Over the last few years I've collected dozens of free games from various online stores, most of which I've yet to even try. I think it's time I at least acknowledged their generosity.
I don't think I really understand how to play Hammerting.
I get the basics. The concept of a two dimensional representation of a mountain that can be explored and mined does not bewilder me. I am not left pondering at the task of gathering raw materials and constructing buildings. Nor am I confused by the idea of a technology tree that slowly unlocks as items are constructed, or the concept of slowly expanding and equipping my small band of dwarves with better equipment and new skills.
I even vaguely understand the world outside the mountain, where towns can be discovered and trading happens, and how the map gradually expands with my progress. There are missions to complete in certain towns, and I have achieved several of them.
My problem is that I don't really understand how any of it works.
Take my first few attempt for example. I mined, I built, I explored. But then my dwarves began to starve, and I couldn't unlock the buildings that provided food, so they all died. On my next attempt I unlocked those buildings, but couldn't get them to produce any food, and they all starved again. Several playthroughs later I could build the buildings and produce food, and my dwarves survived - but I still don't understand what I did differently to achieve this.
I feel like I there should be some strategy, some particular approach I should be taking, but all I do every time is build every building and get them to produce as much of every type of resource as possible (of which there seem to be hundreds). And then eventually I need a specific resource that I don't know how to get, and gradually everything grinds to a halt again.
Things did improve when I found the option to disable 'being attacked constantly by monsters within the mountain'. I'm quite good enough at letting my dwarves die by themselves, without extra help.
Overall I've had a good few hours out of it so I shouldn't complain, but I'm still left a little overwhelmed. There are so many tiny icons to recognise, so many little pictorial representations of dwarven emotional states, so many different little bits and pieces to constantly juggle.
And it's not helping that I still have no idea what a Hammerting is. Is that relevant?