I have always been a fan of games that allow users more freedom, and the ability to create content. Most definitely this is because I come from a background of pen and paper roleplaying games. The number of computer games that could simulate that experience, that feeling of having complete creativity, are few at best. Landmark (a Minecraft-style building game from Daybreak Game Company) and Sword Coast Legends (a solo-adventure, co-op, and dungeon building title soon to be released from n-Space) are the two games recently that I’ve been looking at to fulfill that need for creativity and storytelling.

Here I give a run-down of the pros and cons of these two games, specifically how they rate against each other for content creation. When I was making these lists I was focusing on ease of creating content for others, graphics, user experience, and breadth of creativity possible.

Landmark is a fantastic building game and I urge anyone who hasn’t checked it out yet to look it up. There is a learning curve with the tools, though. The developers and community have been working together to close the gaps but it is still necessary to spend lots of time looking at YouTube tutorials, watching the top builders stream on twitch, and practicing with the tools yourself.
An artist’s eye is definitely needed in order to come up with something that looks pretty in the game. You chose everything from the colors, the materials, and the props… and of course you design the entire structure block-by-block. Tons of creativity can be unleashed here and you have complete control over everything, but if you don’t have that artist’s touch… it may not come out looking like what you envisioned.
And the storytelling tools just aren’t there yet. We were promised them, but Landmark is still in early-access and is not a finished game yet. Hopefully, one day, we’ll have the AI tools we need to create the NPCs, quests, placeable monsters and traps necessary to create adventures. Unfortunately, we have no idea when those tools and options will make their way into the game.

Sword Coast Legends however is a polished game ready for release. The Dungeon Master tools appear to be simple yet allow for quite a bit of creativity. Similarly, the dungeon building tools seem intuitive and easily mastered. There are a few YouTube videos of the developers showcasing the DM features that you could check out, or if you’re interested you could read my review of the tools (with relevant video screenshots) here.
The only “downside” to SCL is that you are limited to a fantasy-themed, Faerun-centered, Dungeons & Dragons kind of storytelling… which I don’t really find a downside at all, as I grew up playing D&D and my personal narrative lends itself to that style and world.

Both games are good and help bring your creativity to light, but for creating my own adventures right now I’m going to pick Sword Coast Legends!

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