Preserve is a cozy, gorgeous world builder about celebrating nature | Early access impression

Preserve is a cozy, gorgeous world builder about celebrating nature | Early access impression

As an avid gamer with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Preserve has truly captured my heart and sparked my curiosity. This game is not just about building a world, but nurturing it, much like tending to a garden or raising a family – something I’ve had plenty of practice with in real life!


In its essence, Preserve embodies tranquility within a gaming experience, though it might not be straightforward to define comprehensively. Entering Early Access, this creation by Bitmap Galaxy offers three distinct biomes and three game modes, providing a sufficient foundation for players to grasp the gameplay mechanics.

The point isn’t that Preserve is intricate; instead, it’s one-of-a-kind, and it minimally explains its systems. You start by picking between campaign or creative mode, followed by choosing either classic or puzzle. The game offers three environments: Grassland, Savannah, and Underwater, each featuring a small hexagonal grid with several cards.

Typically, you’ll start with several rain tokens and possibly one deluge token. By clicking on the rain token and then a barren area (represented by hexagons), that area becomes fertile. Now, click on a tree card to place a tree in an empty space. Arrange three trees horizontally and they transform into a forest habitat. You can now add an animal card, like a wolf or boar, to this new habitat.

Preserve is a cozy, gorgeous world builder about celebrating nature | Early access impression

In the puzzle setting, your goal is to utilize every card at your disposal to accumulate the necessary serenity points. There’s no hint of violence or strife, and the habitats or creatures don’t seem to interact in a synergistic way. You’ll find landscapes like mountains, meadows, rivers, and ponds. In classic mode, your task is to reach certain objectives until you’ve accumulated enough points to progress. Outside of puzzle mode, failure states are rare, with the exception of running out of cards.

CHECK IT OUT: LIttle Cities VR is a cozy city builder | Review

As a nature enthusiast, exploring the underwater world involves fine-tuning sea levels and modifying the landscape to accommodate diverse marine life forms, yet the underlying systems generally stay consistent. Conversely, in the vast savannah, I find three unique types of terrain for construction, with specific cards adaptable across all terrains. Additionally, I can create rivers connecting habitats to enrich the otherwise arid soil even further.

Preserve is a cozy, gorgeous world builder about celebrating nature | Early access impression

In Puzzle mode, you’ll find a challenging experience as you strategize on arranging habitats optimally within a fixed number of hexagonal spaces. On the other hand, Classic and Creative modes allow the biomes to grow as you reach certain landmarks. By the game’s end, there’s an enchanting sight to behold: your miniature world bustling with life, animals roaming, wind rustling tiny wheat fields, eagles flying over thumb-sized mountains. The visuals are delightful, and the music fits each biome perfectly.

In its early access phase, Preserve functions as a challenging puzzle game, yet might seem somewhat basic when it comes to creative construction. The innovative aspect lies in the restricted number of cards, which expand the game’s space, with additional and novel cards being unlocked upon achieving milestones. Beyond the puzzle mode, it is quite straightforward, offering little more than a calming experience – an attribute that could be precisely what draws you to this game.

Read More

2024-08-09 16:17