Deal | 94% positive: This prehistoric city builder has never been cheaper on Steam

Humanica begins around 10,000 BC with a small group of settlers whose tool kit initially consists of little more than sticks and stones – though that changes fairly quickly. The game spans five eras in total, taking players from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Players gather resources, build houses and workshops, farm, domesticate animals and gradually craft increasingly advanced tools.

Aside from its unusual setting, that may sound like fairly standard city-builder fare. On closer inspection, however, Humanica has a few unique features to offer. One of the most notable is its turn-based daily cycle: Only a limited amount of working time is available each day, so tasks and residents need to be assigned as efficiently as possible. Send settlers out to chop wood, for example, and they may be unavailable to build new houses. When winter is approaching, on the other hand, stocking up on food becomes the main priority.

Technological progress is also closely tied to exploration. Anyone who wants to craft better tools first has to find the necessary resources. Expeditions can be sent out on a separate hex-based map, where they may discover new resources, plants or animal species. Settlement life is not entirely safe, however: Wild animals and hostile nomads pose a constant threat, so residents can be armed and walls and other defensive structures can be built. The game world is procedurally generated with each new playthrough, meaning resource distribution and starting conditions vary from one game to the next.

Humanica has been very well received on Steam so far: 94% of its 178 user reviews are positive. Players frequently praise the relaxing gameplay, charming visual style and rewarding progression of developing their settlement through different eras. The accessible resource management and solo developer PanfachDev's active communication with the community have also been well received.

However, the Early Access title is not entirely without criticism. Micromanagement can become increasingly tedious in larger settlements. According to some reviews, residents do not always follow priorities reliably, while pathfinding issues and a lack of automation can occasionally lead to downtime. Some players also see room for improvement in the resource balance and the still fairly simple combat system.

25% off on Steam for the first time

Humanica normally costs $14.99 on Steam. However, a 25% discount brings the price down to $11.24 until September 22. According to SteamDB, the previous biggest discount was 20%, meaning the title has never been this cheap before. On the Steam Deck, Humanica is rated as “Playable.”

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.