What is it:
Townscaper is a very fun and relaxing town-building toy. It’s not really a game since there is no objective. The interface is extremely simple and intuitive.
Build quaint island towns with curvy streets, small hamlets, soaring cathedrals, canal networks, or sky cities on stilts. Build the town your dreams, block by block. No goal. No real gameplay. Just plenty of building and plenty of beauty. That’s it. Townscaper is an experimental passion project. More of a toy than a game. Pick colors from the palette, plop down colored blocks of houses on the irregular grid, and watch Townscaper’s underlying algorithm automatically turn those blocks into cute little houses, arches, stairways, bridges, and lush backyards, depending on their configuration.
Who is it for:
This one of the few things that may be equally fun for adults as it is for kids. Among the reviews I’ve read are those from college students using Townscaper as a relaxing break between assignments.
What Kids Like:
It is just so simple, with no learning curve. There is no need for instruction. They can get started right away, and get the same satisfaction they might get from Minecraft or Lego.
What Parents Like:
I love how wholesome it is, and the aesthetic.
What the Critics Think:
Townscaper is rated 4.5 on Google Play, 4.7 on the Apple store and “overwhelmingly positive” on the Steam page
Concerns/Flaws:
There is always more to want, but this is about as flawless a project that I’ve seen. What it does is wonderful and the free version is loads of fun without ads or any intrusion.
Who Made it/History:
Oskar Stålberg https://twitter.com/OskSta has been making games for years, with early prototypes such as Planet and Brick Block
Where Can I Get it:
The free version is here https://oskarstalberg.com/Townscaper/
And you can find links to all sources on the official game page
https://www.townscapergame.com/