{"id":1059335,"date":"2026-01-19T22:59:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T22:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=492240"},"modified":"2026-01-19T22:59:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T22:59:56","slug":"finally-a-crafting-game-that-solves-the-early-game-tree-punching-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/finally-a-crafting-game-that-solves-the-early-game-tree-punching-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Finally, a crafting game that solves the early game tree-punching problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure> <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/finally-a-crafting-game-that-solves-the-early-game-tree-punching-problem.jpg\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">I\u2019ve played so many survival and crafting games that I have the opening routine down to a science. Here\u2019s how it usually goes: I wake up in a new environment and get straight to punching trees. Sometimes, I don\u2019t even get to punch trees \u2014 I have to pick up sticks and rocks and make a makeshift axe, and then I can start chopping down trees to get logs. I am so tired of punching trees and gathering sticks. <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1133500\/Overthrown\/\"><em>Overthrown<\/em>, a wacky kingdom-building simulator<\/a> designed to be enjoyed with friends, manages to shake up that stale formula.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">The first thing I do in <em>Overthrown<\/em> is claim a crown marked with a beam of light, which seems like a poor system of government, but it lets me find my footing. Then, I have to start getting some wood to start building my settlement. Sure enough, I have to punch trees, but developer Brimstone made the basic movement and combat of this game smooth and quick. So I don\u2019t just punch trees; I combo-strike them, spin dash into them, and beat the shit out of those mighty oaks. I don\u2019t have to upgrade my axe to level 3 to attack a big tree; I just need to pummel it persistently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">Once the tree falls, the log rolls away, and I have to chase it down and hope it doesn\u2019t tumble down a cliff. I can also pick the log up and throw it into a sawmill to get instantly ground up into wood chunks. Convenient!<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">This is the big appeal of <em>Overthrown<\/em>; it\u2019s got room for a lot of physics-based antics. As I build up my base, I can move an awkwardly placed building by picking it up and tossing it. My base attracts NPC villagers, who help out with the day-to-day jobs. I can pick them up too, so if someone\u2019s a little too sleepy, I can simply hurl them into bed like the benevolent monarch I am.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><em>Overthrown<\/em> just entered early access, and I haven\u2019t had the chance to try it out with a pack of pals, so I\u2019ll have to see whether the game continues to tickle my funny bone. For now, I\u2019m just pleased that I don\u2019t have to gather sticks and painstakingly build my first axe. If you\u2019re going to make me punch trees, at least make punching trees a little bit novel.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/impressions\/492240\/overthrown-pc-game-review-impressions\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve played so many survival and crafting games that I have the opening routine down to a science. Here\u2019s how it usually goes: I wake up in a new environment and get straight to punching trees. Sometimes, I don\u2019t even get to punch trees \u2014 I have to pick up sticks and rocks and make a makeshift axe, and then I can start chopping down trees to get logs. I am so tired of punching trees and gathering sticks. Overthrown, a wacky kingdom-building simulator designed to be enjoyed with friends, manages to shake up that stale formula. The first thing I do in Overthrown is claim a crown marked with a beam of light, which seems like a poor system of government, but it lets&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/finally-a-crafting-game-that-solves-the-early-game-tree-punching-problem\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1059336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1059335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Finally, a crafting game that solves the early game tree-punching problem | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019ve played so many survival and crafting games that I have the opening routine down to a science. 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