Clanfolk is a colony sim set in the Scottish Highlands. Harness your environment to survive - fish, gather, hunt, and farm as you prepare for the winter. Build an inn, trade with other clans, have children and marry them off - live life and prosper across the generations.
The game puts players in charge of building a thriving settlement in the Scottish Highlands during the medieval period. Rather than combat, the gameplay focuses on survival, resource management, and growing a multi-generational family clan.
To ensure the clan's survival, especially through harsh winters, players must gather a variety of resources. This includes hunting, fishing, farming, and foraging for food, as well as collecting materials like wood, stone, and reed to construct shelters, tools, and other necessities. Carefully managing the clan's food stores, water supply, and firewood is crucial for weathering the winter months. Players must also attend to their clanfolk's basic needs, such as providing sleeping quarters, appropriate clothing, and sanitation facilities, or risk health issues and decreased productivity.
One unique aspect is the ability to build a multi-generational clan. As the family grows, players can marry off their children and watch new generations be born, each inheriting the skills and assets of their ancestors. This generational progression adds a sense of legacy and long-term planning, as players must consider how to best prepare the next generation for success.
The game features an interconnected technological progression system, where players unlock new buildings, tools, and crafting recipes by completing milestones related to resource gathering and production. This encourages experimentation, as players can focus on developing the areas most important to their playstyle, such as prioritizing agricultural development for a reliable food supply or improving housing and comfort.
The changing seasons present unique challenges and opportunities. Warm summers allow for optimal growing conditions and resource gathering, while harsh winters pose a constant threat to the clan's survival. Players must plan ahead and adapt their strategies to the seasonal changes, ensuring they are properly prepared for the winter months. This includes stockpiling food and firewood, as well as managing the effects of weather on crop yields and livestock health.
Currently in Early Access, the developer has been actively engaging with the community and responding to feedback. Players have praised the game's stability and polish, as well as the developer's commitment to improving the experience. With the promise of future content updates and expansions, players are eager to see how the game will continue to evolve and expand upon its strong foundations.