Single Game Account

Just insanely cool, deep, and rewarding survival experience start to finish. The game is also VERY stable as far as PC games go. You'll start looking for rocks to make your first knife and finish carving a temple out of a mountain before plunging into the depths to uncover secrets of the caves below. ... Be sure to be patient when ordering - it's real people answering the emails and handing out the codes, so it might not be as instantaneous as we are used to with other virtual purchases. 

If you are reading reviews you need to just BUY THE GAME you will NOT be disappointed!

...Regarding multiplayer in a game this deep: Fair warning, unless you plan to have friends start with you on your own dedicated server - chances are that you will not be able to "cooperate" very much with others. Sure you can trade, and chat, and little favors here and there for each other are nice and all... but as far as meeting people and tackling challenges together - I've found that MANY different kinds of people play this game, of all ages, and it makes for a bit of a random and accordingly less wholesome experience. This game is best played with others, but many of the public servers and such are just heavily on their own way about everything - and most simply don't care if you are there or not - since they CAN'T care in some ways anyhow, being that it's THEIR project and it's a videogame, so people will come and go and never be seen again, many of them. I joined a handful of discords and servers, and there aren't anyone in the voice channels, if there are - it's a building game - so everyone is just heavily on their own grind. It's just part of life with multiplayer in a sandbox game like this.

So, just a heads up. I kind of hoped I would find some friends in this game but that didn't happen, and at this point I don't really play - because I really need that multiplayer feeling ... I hope at some point I can meet some normal folks like me who want to cooperate and play together - but you can't fake the funk as they say, not everyone will be good friends just because they play the same video games! 

This is the absolute best survival game that I have personally ever played, the processes for making something like a pickaxe is so detailed and requires so many things and so much time at first, but then the reward is that you don't have to scavenge for loose ore anymore! The devs are incredibly active at the time of this review and Tyron has even said that he's in the process of adding a feature that I thought of on reddit! For me the fact that its still an early access game, and yet so polished at the same time makes me very happy, and the fact that the devs are active and passionate about the game makes it extra special. I'm very happy to be in the game's early access stage with the wonderful community here! Thanks for this game Tyron and Team

this game is freaking great I LOVE farming I LOVE making stews I LOVE dying to bears in the forest. For real though get this game if you like survival games with really deep building mechanics 

10/10 

Not great at reviews, but this is a great game, it's very fun, it's very beautiful, sometime it's straight bullshit, but it's usually very nice. I'm 100% confident, that Vintage Story has been the best 20 euro I have spent on game. So if you like survival games, or sandbox games, or voxel games in general, try out Vintage story.

The attention to detail is amazing with replay-ability through the roof. Well thought out enjoyable game, with interactive developers and the constant updates. I highly recommend it.

Finding this game was a breath of fresh air. I've been a fan of That Block Game since I was a young teenager, and Vintage Story gives me the same wonder I once felt when I was new to that game but what feels like a thousand-fold. I have been singularly obsessed since installing, and sometimes even when I'm doing other things I'm excitedly looking forward to my next project. I can tell I'm going to be hooked on this game for many long and happy years. I'm so excited to see where the devs are going next! 

FR : Je suis tombé sur ce jeu grâce au youtuber "Farfelin". Son gameplay narratif m'a poussé à vouloir tester Vintage Story à mon tour et je ne suis clairement pas déçu.
Un grand merci aux développeurs et à la communauté. J'espère que davantage de joueurs puissent découvrir cette petite pépite à leur tour.
Je suis venu car je pensais que ce jeu allait être une version de minecraft pour l'adulte que je suis aujourd'hui et je suis resté pour son coté immersif ainsi que pour tous les points qui le différencient de son "grand frère".
Si vous hésitez à acheter le jeu, notez que la politique de remboursement est plutôt large (2 semaines après achat ou bien 10h de jeu).
Je vous souhaite une bonne découverte.

EN : I came across this game thanks to the youtuber "Farfelin". Its narrative gameplay made me want to try Vintage Story myself, and I'm clearly not disappointed.
Many thanks to the developers and the community. I hope that more players will be able to discover this little treasure.
I came because I thought this game was going to be a version of minecraft for the adult I am today, and I stayed for its immersive quality and for all the points that set it apart from its "big brother".
If you hesitate to buy the game, please note that the refund policy is quite extensive (2 weeks after purchase or 10h of play).
I wish you a pleasant discovery.

Es un juego muy completo y super entretenido. El precio que tiene es lo que vale y la verdad que por el contenido que tiene está extremadamente bien. Las cosas que puedes hacer en este juego escapan a la comprensión humana, y también destaca la atención al detalle que posee. El hecho de que los procesos, como la creación del cuero con los baldes, sean tan similares a la vida real, le da un toque aún más interesante. Además, se actualiza constantemente, y espero que algún día el PVP sea mucho más preciso en servidores con más jugadores, para convertirse en un mmo survival con estas tremendas mecánicas.

Friendship ended with Minecraft.
Now Vintagestory is my best friend.

I decided to buy this game on a whim one day, and It's been a great decision. I love every aspect of the game, and even found a few servers that I really enjoy.

Great game, would recommend to anyone into minecraft-style stuff.

A Rare Gem in the Survival Sandbox Genre

This game manages to scratch almost every itch in my monkey brain. To keep things quick yet informative, I’ve organized this review into clear topics for easier reading.

Before you begin: I’ve avoided discussing in-game lore, so this review is safe to read. Also, my experience is limited to Survival Mode. Nothing here refers to Creative Mode.

1. PROGRESSION: Vintage Story has one of the best gameplay loops and progression systems I’ve seen in any game. It’s not strictly linear, you can survive just fine with copper tools and a modest settlement. The game doesn't lock you out of features based on your technological tier. Even at the copper age, you can still chisel, manage advanced animal husbandry, explore, and build complex structures. Alternatively, you can climb the entire metal ladder to the steel age, build castles, forge plate armor, and wield powerful tools. It’s less about necessity and more about the story you want to tell. That said, if you plan to chase the deeper lore (no spoilers!), I highly recommend progressing to the steel age first. Lower-tier gear is still viable, but the increased difficulty might be unnecessarily punishing.
2. BUILDING: Being a voxel game, building comes naturally, but Vintage Story takes it further. It encourages building in harmony with gameplay mechanics like chiseling, temperature, and food preservation. Your builds aren’t just pretty; they’re functional and necessary.
   • FEEDBACK LOOP: I can only speak from experience, but I grew deeply attached to my structures because they provided warmth and safety. What began as a base turned into a home. Hours invested became a sanctuary: protection from wild animals, a cozy shield against the cold, and a secure place to store food for winter. It’s a uniquely satisfying feeling.
   • DIVERSITY: There’s a huge range of blocks and materials to build with. Some are craft-intensive, like Plaster, while others are simpler to acquire, like cobblestone. Mixing materials and experimenting with combinations leads to beautiful, personalized architecture.
   • CHISELING: An addiction on itself. Chiseling brings a creative depth to VS that’s hard to overstate. You can:
     • Engrave walls with custom lore (or canon VS lore);
     • Sculpt statues from stone;
     • Craft luxury furniture from wood (my favorite);
     • Add detailed flourishes to any structure.
     • And that’s just scratching the surface, this mechanic alone could be its own game.
3. MODDING: The modding community is incredible. The base game intentionally leaves space for modders to expand its systems. I’ve even heard some community-made mods get integrated into the official game over time. The synergy between devs and players is something rare and beautiful.
   • BEGINNER-FRIENDLY (SORT OF): The official wiki is well-maintained and extremely helpful, especially when it comes to modding. Combine that with YouTube tutorials and a welcoming community, and you’re set up for success. Modding, in particular, is something the devs encourage, and you’ll feel empowered to jump in.
4. GRAPHICS & PERFORMANCE: The game is shockingly well-optimized. (Especially in an age where AAA titles ship at 200GB and last 40 hours max.) Vintage Story runs smoothly even on my decade-old PC, and still manages to look great.
   • SCENIC & POTENTIALLY DREADFUL: The weather and lighting systems create breathtaking, often haunting landscapes. Rain, fog, and light interplay to form natural paintings in motion. One moment, you’re basking in a cheerful summer morning: blue skies, golden sunlight streaking across grassy hills. The next, you’re lost in a fog-drenched valley, visibility cut short by rain and shadow, the trees ahead vanishing into grey. It evokes a surreal sense of liminality and dread. And it’s wonderful.
5. A SANDBOX THAT FIGHTS BACK: Yes, Vintage Story gives you that classic sandbox freedom: do what you want, build how you want, go where you want. But it also flips the narrative. You are not the center of this world, you’re a brief moment in a world that’s existed for millennia. History precedes your arrival, and survival isn’t guaranteed. The world doesn't bend to your will, you bend to its rhythm. This tension between agency and resistance gives the game real weight. It challenges you, and that’s exactly why it’s so rewarding.
6. SUGGETIONS: For an even more immersive experience, I highly recommend playing without the map, mini-map, and coordinate overlays, and with increased enemy damage (essentially Wilderness Mode). It’s a personal preference, of course—but in my experience, the sense of presence and tension increases tenfold. You start relying on landmarks, instincts, and memory, and the world feels more alive because of it.

TL;DR: Highly recommended.

Absolutely love this game, I have had a ton of fun just modding it, and playing it is even better.

This is so deep, a lot of things to learn, this is one of those games that classify as a hobby.

Maybe it's not a surprise, but I played a lot of minecraft, and when I say a lot, I mean for 11+ years and in survival, creative, making custom maps with command blocks, creating mods, texture and ressource packs, on servers, hosting servers using online hosts like athernos, hosting servers myself using an ubuntu server... I probably played more than 10k h of minecraft, and now with very slow evolution and low content updates, I'm getting bored very quickly.

As I usually do I was watching random youtube videos and ended up on some other kind of "I survived 100 days in *random survival minecraft modpack*". I've seen a lot of thoses, either too easy and not even fun except in some kind of scripted scenario, or way to hard with way too much grind because drop rates are low or because the process simply take hours but is mandatory to go to the next step of the game.

I watched all the video, and then decided to check what modpack the youtuber was using, never seen these kind of items and mecanics before, "knapping" and "smithing" ? Thoses where new... And welp, I ended up here.

After watching the trailer, youtubes about it, I decided to try this game. Now, I don't usually buy random games, I prefer to use a good old methode call "cracks" that some of you may know, it may not be very legit but I don't want to buy a game and then regret my choice and simply losing 20€. So that's what I did, and I played it. Like a lot, around a month actually.

I simply couldn't stop playing : basicaly being able to play minecraft but with no prior experience, but also a way more enjoyable experience, way more mecanics, actual lores, complexe progression process but also multiple ways to grind the materials, the musics and sound effects... Playing single player for a single month was enough for me to decide to buy the game.

Now I want more, I want to experience multiplayer, mods, and whatever this game has to offer. And I want to support this wonderfull dev team and see what their plans for the future of this game are. I want to return to when I started playing minecraft, but with vintage story.

For anyone who will be reading this, I can already tell you : this game is worth it's price, neither minecraft or terraria can beat this masterpiece in term of "survival experience", and I'm sur that it will only improve overtime.

If you enjoy the blocky survival sandbox experience, you should definitely give this game a try! 

I've found Vintage Story to be more difficult then other games out there in this genre, and has a bit of a learning curve to it. But once you spent some time learning how it works, you will understand the amount of depth the developers have put in their game. And it's still being worked on and expanded too.

I really enjoy forging tools and weapons on the anvil, and forming clay to make usable crockery, all done pixel by pixel.. Just fantastic!  I have yet to try out chiseling, which will bring so much detail to building, which I cannot wait to try out. There is much to love if you like the creative aspect of these types of games, and also if you're more into the core of survival.

Breath of fresh air!

This game is a truly a breath of fresh air.

As someone who has thousands of hours in minecraft, this game truly brings a different perspective on the idea of a blocky sandbox world. In minecraft I often complete the game and get all the endgame gear too quickly and then end up getting bored, I am not the type to come up with massive base projects or massive farm projects, after I have all the best gear the game does just become boring.

I have tried my fair share of mods too, and while a lot of them are great, Minecraft makes them feel optional, and the documentation online for some mods are lacking too much to be able to figure out what to do.

Vintage Story solves all of these problems!

Because the deep and lengthy progression and survival is baked into the core of the game, it feels far more rewarding to just play the game hour to hour. It doesn't feel tedious and like you are in for a grind because all of the mechanics are a lot of fun!

This game has a sense of progression that I haven't been able to find in any other game, and I really do recommend it to anyone like me who often got bored of Minecraft because of completing it too quick.

Also a quick heads up for anyone scared of the game being complicated, the in game handbook is amazing, so far I haven't ran into anything important in game that hasn't been covered by it.

ESP
Me encanta, sin duda de lo mejor que he probado estos últimos años, difícil, realista y brutal.
Las tormentas temporales y las primeras noches buscando refugio son emocionantes e intrigantes.
La fauna terrestre es variada, bella y peligrosa, espero ver en el futuro algunas aves y quizá algunos murciélagos al explorar por las noches o en alguna cueva.

Me encanta las posibilidades que extiende el uso de mods en el juego, sin duda vale la pena comprarlo.



ENG

I love it, definitely one of the best I've tried in recent years, difficult, realistic and brutal.
The temporary storms and the first nights looking for shelter are exciting and intriguing.
The terrestrial fauna is varied, beautiful and dangerous, I hope to see in the future some birds and maybe some bats when exploring at night or in some cave.

I love the possibilities extended by the use of mods in the game, it is definitely worth buying.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Honestly this game is something else entirely. When I first saw it my thought was "oh it's like a cool modpack for minecraft" but I was far from right. This game is so much deeper than that and it's hard to put into words how amazing the experience is. I don't normally give games high praise like this but Vintage Story (and the team behind it) really earned a high rating. The gameplay is challenging but fair, the world is gorgeous and the experience overall is better than anything I can get in any other game at this time. It just feels so unique and inspiring to play, I cannot state how much fun this game brings me and I cannot wait to play it with my friends once they purchase it. This game has changed the way I feel about others in terms of open world survival games and has opened my eyes to what a small, dedicated dev team can accomplish. I wish them luck continuing to update this game and I look forward to full release! Until then I will keep playing and easily return even when I take a long hiatus.

Such a wonderful game! 100% worth the price, even now as I write this years after purchase

Really, really engaging experience. For reference, I bought this game in Brazil, and while the pricing was rough, I feel it to be more than worth it. However, given that the asked price could be steep in here, I figured more people might be on the fence just like I found myself to be. So I'll try and answer every question I had:

1) Is the game replayable?

Yes, very much so. My first hour were in one world, then I chose to start over 3 more times, accumulating 20~ hours in 4 worlds. The learning curve is very manageable compared to other games in the survival genre, specially taking into accounts that there are no big "walls" for progress, so you can play without worry, just learning. Even then, every aspect of difficulty is customizable, making it possible to make seasons last longer for learning purposes, for example. This is strictly learning replayability - the game is also replayable when learning through it's systems.

2) Is the game anxiety inducing for perfectionists? Do I need a spreadsheet? Is there a lot of empty grinding?

A very tiny bit, but again - no hard walls (maybe winter... and even then... eh) makes planning a pleasant experience. You'll need no spreadsheets, and the game offers an incredible immersive wiki on the press of a button. (H for the handbook).

As for the "grinding" part, the game can feel very menial and tedious when doing things in an inefficient manner. After learning what to keep an eye out and what to collect from the beginning, a lot of the "boring" parts become just a step you automatically take. I can't talk too much about the end game just yet, sadly. However, keep in mind that this is very much a more "immersive" survival than most others. Be prepared for some repetition, although enjoyable repetition.

Really, the only "grindy" part of the game for me so far is finding specific, rare things. Searching for bees, Terra Preta and tin deposits can be frustrating at best and mind numbingly tedious at worst, if you're particularly unlucky. Some ways of pointing the player in right directions would go a long way into lessening the "grind".

3) Is the game flexible? Is there longevity on the horizon?

Mods are 1-click-install, and the updates seem to be laid out into the foreseeable future. I consider this a strong upside for this game. The price may go up in the future, as early access often does.

4) Is the content so far well made? Is the Early Access worth it?

Yes. From what I've played, all of the systems are elegant and mastering mechanics feels natural and satisfying. The content is well organized and seems to build up in every updated. This review has been written in 2023, version 1.18.x.

5) What games does this compare to? What common pitfalls does it avoid? What similarities?

Whoa that's a lot of questions. I'd like to compare this to a game I've enjoyed in the past: Don't Starve. That game is a touchy subject for me - the game is demanding and oppressive. Days come by and you feel like every action is wasted. When you finally learn to play it, It becomes a chore (a fun chore, just bad for a nervous wreck like me) where you try and do everything in the most efficient way possible before time passes too much. This is not the case for this game, because time is not a looming threat (mostly, or at least not to that game's scale.) so playing it feels more relaxing.

Keep in mind that gameplay may change in the future, but really, many survival games fail to interconnect systems (specially on the sandbox genre!)- games like Starbound, which adds many different aspects and mechanics with no rhyme or reason connecting them - empty worlds full of things, not to explore, but to perceive once and cash out. This game avoids that common mistake, for every mechanic leads into another in a sensible way. Materials are never useful for one thing only, ergo, you are naturally led into using every tool in your arsenal instead of avoiding obvious wastes of resources (...I still don't like the Hunter's backpacks and the makeshift shield yet, though...).

And, as you might have guessed, this game is inspired by our favorite block game, with a striking similarity to the Terrafirma mod. A very nostalgic mod for me that always left me wanting better execution, with obscene grinds that drove the fun out the window. If you played that back in the day, you'll feel right at home - but I highly prefer this game's take on it.

6) What about multiplayer? Does LAN still exist?

The game does possess a nice multiplayer experience, although every person needs a different account to play. While you can use an account in multiple computers, only one instance can be played at once. Lan Parties are still possible, with one of the paid options being a party pack. There are open servers and hosting seems to be well worth it. The game feels like it'd be fun in multiplayer, although I haven't had the pleasure to try, so I'll keep this brief.

7) Performance?

Runs smoothly, really. Having a pretty run of the mill computer, I expected much worse performance, but the game is well optimized and possesses many graphical options. I was pleasantly surprised by how customizable and flexible the experience really is.

8 ) Lastly... Any hints?
 

- - - - - -

Parting words: I've been having a blast with this game. Highly recommend it... Watch some playthroughs if you're still undecided. I recommend playing with some nice QoL mods. CarryOn is a favorite of mine, and is something I hope vanilla incorporates. The devs seem to be really good people, and the game is promised to stay healthy, without bloat or executive meddling. Surviving is fun, building is fun.

The ONLY (kinda) negative I have is that... God. There are too many wolves and bears. To the point that it seems bugged. I commonly hear wolf howling every 10 minutes. Once I slaughtered a wave of 5 wolves, then found 5~more on a hill, approaching. Then again, a third time! In one day! So much meat that I had no reason to even cook. Seemed to be a glitch or stroke of bad luck, for my new world has not had this happen yet (although running around I'd see a wolf every 15 seconds... But I could just avoid them.) And just for veterans to understand: I had 50~60 lumps of fat. Before winter even approached. In fact, I used 8 of it in sealing some crocks. That's... That's too many. But it might be an Issue of Skill™, so my apologies.

TL;DR: Fun to learn, fun to master. Not anxiety inducing, comfy, cozy... Good devs, good mods, good performance, good potential. God I hate the wolves.

Thank you!

Отличная атмосфера, графическая составляющая выше всяких похвал, тот кто рисовал текстуры и писал код для партиклов настоящие асы! Много уникальных механик. Если вы играли в террафирма, то это вам точно понравится. Желаю разработчикам творческих успехов и побольше сил и желания сделать свою игру лучше!  Мне хочется что бы каждый кто хочет поиграть в это, купил игру и помог разработчикам, пусть для многих это кажется высокой ценой.

I've been looking for a modern replacement for Minecraft with Terrafirma craft or SevTech mods.. Finally found it in Vintage story.  and it looks Glorious plays well and is similary but better than those two mods in Minecraft, and its modable to boot. Written in C# and uses OpenGL and .Json files . currently still in early access and is extremely playable already. It has a great community with active forums, discord server and great tutorials on Youtube and Twitch , Having a great time playing and exploring Vintage Story and highly recommend it to others who love this type of game.

Vintage Story is one of the most immersive and rewarding sandbox survival games I have ever played.
私が今まで遊んだ中で、Vintage Storyは最も没入感があり、やりごたえのあるサンドボックス型サバイバルゲームのひとつです。

The depth of its crafting, farming, world simulation, and progression system is incredible, and you can truly feel the passion of the developers in every detail.
クラフト、農業、世界のシミュレーション、成長システムの奥深さは本当に素晴らしく、細かい部分から開発者の情熱が伝わってきます。

I would especially like to thank the developers and the community for providing a Japanese translation.
特に、日本語翻訳を用意してくれた開発者とコミュニティの皆さんに感謝したいです。

Thanks to the Japanese language support, players like me in Japan can fully understand the mechanics, lore, and UI, and enjoy the game much more deeply.
日本語対応のおかげで、私のような日本のプレイヤーでも、ゲームの仕組みや世界観、UIをしっかり理解でき、より深く楽しめます。

It means a lot to be able to play such a complex and beautiful game in my native language.
こんなに複雑で美しいゲームを母国語で遊べることは、本当に大きな意味があります。

Thank you for continuing to support and improve this amazing game.
この素晴らしいゲームを作り続け、改善し続けてくれてありがとうございます。

Vintage Story is truly a unique and unforgettable experience.
Vintage Storyは、本当に唯一無二で忘れられない体験です。

Nice and relaxing game. Progression is slow-paced but it is fun. It is very atmospheric and has nice graphics.

Be careful of bears...