Find your center
Plop. Klk-klk-klk. Plop. Plop. “Mhmmm ...” Klk ... “Ah, this fits perfectly.” Plop. This is roughly how you can imagine the soundscape during an average game of Dorfromantik . The name of the game, being German and roughly translating to 'Village romanticism', outlines the core concept very aptly, as it is simply about creating a landscape. This is done using tiles, of which we have a limited number in adventure mode. They contain different combinations of forest pieces, wheat fields, meadows, rivers and, of course, villages. If we manage to arrange them in a suitable way, we receive additional tiles. And then? We keep going until we run out. And then? We can start a new round or get creative in free mode. Or simply turn off the PC.
Dorfromantik is relaxation turned into a game. It's not about high scores, unlocks or progression. They do exist, but they don't jump out at you. It's not about efficiency or min-maxing either, it's not about getting the best out of the situation. It's the joy of tinkering turned into a game, adapting to the given situations and accepting circumstances. If you don't have the right piece for one place, you move on to another, following Bob Ross' mantra: "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents." As a reward, we receive an ever-growing diorama panorama in a childishly beautiful watercolor look that we have created ourselves. A world created by our decisions. And if we can then place the perfect tile in a gap every now and then, the satisfaction is all the greater.
I'm very happy that the game from Berlin development studio Toukana Interactive has enjoyed the success it has since its full release in 2022: three nominations at the German Computer Game Award 2021, where it won the award for Best Game Design and Best Debut. It also won Best German Game at the German Developer Award 2021 and now even has an analog board game version. Dorfromantik is for young and old alike and should be fun for almost every type of player. I definitely had a few very enjoyable hours and also pull the game out with the Steam deck from time to time when I have longer trips or toilet sessions ahead of me.
Now briefly to the soundtrack, which (incomprehensibly to me) was released in two volumes with six songs each. The Seattle-born US-American Laryssa Okada and a certain Pygoscelis are named as the composers. While the former is easily identifiable with a homepage and credits in various game projects such as Destiny 2 and Halo Infinite , I have no idea whether Pygoscelis is really a composer or, in fact, a long-tailed penguin was involved. That would at least explain the decelerated lo-fi aesthetic of the twelve tracks.
Basically, you can imagine the Dorfromantik-OST as a continuation of the original Minecraft-score: atmospherically soft piano sounds that are intended to evoke the spirit of childlike innocence and the sense of discovery. A few synths are added now and again (Orselina), but the piano remains the centerpiece. This transfiguration of village life is a little kitschy, but it goes together with the game well like forest tile with forest tile.
Consequently, this composition presents my rating system with the great challenge of judging the album fairly, as the score itself is actually very unremarkable. However, it is well done and can unfold its meditative effect beautifully. It's not enough for my top charts, but that's not the music's ambition. Like the game, it is a dose of relaxation, a brief moment to pause and enjoy. Even if you can lose yourself in the decelerating undertow, Dorfromantik is not a game that you play for hours on end. And conversely, the soundtrack is not something you can listen to forever. But it is just the thing for a short breather.
Nostalgia warning
The rating of the individual tracks is purely subjective and clearly colored by my own experience with the game. You can find out more in the article About Nostalgia.
