It is a good day for fans of games that force you to think vertically. The viral mountainside builder Laysara: Summit Kingdom has finally reached its full potential with a massive 1.0 launch. After spending time being polished in the early access fires, the game has made the leap to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox family. It is a significant move for an indie project that caught everyone’s eye with its unique premise: instead of building on a flat, boring plain, you are clinging to the side of a jagged peak.
The transition from early access to a full release is always a tense moment for developers, but the team has sweetened the deal by introducing a 15 mission campaign mode for the very first time. Previously, players were largely left to their own devices in sandbox scenarios, but now there is a structured narrative and a series of specific challenges to conquer. This adds a layer of depth that should satisfy those who need a bit of a “why” behind their city planning efforts.
Verticality is the name of the game
If you haven’t seen this title in action yet, the concept is fairly straightforward but incredibly difficult to master. You are tasked with building a thriving society on a mountain, which means you have to deal with limited space, precarious transport routes, and the constant threat of avalanches. In Laysara: Summit Kingdom, you aren’t just managing resources; you are managing the geography itself.
One of the most impressive technical feats of this 1.0 update is how well the verticality translates to consoles. Handling a complex city builder with a controller can be a nightmare, but the work done by Nejcraft, who is the the Czech publisher and co-developer responsible for the console ports, appears to have paid off. Whether you are playing on a high end PS5 or taking your mountain kingdom on the go with the Nintendo Switch, the UI feels intuitive. The game still looks stunning, with clouds drifting through your housing districts and the terrifying roar of snow sliding down the slopes when you get things wrong.
A campaign worth climbing for
The addition of the 15 mission campaign is arguably the biggest draw for returning players. These missions act as a guided tour through the various mechanics of the game, starting with basic survival and scaling up to the construction of massive summit temples. Each mission introduces new obstacles, such as harsher weather conditions or more complex trade requirements between the different tiers of your mountain city.
It is a smart way to flesh out the experience. City builders can sometimes feel aimless once you have unlocked all the buildings, but having a set of goals to work toward keeps the momentum going. It also gives the developers a chance to tell a bit of a story about the people living in this high altitude world. You really start to feel the stakes when a well placed avalanche wall is the only thing standing between your citizens and total disaster.
It is a smart way to flesh out the experience. City builders can sometimes feel aimless once you have unlocked all the buildings, but having a set of goals to work toward keeps the momentum going. It also gives the developers a chance to tell a bit of a story about the people living in this high altitude world. You really start to feel the stakes when a well placed avalanche wall is the only thing standing between your citizens and total disaster.
