Rebuild iOS
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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2

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  1. Oxcart
    Oct 7, 2012
    10
    It's so rare to find a game this well-conceived, well-designed, and well-built; usually, a game misfires at one of those stages. Rebuild is one of those rare exceptions. This game combines an outstanding game mechanic design with a solid and usable interface, overlaid on a great premise. The game has appeared on sites like Kongregate as well as the iOS release; the release for iOS has additional features.


    At its heart, Rebuild is about putting the player into the tried-and-true zombie movie setup: it's the zompocalypse, and you -- along with a few other survivors -- have managed to secure a few blocks of the city from the rampaging undead horde. Now it's up to you. Rather than relying simply on the fight-a-zillion-zombies gunnery games out there, Rebuild eliminates the first-person fighting controls in favor of a more intelligent game platform. Much better than a simple twitch mouse shooter, this game put you into the position of command. You don't perform the missions yourself; you have your loyal followers for that. Scavenging for supplies, recruiting other survivors, reclaiming more blocks of the city, managing equipment, and even researching a few survival techs -- it's all on you to decide what gets priority and who is being sent to get the jobs done. At the same time, you need to keep your fort secure; humans and zombies alike will try to take it all away. The gameplay is solid turn-based-strategy at its best. It doesn't make the compromise that so many others have made (such as "The Last Stand" -- a good enough Flash game, but not something I'd pay to play), namely putting the player in the position of having to fend off attacks through frantic click-fest minigames. It's a poor decision in most cases simply because the UI (user interface, folks) just isn't up to translating the player's actions into game effect efficiently enough to avoid frustrating the player to death (which is why I gave up on The Last Stand, actually). Ergo, Rebuild takes that real-time stuff away and replaces it with far more in-depth gameplay. Scavenging nets food (of course), but also the occasional tool or weapon which can be used to "boost" a survivor's stats, of which there are several: tactical, scavenging, science, building, and leadership. Survivors also improve skills through completing missions and/or dedicated training. As a turn-based strategy game, it has no real equal. There are enough administrative duties to keep you busy without overwhelming, and plenty of special events with which to contend -- ranging from wild dogs to crazy people to pro-zombie activists (really!). The iOS release has seen regular updates, so far without a dud. The latest, version 3.0, added another layer of difficulty (optional) and took care of the last lingering UI lagginess. The level of customization available also adds a lot. You name your city, can rename your survivors (bring your friends into the zombie apocalypse!) like we all did in Oregon Trail, decide whether to replace buildings you've reclaimed and with what, how to outfit your survivors and who to assign to a particular mission. There are few limits imposed by the game structure; if you feel better sending 10 people on the same zombie hunt mission, do it. Sure, it's overkill and the UI tells you so, but it doesn't stop you from doing it. Likewise, if you really want fifty bars in your town, as long as you have eligible plots for them, fine. With a lot of games, tech research is a meaningless feature that is so poorly implemented that it's annoying, not rewarding. Pleasantly, Rebuild is not that way. There isn't a huge tech tree to research your way through; really only about six or seven techs currently exist. But those that exist do so for a reason, and make a considerable impact on your game. They're purely optional in that you *can* win without them, but they will make your life a lot easier. Perhaps the best feature, though, is the fact that, as a turn-based game, you can pick it up and put it down whenever you want. There's no pause button to have to remember, no save points or checkpoints. You can pick the game up and put it down at any time without any repercussions, making it perfect for a game for your commute (not while driving), break time at work, or whenever. If you are even a passing fan of the turn-based strategy genre and always thought you could outdo the losers in the zombie movies, here's your chance. Conveniently, it's also a great game.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Quarter to Three
    Nov 20, 2012
    100
    Rebuild is almost single-handedly the creation of indie developer Sarah Northway, who has iterated it from a web game to an iPhone game, enlisting some nifty comic book cutscene art and a darkly unsettling score from talented contributors. It still hangs frequently on my iPhone, but thanks to the autosave, I've never lost any progress. Like Pandemic, this is one of those games too good to stay a free web-based Flash game. And like Atom Zombie Smasher, this is an example of how zombie mythology has a lot more to offer videogaming than chainsaws and horde modes.
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  2. Pocket Gamer UK
    Mar 7, 2012
    70
    While its resource-management gameplay won't be for everyone, there's a pleasant rhythm to Rebuild that makes it difficult to put down.
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  3. 148Apps
    Feb 20, 2012
    80
    If anyone reading this likes games with a focus on micromanagement, and either loves or doesn't mind the inclusion of zombies, I'd urge them to buy Rebuild right away.
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