Craftlings

Craftlings is a PC side-scrolling puzzle-strategy game formerly developed under the working title The Settlings. Created by ARIANO Games GmbH, it combines indirect worker control, settlement building, resource management, and automation into a sequence of handcrafted challenges rather than a conventional freeform city builder.

Indirect control is the central challenge

You do not directly steer every Craftling. Instead, you shape the environment around them with paths, ladders, lifts, signs, and other structures that influence how workers move through each level. The goal is to make a group of independent creatures gather materials, transport items, construct buildings, and reach an objective without wandering into hazards.

That indirect-control design gives Craftlings its strongest identity. A settlement can look productive while a single blocked route quietly stops the entire chain. When a worker takes the wrong direction or becomes trapped behind an obstacle, the solution is usually to rethink the layout rather than issue another direct order.

Production chains, professions, and settlement logic

Each level begins with a limited set of resources and buildings. You harvest materials, establish infrastructure, and gradually turn a rough camp into a functioning settlement. Production chains matter because every resource must be collected and delivered by the Craftlings themselves.

Workers can be assigned different responsibilities, including roles such as lumberjack, stone mason, miner, and warrior. Switching professions is part of the puzzle: assigning too many workers to construction may leave resource gathering short-handed, while preparing for danger can slow the development of the settlement.

Buildings include economic and defensive functions, with farms, barracks, and other structures supporting different objectives. Upgrading the Town Hall unlocks additional possibilities and gives the settlement a clearer sense of progression, but the game remains focused on solving the current map rather than building an endless empire.

Levels built around objectives and experimentation

Craftlings uses a handcrafted level structure instead of a procedural sandbox. Maps are spread across distinct biomes, and each one introduces a particular layout, resource problem, environmental danger, or end condition. Some scenarios emphasize logistics, while others require you to manage combat threats or reach difficult areas.

The game encourages experimentation. You can pause, adjust the arrangement of buildings and routes, change worker roles, and observe how the settlement responds. Failure is informative because a lost Craftling or stalled supply chain usually reveals which part of the plan needs to change.

Later challenges add enemies, hazards, spells, vertical traversal, and more demanding production problems. The combination of pathfinding, timing, and resource allocation makes each stage feel closer to a large puzzle than a standard real-time strategy battle.

Why the Lemmings comparison only goes so far

Craftlings clearly shares DNA with classic indirect-control games: small creatures follow routes, environmental instructions matter, and careless planning can send them into danger. However, it adds a substantial settlement-management layer that changes the pace and priorities.

You are not only trying to guide workers safely. You are also arranging buildings, maintaining supply routes, assigning professions, unlocking capabilities, and preparing for objectives that may require combat. The result is slower and more deliberate than an arcade-style path puzzle.

Players who enjoy the economic side of the concept may also appreciate settlement strategy games such as Pioneers of Pagonia, although Craftlings is more compact, more puzzle-driven, and built around indirect control rather than open-ended expansion.

PC features, modes, and localization

The current PC storefront lists Craftlings as a single-player game. There is no advertised online multiplayer, local co-op, or split-screen mode, so it should be approached as a solo planning experience. The game also includes Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Leaderboards, and Family Sharing.

Controller support is not presented as a headline storefront feature, so players should not assume full gamepad support. Craftlings is designed around manipulating routes, buildings, roles, and production chains, making a traditional keyboard-and-mouse setup the safer expectation for PC players.

The storefront lists interface and subtitle localization for 14 languages: English, French, German, Spanish from Spain, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Italian, and Turkish. Full voice acting is not listed.

The commercial model is a paid base game with an optional soundtrack add-on. The storefront does not present Craftlings as a free-to-play title, subscription game, or season-pass product.

Who should play Craftlings?

Craftlings is a strong fit for players who enjoy indirect-control puzzles, visible logistics, compact colony management, and the satisfaction of repairing an inefficient system. It rewards patience more than rapid clicking, and its best moments come when a carefully arranged route makes an entire settlement begin working on its own.

It is less suitable for players seeking a large sandbox city builder, direct unit control, competitive multiplayer, or constant action. The settlement exists to help you solve each scenario, so the focus is on objectives, optimization, and controlled experimentation rather than limitless urban expansion.

The game also suits players who like classic settlement systems. For a more traditional economic strategy experience with explicit resource chains and larger-scale settlement development, classic economic strategy games such as The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary Gold Edition offer a useful point of comparison, while Craftlings keeps the action in a tighter side-scrolling puzzle format.

Craftlings FAQ

Was Craftlings previously called The Settlings?

Yes. The Settlings was the game's earlier working title. The current storefront and released game name is Craftlings.

What type of game is Craftlings?

Craftlings is a side-scrolling 2D puzzle-strategy game with settlement building, resource management, worker automation, pathfinding, and light combat systems.

Can you directly control the Craftlings?

No. The core design is based on indirect control. You construct routes, place buildings and signs, assign professions, and alter the environment so the Craftlings carry out the required tasks.

Does Craftlings have multiplayer or co-op?

No multiplayer, co-op, or split-screen mode is listed for the current PC version. Craftlings is presented as a single-player game.

Does Craftlings have a campaign with freeform city building?

It has a collection of handcrafted levels with distinct biomes and objectives. You develop settlements during those scenarios, but the structure is challenge-based rather than an endless city-building sandbox.

What PC features does Craftlings support?

The listed Steam features include Steam Cloud, Steam Achievements, Steam Leaderboards, and Family Sharing. The storefront does not advertise full controller support, mod tools, or multiplayer functionality.

What languages are available in Craftlings?

Craftlings provides interface and subtitle localization in 14 languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Italian, and Turkish. Full audio localization is not listed.