If you're looking for a little break from the demanding titles that are always releasing, but you still want to get your brain stimulated by building beautiful landscapes and solving a challenging puzzle, then Dorfromantik maybe what you’re looking for.

Developer Toukana Interactive has developed a fantastic and satisfying puzzle game that also feels like a digital board game, by rotating hexagon shaped land pieces to connect and expand areas. Each tile piece has specific characteristics, which allow for you to connect them together, should you want to build up locations like forests, houses and buildings and rock surfaces. There also exist more complex tiles that have rivers and train tracks, which can prevent you from attaching any other standard tiles, requiring you to use the same type to expand their pathway. The main goal of the game is to plan ahead and place tiles down in such a way that you can keep building, if you don’t do that, you may find yourself locking yourself into a path that ends too soon. The game does offer up side quests that you can complete, they are presented to you by a speech bubble and they will ask you to build a certain number of towns or trees or have a river be a set length. All this combined seems like it could be enough, but the game only give you a finite number of titles at once, so you have to really take notice of what is there, to ensure that you can make it to the end.

The game starts out simple, especially when you play through the games tutorial – something you really should do in order to learn all the mechanics and controls, but it does ramp up the challenge quite quickly, so you had best be paying attention. Dorfromantik is one of those games where after a couple of runs, you tend to learn little tricks to make your future runs a little easier, and even more satisfying.

As far as the modes you can enjoy, the game has a range you can select from, such as Classic Mode which is what can be described as the true Dorfromantik experience, in it you have a set number of tiles, a variety of different pieces and quests to complete. Following that is the fun creative modem which allows players to have an unlimited number of tiles to create a beautiful scenery and landscape with no limitations, if you’re after to just expand on the board, this is it. Quick mode and hard mode are also available for those who are after more of a challenge with a very limited amount of tiles, or a more difficult quest and expansion for the latter. The other two ways to play is what they call a Monthly mode, where there are limitations of custom rule sets that are released on a monthly basis, where you compete with other players on a leaderboard. And lastly Custom mode, which by its very name should clue you in on what it offers, here you can customise various rule sets and limitations, where you’re able to also share your map with others to try your settings. Think of it like creating your own customized track for a racing game where others are able to play on.

No matter the mode you choose, the sounds used throughout the game help to elevate its soothing and relaxing vibe. With each movement triggers a satisfying click, and placement of tiles has a satisfying pop. Couple that with its exceptionally relaxing score, it shows that the developer has gone out of their way to intentionally create a game for people who’d like to take some time out from the fast paces of life and other games. That level of attention to the sound, also carries across to the games visuals, with each tile looking fun on their own, the kind of thing you might see on a tabletop game, but when they are snapped next to other tiles, the world starts to fill in and the vibrancy of colours, helps make everything pop.

However, one thing that could come across a little frustrating is its camera control movement, with the games controls feeling as though its made for mouse and keyboard, not translating all that well to a controller. This could be due to the fact that there’s a lot of movements for cameras such as rotating over a 3D type area, zooming in and out as well as moving the camera. The game uses the X, Y and Z axis for you to control, which is a little complex and feels clunky at times. The controls do work and you will likely get used to their idiosyncrasies, but they are not the most welcoming, so just be prepared for that.

Dorfromantik truly feels like a board game that has been digitized, with it fully embracing its slower nature, but still managing to ensure stimulating puzzle, but at the same time is slow enough to unwind and relax. Sure it may have some issues with its clunky camera controls, and potentially short-lived levels, as almost all end up feeling quite the same to each other. But nonetheless it is still a pleasure to play. If you’re looking for a change of pace, this is one game that you should pay attention to, more so if you love boardgames or tabletop, then this is definitely worth picking up.