Buildings Have Feelings Too!

Buildings Have Feelings Too! is a kooky new management sim game that stars buildings as the protagonists. But what is it like to play? This review traverses the intricacies of the mechanics and movement, and gets to the bottom of whether or not this game is worth a purchase.

Buildings Have Feelings Too! is a quirky, deceptively challenging, management sim about building and buildings

Buildings Have Feelings Too has a unique premise. The game is advertised as a “city-management/puzzle game about buildings and the city they inhabit.” While the city management descriptor is technically true, those expecting anything like SimCity or Cities: Skylines will be disappointed. The title is actually a puzzle game where players need to decide the best placement and combination of buildings to complete objectives, all while appeasing the buildings’ feelings at the same time.

For the right sort of person, this abstract, solo board game style will be incredibly intoxicating. There are a lot of moving parts to keep in your head, and figuring out a particularly fiendish task is rewarding in and of itself. For most people, the contrast between mellow aesthetic, strange design choices, and the lack of a hard fail state (fittingly, it's more like a fail cul-de-sac) will make it a taxing time. Buildings Have Feelings Too! is certainly charming, but that charm hides a stiff challenge.

Video games have historically done a tremendous job of making players care about inanimate objects. Whether it's the ever-beloved companion cube of the Portal games, or the simple shapes of indie platform darling Thomas Was Alone, game developers have likely made players care more about objects than they would care to admit on occasion. Following this trend is Buildings Have Feelings Too! from developer Blackstaff Games, which attempts to do the same to architectural structures.

From the minute the game loaded, I knew I was in for an immersive and unique journey. True to my assumptions, Buildings Have Feelings Too! delivered. Full of whimsy and charm from the outset, I sagged into my chair ready to sink hours into this gorgeous, 18th-century themed city-builder. I love city-builders, so Buildings Have Feelings Too!’s offer of anthropomorphic buildings making their own requests and desires seemed very much in my wheelhouse. However, instead of leading me into a worl...

You’ll be left out with a “meh” after finishing the game. What game did we just play?

With multiple game-breaking bugs and hotfixes that either don't resolve the issues or come a little too late, Buildings Have Feelings Too is an awful mess that needs to be avoided.