Wilderness city builder Farthest Frontier nears full release

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A fresh start is one of the most enduring narratives we tell ourselves. In the same vein, the idea of creating a brand new settlement in untamed wilds is an evocative one, which is why Farthest Frontier (where you do exactly that) is a compelling proposition. Out in early access for over two years, it’s nearing the finish line with an update adding a ton of brand new stuff to the title, including one feature that shows that the wilderness isn’t a safe place.

The 0.9.5 update for Farthest Frontier contains a big old log pile of things to get stuck into, including a new minimap feature for the city building game that should make navigating the far reaches of the world much simpler. Managing your fields will also be easier thanks to a new crop summary window, which will show you exactly where you’ve planted stuff as well as giving you a centralized place to view options for your fields.

The big one for me, however, is the addition of new salvage sites. These give an extra dimension to the game, with a nice little narrative twist that hint at more going on than just your attempts to claim the wilderness. By salvaging from these areas you can gain valuable materials, but it’s what they are that makes them so intriguing as they’re the remnants of former failed attempts at building settlements.

This deepens the fantasy behind Farthest Frontier, as it’s clear now that the world is bigger than just your nascent town. Other settlers have been here before you, trod these same forests, and tried to do what you’re doing, and like them you may fail and see your buildings crumble into nothing. It’s a small touch, but it shows that Farthest Frontier developer Crate Entertainment is thinking of expanding the game in all the right ways.

In addition to all that, there’s a slew of bug fixes, enhancements to performance, and a few different quality of life changes that should make the game considerably more smooth to play as it gears up for its full launch.

The 0.9.5 update for Farthest Frontier is out now and you can also save 20% on the game until Thursday October 24. Head over to the game’s Steam forum to learn more, and to see if you want to head out for a fresh start in the wilderness too.

If you’re looking for a different area to settle in, our guides to the best building games and the best survival games should keep you on solid ground for a long time to come.