Dating and relationship mechanics have become almost expected in visual novels and modern RPGs, but it’s when other genres dip their toes into it that my interest is highest, like the weird melding of horror and anime waifus in Doki Doki Literature Club, or the roguelike combat paired with romance in Hades. So when I saw Lakeburg Legacies’ cosy setting and inclusive roster of characters had a focus on playing matchmaker and using that love to manage a village, I was hopeful for a more intimate experience in a genre usually pretty detached from its pawn-like citizens.
Lakeburg Legacies reviewDeveloper: Ishtar GamesPublisher: Ishtar GamesPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out now on PC (Steam)
The first few hours absolutely fulfilled this promise when I was following Adelina and Maryon’s tumultuous marriage. Adelina was my very first villager and I immediately put her to work as a lumberjack so I could get wood to start the expansion of my currently miniscule village. Pretty standard management stuff, but then I was introduced to the couples mechanic, where you get the help of local mystic, Tindra, and her soulmate pairing abilities.
As her name suggests, Tundra’s basically a one-woman Medieval version of Tinder. Adelina and Maryon went on a date, got married, fell madly in love, and had a baby on the way in no time. Then, Maryon started flirting with every villager that crossed her path. My eyes were glued to the journal in between building farms and sewing workshops, eager to see who Maryon was going to set her charms on next. During this time Adelina and Maryon’s child, Christina, took an instant dislike to neighbour Victorin for some reason. This became a problem when Christina grew up and joined Adelina and Victorin in the lumberjack lodge, adding a ‘bad’ working atmosphere due to their animosity, which affected the production of Lakeburg’s precious wood.
It was fun! Lakeburg Legacies was combining the calculating gameplay of managing resources with the personal touch of relationship building, and I was watching it all play out while on the enjoyable loop of building my village into something more substantial. For those first few hours it really felt like this was my personal village, where I could eventually swap stories with other players to see what their citizens were up to. Who cheated on who? Why? What were your dates like? Who did you make King and Queen?