, however, they are approached in a very original way, the development of your relationship with the Elder and the Gods, and consequently your morals with the tribe, occur in a very natural.

There is a constant feeling of actually being on an isolated, mysterious island, but at the same time very vivid and calm, the style of construction and progression is comfortable, and, in my opinion, this is the game's great charm.

The story behind Tribe: Primitive Builder is that we are a master builder sent by the gods who have all their buildings destroyed during a storm, however, these gods want to test us, taking us to a new island, with new people and a new mission.




An interesting set, to say the least

The rhythm of the game is driven by carrying out missions and rituals commanded by our character, the only point that left me confused would be walking around the map and arriving at certain places that are quite hidden, the fact that it is difficult to access is not the problem, but rather the way the game gives the coordinates to access such locations.

After the beginning, the game becomes even more fun to play, lacking in some details, such as the construction of the scenery in some locations, structures that go underground or even vegetation and trees that grow inside, there are several mechanics that could function in a more dynamic way.

However, the tribe's resource and worker management system is a point that deserves great attention, a point that at a certain point in the game becomes practically automation, the tribe works together, produces structures, food, weapons and is always growing. 




Perhaps exaggerated simplicity

As I mentioned previously, the game has very simple and easy-to-learn mechanics, however, this simplicity can be the game's tormentor, although the dynamics of adding a minimally developed story to a survival and construction game are very interesting, I feel that it is not enough to keep players hooked for a long time, as all this simplicity ends up becoming monotonous, however, if the player's goal is a few hours of fun, you'll definitely find it here.

The game delivers an impressive immersion, in addition to its theme and setting, the tribe has its own language that makes everything more interesting, overall it is a relaxing environment during the day and not so hostile at night, we have more of a sense of peace and tranquility rather than danger, during much of the game, after all the game is more focused on building than surviving, which, in my opinion, is a mechanic that is put in the background.

The bases and structures we build are very beautiful and give a feeling of robustness, a lot of it comes down to the details, as the game makes us place wood by wood and straw by straw, a very fun mechanic indeed.

Another very interesting detail is the presence of rituals for the gods, which consists of gathering materials, creating offerings, incense and communing at altars, each ritual unlocks new buildings and rewards, in addition to telling stories, through cinematics, about prophecies, missions and guidelines.

Tribe: Primitive Builder is fun, but at the same time a little frustrating, the story, which was intended to be a differentiator, will end up delaying the development of the construction mechanics a little, which towards the end of the game, could become a nuisance.

The game's optimization aspect is a mixed point in my experience, although the requirements are relatively easy to meet, at times it is very difficult to maintain stable frame rates, with drops occurring frequently.

The controls are basic, both with the mouse and keyboard and the joystick, making it no challenge to get used to.




A good experience that needs more details

My experience with Tribe: Primitive Builder was mostly good, with some small details that hindered my development, its setting and immersion being the elements that most captivated me, building and managing the tribe is very fun and rewarding.

The length of the game varies from player to player, however, it is not a very extensive experience anyway, there is a need for polishing in some mechanics and optimization, but overall it is a very relaxing game that provides a few good hours of fun , which could be in cooperation with friends, if there was such an option.




For this review, the game was experienced on PC, using the Steam platform.