Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville

I bought this game mostly because I felt I owed it to the developer. Because I've watched this game develop since the first Rebuild was just a flash game on the once relevant website that is Newgrounds.

This really feels like a call back review for me since one of the first game I reviewed on this blog was Rebuild 2 which was a flash game since I felt so much love for the game. I'm so glad that this game actually made it and its a true testament regarding a solid indie concept and developer succeeding due to strong execution. Good work Sarah Northway!

This game isn't a visual or musical extravaganza by any means, but this edition has definitely picked up a clear art style that is leaps and bounds better than previous editions of this game. The music and sound design are better, however, its fairly forgettable and I usually just end up muting the game and playing my own music of actually having a TV show play in the background while I spend my time smashing zombies.

Mechanically though this game is incredibly solid. You are essentially always grappling with managing your various resources to survive the zombie apocalypse, those resources being your food, ammo, fuel, medicine, group members and housing space. This is aside from dealing with the dynamics of other survivor groups, the gypsy merchant and of course the ever present zombie horde.

I'm a big fan of the grid style map that the game uses as well as the variety of buildings types and survivor types that there are for you to have to deal with as you attempt to expand the settlement that you've got going. You are always facing the double edged sword that expansion is because yes, you do now have more space and new building types to use but that comes at the cost of having a larger and larger border to have to defend against the zombie horde. So there is always a great sense of tension regardless of which map you are playing on and a great sense of satisfaction once you do take and secure every single space on a map.

Rebuild 3 for all intents and purposes is a very simple strategy game. But its one that holds a special place with me given that I've seen it grow from a simple flash game on newgrounds into the successfully achieved kickstarter project that it is now. If you like zombies, if you need a simple time killer game to zone out, if you like strategy games then you should really get it because not only would you get a good game, but you'd also be supporting an indie developer.