Fabledom is a relaxed city builder set in a fairytale world, made approachable through convenient checklists providing initial direction. I loved creating little settlements, growing resources, assigning fablings to jobs, and checking in our their moods to hopefully create the best kingdom I can. Published by Dear Villagers and developed by Grenaa Games, Fabledom is shaping up to be delightful.

Once Upon a Time

Taking inspiration from Shrek, Fabledom is narrated in a humorous, storybook fashion. The art style has a sweet, diorama, clay quality to it. It really feels like you’re a kid playing with toys, creating a little kingdom, but Fabledom brings it all to life. 

Like most city builders, you play from a godlike perspective but you still create your character by entering your name, selecting your gender, and picking which genders to be open to romancing. You can romance a prince and/or a princess so queer relationships are supported but, unfortunately, there isn’t a nonbinary option for how you identify. Romance is often a fun addition but there’s a practical aspect to it here. Romancing means combining kingdoms and achieving romance means completing various courtship quests.

Fabledom is right around the corner and is already out in early access. And this two-person dev team has committed to 6-8 months of additional content support. I think the courtship questline and overall goal to build up your kingdom adds structure and guidance to the experience in a way that some city builders fail to. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Fabledom and look forward to digging back in for its full release. 

Fabledom comes out on April 13th, 2023 for PC.