Medieval city-builder Earth of Oryn launches in Steam Early Access with brutally honest warning

Earth of Oryn, a medieval city-builder from a solo developer, launched in Steam Early Access on January 19 with an unusually candid warning about its current state. The game's creator states directly – if you're looking for a polished, content-rich experience, you should wait.

This is not a finished or content-rich product.

While the core city-building and survival systems are playable, many mechanics remain incomplete, experimental, or entirely absent. Campaigns, combat, multiple biomes, advanced buildings, deep progression systems, and sandbox modes are not available at this stage.

The game offers building a settlement from the ground up in the lands of Brandford, using a modular building construction system. Players place houses, farms, workshops, roads, and markets, expanding a handful of settlers into a functioning community. Management includes assigning tasks like building, farming, mining, and hauling, defining zones to organize production, and influencing settler mood through nearby structures.

Production chains transform raw materials into useful goods, while territory defense is handled by commanding basic melee and ranged units. Currently, only one biome, one civilization, and English language are available.

Community reaction to the launch proved mixed. One player criticized the project for being extremely raw after four years of development, noting limited content and visual quality inferior to older screenshots. The developer apologized and requested specific feedback. When asked about playtesting, the creator admitted:

As much as I could but it seems like it wasn't enough and I'm sorry for that. I'm currently working hard to release new updates.

Positive responses highlighted Mac support (with personal thanks for this), generally appealing visual style, and ambition.

Currently Earth of Oryn holds a "Mostly Positive" rating, though reviews remain extremely limited. A demo is available. Buy only if you enjoy city-builders and want to support the game's development.