Craftlings is a game that rewards patience. “One thing at a time” quickly became my mantra while working through each level in this Lemmings-inspired game. Try to juggle too many tasks at once and you’ll lose control, sending your Craftlings wandering off cliffs instead of doing what you actually need them to do.
An Evolution
Each level revolves around selecting buildings to craft, assigning Craftlings to gather materials, and watching those production chains slowly come together. You start from barely anything and work your way up to a thriving village.
You can play levels in sequence or skip ahead to any level you like — no holding the player back here. There’s some pretty tempting looking end game levels, but you should definitely get the basics down before tackling dragons and frost knights. The early levels act as a detailed tutorial, gradually teaching you how everything works.
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You’ll also need to construct training facilities and equip your Craftlings before sending them into battle. There’s no shortage of undead enemies, and the better prepared your Craftlings are, the more damage they’ll deal.
Each level has its own mission list, full of tasks to complete that can earn you some extra coin.
There are plenty of throwbacks here too. Fans of Lemmings will see the little touches straight away, including mining, explosions and parachutes for big falls.
Tools like ladders, material lifts, and dynamite gives you some control over how each level unfolds — blowing holes in rock faces and reclaiming old wooden crates.
Dynamite also regenerates over time, making it easier to clear paths and reshape the world without feeling super punished for experimenting. Again, it’s just a patience thing.
Some of the most satisfying moments came from learning the game’s little quirks. I discovered that diagonally placed boxes can be climbed from one direction but not the other, opening up new solutions if you pay attention.
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And a pro tip — pause the game. Stopping the game to plan your next move is essential once the levels start getting busy (and believe me, they get busy).
Patience Is Key
That said, it isn’t always smooth sailing. On a few occasions, my Craftlings skipped over items or climbed somewhere they clearly shouldn’t have, leading to small but frustrating setbacks.
Levels also end the moment you complete the main objective, which can feel abrupt — though you can jump back in from the menu and continue building if you want to keep your village thriving.
The pixel art is charming and the Craftlings themselves are undeniably cute. Some world pieces are simply there to look pretty, and they do a good job at it, but the bosses are the standout — big, bold, and easily the most impressive-looking part of the game.
Should you buy Craftlings?
Craftlings is about smart building, careful resource management, and the slow satisfaction of watching a plan finally click into place. It’s a thoughtful, challenging experience that demands patience, with some levels taking well over an hour to crack.
Despite a couple of rough edges, Craftlings is a charming modern take on a classic formula — a better and evolved Lemmings, if I may — that will appeal to players who enjoy taking their time and thinking a few steps ahead (mind the gap).
Quest Daily scores Craftlings:
7.5/10
Craftlings is coming to PC via Steam on January 16th.
A copy of Craftlings was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
