An Early Access code was provided, with many thanks to Future Friends Games.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom, developed by indie studio Quite OK Games and featured in the Triple i Initiative showcase, is having a surprise release today (10th April 2024) on PC in Early Access. I’ve been following the development of Laysara since the game was announced a few years ago, and I was delighted when the email containing the code arrived in my mailbox.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom
In Laysara: Summit Kingdom, a city-building game, you are tasked with building a thriving city perched on the side of a mountain. You will focus on your city’s economy, resource management and survival, as up in the mountains, there is the threat of avalanches. Your ultimate goal is to reach the top of the mountain and build the grand Summit Temple.
Whether you’re delving into the campaign/scenario mode or enjoying the freedom of the free-build sandbox mode, your adventure begins with constructing settlements on the lower, warmer levels of the mountain.
Build a City on a Mountain
You start by building a food market and then progress to building some lowlander huts for your citizens. As you progress in the game and further up the mountain, you will need to build Artisan houses and homes for the Monks.
All your citizens have needs that must be met to keep them happy and to grow your city. Needs such as food, ale, eggs and cheese, and enlightenment, to name a few.
However, as you build your city, you must keep in mind the range of buildings to the food market, as most of the buildings in Laysara: Summit Kingdom are linked to the market. Furthermore, you will need to build a commodity supplier building so the resources that have been collected can be distributed to your citizens.
Risk of Avalanches
As your city grows in Laysara: Summit Kingdom, you’ll gradually ascend to the higher tiers of the mountain by building a complex transport network consisting of roads, bridges and shafts. You’ll expand your domain and upgrade your mountainside city with new facilities and resources to meet your citizens’ evolving needs.
However, with every expansion comes an increased risk as the instability of the mountain becomes more pronounced. Aside from the everyday challenges of managing weather conditions and meeting the demands of your citizens, you’ll also need to contend with the looming threat of avalanches. These natural disasters can wreak havoc on multiple tiers of your kingdom, posing a significant risk to your stability and progress.
So, as you reach for the peaks, always keep a wary eye on the ever-present dangers that come with building your empire on the slopes of the mountain.
Furthermore, every mountain in Laysara: Summit Kingdom presents its own unique challenges. They vary in shape, vegetation zones, available resources, and weather patterns. On some mountains, you’ll find ample space for farming in lush lowlands, while in others, you’ll need to depend on breeding Yaks and mining valuable minerals from areas near icy peaks. When resources are scarce, establishing trade routes with neighbouring towns can provide a solution.
Visuals
Laysara: Summit Kingdom is beautiful visually, and the music is lovely to listen to while working out your strategy. As I’m sure you know, some Early Access games that are released are still in need of a lot of development; however, Laysara: Summit Kingdom is very well developed for an Early Access game; it ran well on my laptop, and all the components are there that you can have an enjoyable time playing it.
Many city-building games offer unique twists on the genre, like Airborne Kingdom’s floating city. Layasara: Summit Kingdom is another game that adds its own unique spin to strategic building games. It is challenging as you must plan ahead, as the space is limited building on the side of the mountain. Furthermore, if you do not keep an eye on your economy and you run out of money, it’s game over.
Early Access Map
The developers, Quite OK Games, have plans for updates to the game as it moves through the Early Access stage. These include new production chains, new scenarios, visual upgrades and more, and I’m excited to see what lies ahead for the game as it moves to full release.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom is shaping up to be very promising, and I think it’s a fantastic addition to the strategy genre. The game has been one of the most anticipated games on Steam, with nearly a quarter of a million wishlists, including mine. You can purchase Laysara: Summit Kingdom now and enjoy the game in the early access development phase. Or, if you prefer to wait for a final release, consider Wishlisting the game on Steam.
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