Discover Aska: A survival game blending resource management and village building
Aska Early Impression Review – Building a Strong Foundation
Happy Villagers = Strong Village
As survival games like Enshrouded become more popular, the market can be oversaturated with many that don’t stand out. However, Aska seems to be trying to break the mold. Let’s see if that’s true with our early impression review for Aska.
More Than Meets the Eye
I have a love-hate relationship with survival-based games. On one side, I enjoy games like Palworld, where I create things and then get my Pals to do the work. On the flip side, games like Valheim overwhelm me with little direction and too much freedom at the start, making it slow to progress if playing solo. Aska balances these elements well. You’ll need to grind, especially during the early hours, but as you gain more villagers, things get easier.
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The first thing to note is that the survival tag for Aska is just that—a tag. Yes, you’ll be surviving initially by gathering resources, collecting food and water, and protecting yourself. But once you recruit your first villager, the gameplay shifts towards building a self-sustaining tribe rather than mere survival. Instead of personally foraging for food, you can delegate this task to a villager, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your village.
This gradual shift in gameplay is what sets Aska apart from many other survival games. It offers a sense of progression and evolution that keeps you engaged. You start with the basics, collecting sticks and stones to make simple tools, and gradually move on to more complex structures and systems as your village grows. The initial grind can be daunting, but it’s also rewarding as you see the tangible results of your efforts.
Building from the Ground Up
From the start, you might feel a bit lost. However, as you begin collecting basic resources like sticks and flax, and setting up a campfire, things start to fall into place naturally. Aska provides hints and directions, which you can choose to follow or ignore.
I opted to craft shelters, water collectors, and other essential structures early on to make survival easier. The building feature in Aska stands out because it becomes more intuitive over time. The gradual learning curve means you quickly understand what you need to build next.
The organic growth of your base is rewarding. When you unlock new items to build, like a worker’s pit, you might need to restructure your village to accommodate new facilities. The ability to see all nearby resources by pressing Z on your keyboard is a game-changer, making resource collection much easier.
One of the standout features of Aska is its building system. Unlike some survival games where construction can feel like a tedious chore, Aska makes it an integral part of the gameplay. The satisfaction of seeing your village grow and evolve over time is immense. You start with basic structures like shelters and fire pits, but as you progress, you unlock more advanced buildings that provide new capabilities and resources.
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Community Builds Homes
Aska borrows features from games like Palworld, such as having workers do the heavy lifting. You attract villagers by creating the Eye of Odin, which requires five Jotun Blood stones. Once you have the Eye of Odin, you can choose from two villagers, each with unique attributes and behaviors.
For example, I had a villager who excelled in summer but struggled in the cold. To keep them productive, I ensured they had a campfire for warmth. This allowed me to focus on building while my villagers took care of food gathering, creating a productive cycle.
Sand Sailor Studios has added depth to the villager mechanics by allowing you to set their schedules. Balancing work and rest is crucial for maintaining villager happiness and productivity, which directly affects the speed at which your village grows.
Villager management is another area where Aska shines. Each villager has their strengths and weaknesses, and managing them effectively is key to building a thriving village. Some villagers might be great at gathering food, while others excel at crafting or building. Assigning them to the right tasks and ensuring they have what they need to be productive is a core part of the gameplay.
The ability to set schedules for your villagers is a particularly interesting mechanic. It adds a layer of strategy to the game, as you need to balance their work and rest periods to keep them happy and efficient. Overworking your villagers can lead to decreased productivity and increased risk of injury or illness, so it’s important to monitor their needs and adjust their schedules accordingly.
Creating Your Legend
Aska has a promising future. Like Palworld, it allows you to delegate the grinding work to your villagers, making the game more accessible and enjoyable.
However, Aska doesn’t immediately stand out from other survival games. I hope players give it a chance and discover its unique base management features, which are where the game truly shines. Once players experience the immersive and dynamic management aspects, Aska will likely have lasting appeal.
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Rating Aska is challenging at this early stage, but if I had to, I’d give it an 8 out of 10. The game offers something different with its accessible learning curve and base management mechanics. However, it might not immediately catch the eye, potentially leading to players overlooking it. I hope players stick with Aska and uncover its unique features, helping it stand out in the crowded survival game market.
The Survival Genre Landscape
The survival genre has evolved significantly over the years. Early entries like Minecraft and DayZ laid the groundwork for what would become a popular and diverse genre. Since then, we’ve seen countless variations and innovations, each bringing something new to the table.
Games like Enshrouded have pushed the boundaries of what a survival game can be, introducing complex crafting systems, dynamic weather, and intricate base-building mechanics. However, with this increased complexity comes a higher barrier to entry, and not all players are willing to invest the time and effort required to master these systems.
Aska finds a middle ground between accessibility and depth. It’s not as overwhelming as some of the more complex survival games, but it still offers enough depth to keep players engaged. The gradual learning curve and intuitive building system make it a great entry point for newcomers to the genre, while the villager management mechanics provide a unique twist that sets it apart from other games.
The Importance of Balance
One of the key challenges in designing a survival game is finding the right balance between difficulty and accessibility. Too much hand-holding can make the game feel shallow and unchallenging, while too little guidance can leave players feeling lost and frustrated.
Aska strikes a good balance in this regard. The early stages of the game provide enough guidance to help you get started, but you’re also free to explore and experiment on your own. The game gradually introduces new mechanics and challenges, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
The ability to delegate tasks to villagers is a great way to ease the burden of resource gathering and other repetitive tasks. It allows you to focus on the more strategic aspects of the game, such as planning and building your village, without getting bogged down in the minutiae of survival.
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The Role of Community
Community is a central theme in Aska. The success of your village depends not only on your individual efforts but also on the contributions of your villagers. Building a strong and cohesive community is key to thriving in the game.
The villagers in Aska are more than just mindless drones. They have their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, and managing them effectively is crucial to your success. This adds a layer of depth to the game, as you need to consider the needs and abilities of your villagers when assigning tasks and planning your village.
The ability to set schedules and manage the workload of your villagers is a unique feature that sets Aska apart from other survival games. It adds a strategic element to the game, as you need to balance the needs of your villagers with the demands of running a village. Overworking your villagers can lead to decreased productivity and increased risk of injury or illness, so it’s important to monitor their needs and adjust their schedules accordingly.
Looking Ahead
The future for Aska looks promising. The game has a solid foundation, with a unique blend of survival and base management mechanics that set it apart from other games in the genre. The gradual learning curve and intuitive building system make it accessible to newcomers, while the villager management mechanics provide enough depth to keep more experienced players engaged.
There are still areas where the game can improve, such as adding more variety in villager tasks and behaviors, and expanding the crafting and building systems. However, the developers have shown a commitment to listening to player feedback and making improvements based on that feedback, which bodes well for the future of the game.
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Final Thoughts
Aska is a welcome addition to the survival game genre. It offers a unique blend of survival and base management mechanics that set it apart from other games in the genre. The gradual learning curve and intuitive building system make it accessible to newcomers, while the villager management mechanics provide enough depth to keep more experienced players engaged.
While the game doesn’t immediately stand out from other survival games on the surface, it has the potential to carve out a niche for itself with its unique features and engaging gameplay. I hope players give it a chance and uncover its unique aspects, helping it stand out in the crowded survival game market.
In conclusion, if you’re a fan of survival games and enjoy the challenge of building and managing a thriving community, Aska is definitely worth checking out. With its promising future and unique blend of mechanics, it has the potential to become a standout title in the genre.
Aska Early Impressions FAQ
Q: What is Aska?
A: Aska is a survival game that combines elements of resource gathering, base building, and villager management. The game involves collecting resources, constructing buildings, and managing a community of villagers to create a self-sustaining tribe.
Q: How does Aska differ from other survival games?
A: Unlike many survival games that focus primarily on individual survival, Aska shifts towards community building once you recruit villagers. This allows you to delegate tasks to villagers, reducing the grind and enabling you to focus on strategic planning and village development.
Q: What are the main gameplay mechanics in Aska?
A: The main gameplay mechanics include:
- Resource gathering and crafting
- Building and expanding your village
- Recruiting and managing villagers
- Assigning tasks and creating schedules for villagers
- Ensuring the happiness and productivity of your community
Q: How do you recruit villagers in Aska?
A: Villagers are recruited by creating the Eye of Odin, which requires collecting five Jotun Blood stones. Once the Eye of Odin is built, you can choose from two potential villagers, each with unique attributes and behaviors.
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Q: How does villager management work?
A: Villager management involves assigning tasks based on their strengths and weaknesses, setting work and rest schedules, and ensuring their needs are met to keep them happy and productive. Villagers can perform various tasks such as gathering resources, hunting, and building.
Q: What is the building system like in Aska?
A: The building system in Aska starts with basic structures like shelters and campfires and progresses to more complex buildings as you gather resources and unlock new items. The game provides hints and directions, but you are free to build and expand your village as you see fit.
Q: How does resource gathering work in Aska?
A: Resource gathering in Aska involves collecting materials like sticks, stones, and flax to craft tools and build structures. Once you have villagers, you can assign them to gather resources, making the process more efficient and allowing you to focus on other tasks.
Q: Is there a learning curve in Aska?
A: Yes, Aska has a gradual learning curve. The game starts with basic tasks and gradually introduces more complex mechanics as you progress. This makes it accessible to newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players.
Q: Can you customize the schedules of your villagers?
A: Yes, you can customize the schedules of your villagers, balancing their work and rest periods to ensure they remain happy and productive. Overworking villagers can lead to decreased productivity and increased risk of injury or illness.
Q: What are some tips for new players?
A:
- Start by gathering basic resources like sticks and flax to craft essential tools and build a campfire.
- Follow the game’s hints and directions initially to get a feel for the mechanics.
- Recruit villagers as soon as possible to delegate tasks and reduce the grind.
- Manage your villagers’ schedules carefully to keep them happy and productive.
- Use the Z key to highlight nearby resources, making it easier to gather what you need.
Q: How does villager happiness affect gameplay?
A: Villager happiness directly affects their productivity and the speed at which your village grows. Happier villagers work faster and are more efficient, so it’s important to monitor their needs and ensure they have a good balance of work and rest.
Q: What is the future outlook for Aska?
A: Aska has a promising future with a solid foundation of unique mechanics and engaging gameplay. The developers are committed to listening to player feedback and making improvements, so the game is likely to continue evolving and expanding.
Q: How would you rate Aska in its current state?
A: Based on early impressions, Aska deserves an 8 out of 10. It offers a unique and accessible experience with its blend of survival and base management mechanics. However, it may not immediately stand out to all players, so giving it a chance to reveal its depth is important.