The Wandering Village is a premium simulation title for PC by developer Stray Fawn Studio. It's a city-building game with a unique premise in that players will help a group of survivors seeking refuge from a toxic wasteland on the back of a giant walking creature.

Like other city builders like Viking City Builder or ISLANDERS, The Wandering Village has a fantasy theme. What makes it more of an endearing adventure is that players must develop and form a symbiotic relationship with the mysterious creature as they weather through the harsh world.

Building on a beast 

The Wandering Village is set in a world where mysterious plants have been growing and spreading all over the globe, emitting toxic spores in their wake. A small group of survivors has avoided this calamity and taken shelter on top of a giant walking creature they refer to as Onbu. You will be their leader and help them start over, building a home for themselves. 

You will also need to develop trust with Onbu and have a balanced and harmonious coexistence with the creature. As you build your settlement, you will pass through various biomes, each with its unique conditions and threats that you'll need to adapt to and defend against. This means embarking on expeditions to gather resources and uncover ancient artifacts that will aid you along the way. 

DLCs available for purchase 

The Wandering Village comes with downloadable content available for free and for purchase. The free version includes the Artbook, Wallpapers, and Goodies Pack, which features a 68-page digital artbook, wallpapers for desktop and mobile, three papercrafts, and a concept comic page. As for the purchasable DLC, you can get the original soundtrack to further enhance yourself in the game's post-apocalyptic world. The collection of music tracks is available in both .mp3 and lossless .wav formats. 

The standout addition in version 1.0 is the new Story Mode, which guides players through a narrative arc across multiple biomes associated with the post-apocalyptic world. You meet new characters, undertake over 10 side quests, and face a showdown that concludes the main story. Completing Story Mode unlocks new Onbu skins (Sakura and Tahoa) and ties directly into gameplay outcomes. The update also added Food Compostation research and other interface improvements. 

Ocean update patch notes 

The Ocean update introduces an array of fresh features and content focused on sustaining your village while navigating the sea. Within this update, you'll encounter new events, buildings, upgrades, and decorations to personalize your settlement alongside a new hostility modifier system. Undoubtedly, this update stands as the most substantial content addition to the game so far, incorporating an entirely new biome. While navigating through this treacherous biome may present challenges, it offers abundant reserves of rare resources. 

Survive a harsh and unforgiving world

There has been a surge in the popularity of city-building games as of late, and The Wandering Village is yet another addition to that list and brings some rather interesting concepts to the table. If you're looking for a unique title, try this one. Its story is also quite intriguing, with a thoughtful message hidden underneath, perfect for slow days.