Prior to playing Lumberjack Simulator, the only lumberjack simulator I’d even heard of was Fortnite. All jokes aside, I was very surprised when I recently came across a game called Lumberjack Simulator — an actual lumberjack simulation game — which is currently on Steam in Early Access. As a whole, Lumberjack Simulator seems to accomplish its goal of simulating the trials and tribulations of the lumberjacking trade, but it suffers in its unnatural mechanics that hinder what should be an immersive experience.
The game’s concept is simple. The player assumes the role of a lumberjack. They chop down trees. Then, they sell the lumber they’ve collected. Next, they use those earnings to purchase equipment to help them chop and sell more lumber, faster. In more advanced games, a player can purchase entire plots of land to grow their empire. If a player keeps repeating this cycle over and over again, they can eventually become the ultimate lumber tycoon.
Off To A Rough Start
The game is still in Early Access, which typically means the game is incomplete and may or may not continue to change. But there are still a number of aspects that the developers should have addressed prior to this game’s debut on a popular platform. For starters, the tutorial is a mess. By default, the game was set for controller players in spite of the fact that the game is currently only available on Steam. But that’s forgivable in an indie game that’s still trying to find its footing. I had a controller on hand and started playing the game with that, but quickly grew weary due to the inverted look controls. There doesn’t appear to be a way to change these settings in the game. So, I instead swapped over the mouse and keyboard and changed the control settings accordingly.
A few minutes into the tutorial, the game prompted me to put gas in my vehicle. I followed the instructions accordingly. But once I had a full tank, the prompt never went away. I was already so frustrated with the confusing tutorial that I immediately decided to jump into the game’s easy mode I would fare any better.
This is where the “fun” really began.
A player can chop wood with an axe or a chainsaw. The goal is to cut it as close to a perfect piece of lumber as possible — no twigs sticking out and as long and thick as you can haul. This is surprisingly difficult as a player can kick wood, lose logs in the brush and more.
But this is just half the battle. The player then has to put them in a truck and haul them back to the lumberyard to sell them for cash. The objective is to do this as efficiently as possible so you can make the most money in the shortest amount of time.
That’s the entire game.
It’s not just cutting wood that’s frustrating — handling is also difficult. It’s somehow incredibly easy to chuck a giant wooden log all the way to the other side of the forest. If it’s actually this easy, then all those years of lumberjack competitions on ESPN2 have steered Americans wrong. It’s unsettling to be told that a piece of wood is too heavy to lift and then, just a few seconds later, bump into the same piece of wood and watch it weightlessly roll down a hill.
The driving mechanics are also challenging. It’s understandable that driving would be difficult in this game, given the emphasis on heavy equipment. This is kind of the point — lumberjacking involves navigating rugged terrain. If you don’t navigate it properly, then you’ll lose your supply of wood off the back of the truck and have to spend time gathering it. Still, there’s a fine line between “challenging” and “barely playable.” Inverted look controls aside, it still feels unnatural. This is unfortunate, as the game teasers and trailers emphasize the driving mechanics as a key feature of this game.
Perhaps one of the most confusing aspects of this game is its loading screens. With weird nuggets of advice such as, “Lumberjacks are self-sufficient,” it’s unclear whether these are meant to be sincere or is intended to highlight the inherent silliness of a lumberjacking sim.
A Few Upsides
At some points, the game can be strangely addictive. There’s something soothing and meditative about performing repeatable tasks over and over again. It’s the kind of experience that seems more suited for a phone game than a computer or console experience, giving players something to do to pass the time.
Is it an okay game? Sure, if that’s your thing (and I know that for a great many people, it is exactly their thing). Is it worth $20? No, unless you’re a strong supporter of independent creators and feel some sense of satisfaction in providing a financial contribution to the developers who brought Lumberjack Simulator to market.
Personally, I’m genuinely happy for the person who had a dream to pursue a lumberjack simulation game and worked to make it a reality. Unfortunately, the game is riddled with playability issues. The game hasn’t done much except instilled the confidence in me to walk up to the thick-bearded men in my Brooklyn neighborhood (where Biggie Smalls made lumberjack coats cool back in the ‘90s) and tell them, “Hey, poser! It’s a lot harder than it looks!”
It’s as though the creators didn’t have a clear audience in mind when they developed this game. There are some elements that make it seem very childlike, like the very simplistic dialogue. However, the realism and frustrating gameplay make me certain it’s meant for adults.
Ultimately, when it comes to a comparison of other lumberjack simulators out there, the best aspect of this game that, unlike that other lumberjack simulator, there’s no building.
A PC copy of Lumberjack Simulator was purchased by TheGamer for this preview. Lumberjack Simulator is available for PC via Steam Early Access. It will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at a later date.
