Dinkum

Gaming is an interactive medium that is essentially wish fulfilment. If you want to take on the world at a sport you have never played, you can. If you want to embark on a long and exciting adventure across a bewildering and harsh landscape, the option is there and if you want to play God and create anything that your mind can imagine, plenty of games accommodate this. Dinkum is a cute indie game that promises the latter, allowing you to create a town in your own image.

This game plays like other building games such as City: Skylines, Banished, Sim City, Planet Coaster, No Man’s Sky and Fortnite Battle Royale. This game allows players to engage in a peaceful life in the Australian outback and meet a series of interesting characters. However, is this game a little to close to reality to offer the serotonin associated with playing God. We find out in our review of Dinkum.

A Delightful Dinky Time

Firstly, lets take a look at the visuals here. They are a mash up between Animal Crossing and Minecraft. You still have the environments with the sharp edges made up of cubes. However, the structures and character models are cute and wear their inspiration of Animal Crossing proudly on their sleeve. We will admit, the visuals are nothing to write home about but thanks to the levity and nature of the game, this is exactly the approach that the game needed.

The majority of the work has gone into making this game a fun and engaging experience. The gameplay allows for this with a series of activities that players can partake in. You can fish, hunt, mine and forage to bring back resources for your town. Plus, when you are at a loose end, you can visit the various biomes within the game like Eucalyptus forests, deserts and scrub lands filled with fascinating wildlife to discover.

We admit, the crafting and resource management aspects of this game don’t stand up against the big hitters like Animal Crossing for example. Customisation is rather limited and at times, the player feels like they are on rails which is exactly what games like this try to avoid. That being said, its not a poor experience and while it may only offer the illusion of choice at times, the game has its perks.

The Verdict

Overall, Dinkum is a cute game which has a series of excellent characters, great stories to tell and environments in abundance that reward exploration. However, where this game falls down is in the crafting and building department, which is sadly what should make up the foundation for this game to be build upon.

Pros:

• Cute and colourful visuals
• Rewards exploration

Cons:

• Surprisingly lacks replayability
• Limits the choices of players far too much

Dinkum is a three-dimensional open-world adventure, a high-quality farm simulation, a role-playing game about dream life on a sunny island, where the player will start the ordeal, cold and lonely sleeping under the moon, and end up as the leader and architect of a utopian resort town. Before the player's eyes is a lovely farm simulator with commendable flora and fauna.

At First Falls

Upon opening his eyes, the protagonist realized, "I'm on an island." The first task is to find food and water. We need to saturate our bodies to keep living. Rescuers will not come by helicopter. It remains to rely only on our own strength, to take responsibility for life. Gathering his thoughts and thinking a little, the character gathered berries and found a source with fresh water. It is time to decide where to spend the night. It is worth collecting long twigs and make a tent for the night. Put some hay under it and it will be instead of a bed. Once you've covered your primary needs, you can think about your long-term plans.

Nature

The player will build a coveted life amidst scenic vistas:

• Fresh forests with ferns, vines, and broadleaf tall plants
• Dry deserts with beautiful dunes
• Wet shores with pebbles and shells
• Green fertile meadows where butterflies flutter their wings
• High hills

Gameplay

While enjoying the natural scenery, you can build your happiness. Erect a two-story house with a cushy oversized sofa, large panoramic windows, cozy bookshelves, houseplants, painted pictures and an oak dining table.

Valuable resources and minerals are scattered throughout the location. Extract wood, stone, and sand to turn nature into tools for work and living.

Farming is an interesting business. Raise flocks of chickens, herds of cows and pens of sheep.

High-level players can build fountains, mills, hedges and city buildings. New people will come here to explore and stay.