‘Terraform’ Review – Forming Terrain, One Hex At A Time

Initially, Holgersson Entertainment’s newest venture, Terraform, sounded incredibly intriguing — but also suspiciously boring. The name itself told me what I was going to do: form terrain. Depending on who you are, that can either sound exciting or downright snooze-worthy. Fortunately, Holgersson Entertainment has done an excellent job with Terraform, having created a puzzler with great depth and challenge. Terraform is essentially a turn-based strategic puzzle game: there are a series of hexagons, each with their goal of being or becoming soil, grass, forest, ice, etc. and you must cater to each hexagon’s demands. However, adjacent hexes affect each other, and this can make your job extremely difficult.

Using green and red indicators, Holgersson outlines your objectives for you: a green hexagon means that the goal is complete, but a red one means you have work to do. As you scroll your mouse over each hexagon, you will be told its end-goal, its current state, and any other information that is useful. It is then your job to control weather patterns (whether it rains, is fair or hot or otherwise) throughout each turn and ensure that each hexagon meets its goal by the end of however many turns you are given for the stage. Moreover, you have control of tools that will help you get things done: a shovel perhaps to dig a hole in the soil or dynamite to blow up a hex in the way of your work. If you think all of this sounds complicated, it really is. The first few stages of Terraform are simple enough, but each year you spend at the “University” — which is where you learn your tricks of the trade — are exceedingly difficult. At the end, after you graduate, you are tasked with creating specific terrain for planets, and this is where all you’ve learned in your years at (the game’s) school comes into practice.

Terraform‘s gameplay and overall game quality are superb, but I definitely feel that its presentation lacks quite a bit. The music can get repetitive as you play each stage over and over attempting to figure it out, but then again, perhaps you can just listen to your own collection while playing the game. Likewise, I think it lacks a bit visually: while everything is functional and certainly acceptable, Terraform doesn’t have that extra umph in art design that makes a lot of indie puzzles pop. Though the extra umph doesn’t really impact gameplay, it would make Terraform far more appealing to a prospective customer.

In any case,  Terraform packs a punch with plenty of content. There are 34 University levels alone, and those should take you a long time to learn — provided you’re not some super-genius when it comes to puzzle games. A lot of it is trial and error, so don’t expect to solve every puzzle the first or even first twenty times you try it. Basically, if you are a gamer with a quick temper and little patience for puzzle games, steer clear of Terraform – unless you’re an aspiring meteorologist. But if you truly enjoy a good puzzle with mind-bending demands, then Terraform should be your next purchase.

One last note: it’s really difficult for me to discern how this game will treat you: you could breeze through it or you could hate it because you just can’t figure it out. We all have a different threshold when it comes to puzzles. There’s no in-game solve mechanic that helps you out if you’re stuck. But if you’ve got an open mind and truly do enjoy puzzle games, Terraform is a magnificent experience that is both engaging and worthwhile. If you’re interested, then the demo is always worth a shot!

You can find our further information about Terraform over on the official website and you can pick it up yourself over on the official store or on Desura.

Review summary Pros:

Puzzles with great depth; plenty of levels; often incredibly challenging

Cons:

Presentation lacking; no in-game solve mechanic.

Rating: 82%