Game Creation

Game Creation can be a matter of clicks, or carefully optioned.

The settings detailed below are set for each game once it begins, and cannot be changed once the game has begun.

Title Page

The Clanfolk game loads to a title screen with options across the bottom. And a welcoming message in the top right with some more information.
Language selection is possible under the box of welcome text. The game has been at least partially translated into 13 languages aside from English.

• Continue - will load the game that was saved most recently.
• New Game - gives many options for how the world will be set up (detailed below).
• Load - allows the player to choose which previously saved game they continue playing.
• Settings - allows altering visual and audio options etc.
• Quit - leaves the game.

N.B. Continue and Load will not be present until a game save exists

New Game

New Game brings up a World Settings page with options for customising the map that the game will take place on.

• Sliders - The player is given 5 'points' to manipulate the characteristics of the map. Each of the following seven items starts at 0 and can be increased or decreased. With a range of "-3" to "+3" where a positive number will produce more of that thing on the map. (It is possible to minimise all seven of these values, the resulting map will be very lacking in useable features.)
  • Lakes - also adds to Rivers which connect Lakes across the Map (source of early food, Eels)
  • Peat Bogs - typically near Lakes/Rivers and may look to overlap some Rivers (Iron and Peat)
  • Flood Plains - Ground that will flood with heavy Rain
  • Mountains - Possibility of natural caves, can can be mined
  • Forest - Soil that has Trees and Berry Bushes growing on it
  • Grassland - Soil that has a variety of Crops growing on it
  • Wildlife - How many Wild Animals that will be available for Hunting
• Seed - is a 9 digit number used to randomise the map. Using the same seed and the same values for the prior seven entries should create the same map on the same release version. (2025 May saw release 17) A randomise button exists for the seed number.
• World Map Mode (In Development) - Alters some of the ways a Clan obtains technology, and introduces a way for a Clanfellow to leave the main Map and return.
• Idea Points Mode - adds another requirement to access many new Ideas during play (probably best avoided in a first game as it slows progress).
• Variable Skill Potential - Each Clanfellow has a variety of maximum Skill levels across the 16 Skills. Without this selected each Clanfellow will have only one skill that doesn't max at 10.
• World Name - allows naming the world to make distinguishing Saves easier.

Clicking on Build World will create the Map and provide more options.

The player needs to select Back if unhappy with the generated landscape (to change the Seed or Sliders)
A Difficulty popup may be accessed before proceeding to Build Clan. A small number of presets exist in a dropdown menu, further specificity is possible. Each of the following options has a tick box to (de)select. All are expected to make the game harder.

• Heavy Rain/Snow Mode - Rain becomes much more likely and lasts longer with shorter dry spells. Also removes the guaranteed three days rain free at start of gameplay.
• Extra Flooding
• Epic Storms
• Dangerous Lightning - higher chance of fire starting after lightning strikes
• Colder Winters
• Chilling Winds
• High Flammability
• Slower Plant Growth
• Slower Skill Progression
• Work Takes Longer
• Longer Lifespans
• Fewer Traders
• Scarce Resources
• Expiring Cold Rooms - makes it harder to maintain Freezers

Clicking Build Clan proceeds.

Build Clan

In excess of 70 Tartans across the top of the screen (no apparent in game effect), one will have to be chosen before proceeding past this screen.

• A Fresh Start - A clan builds their first homestead. Recommended
  • Gives the player an extended family of two married Seniors, one Adult child of those Seniors along with the spouse of that Adult, and three children of that Adult couple, two Juveniles and a Baby. Some Chickens, Food, and Coin is also included in this set up. (One of the Seniors and their Adult child will start with Plaid.)
• Schepehird - A family just starting out tries their hand at managing a flock of sheep Difficult
  • Gives an Adult couple with Baby, and a large number of sheep.
• Orphans - Their parents are gone, and all they have are a few coins, the chickens they could carry, and each other Very Difficult
  • Gives the player a small number of Juveniles taking care of at least one baby (typically 3 Juveniles and 3 Babies). Along with some chickens.
• Hermit - Her only company is a clowder of cats and a spirit of adventure Very Difficult
  • One Adult, with two adult cats and four kittens.
• Custom - Build your own Clan from Nothing Try After Surviving Winter
  • Provides a blank slate for the player to add Clanfolk, animals, food, and manage coin. (The player is given 2000 coin and must spend for all additions to what will be their initial clan.)

Family Customisation

Once a setting has been chosen the player gets to see the random family/individual. (Custom remains blank.) Survival chance is given near the top left of screen, this updates as Clanfolk and Animals are added or removed.

• Adding a person to the Clan takes 250 coin, they start as a baby (unless added as spouse) and can be aged up. However, all displayed Clanfolk are aged at the same time so deciding that a couple should have had a second child after ageing everyone up may require resetting. Any adult can have a spouse added, married couples that are not seniors can have children added.
• Any Clanfolk that aren't babies will have Skills icons beside their picture. One with 1-3 smiley faces, one with 1-3 sad faces, and one with a multiplier (the smiley and multiplier may be on the same Skill such that only two icons are present). A variety of liked and multiplier skills across the individuals is more beneficial than repeating the same Skill. As is ensuring that a disliked Skill is not common.
• Most of the Adults will have at least one Trait, Babies will only have Afraid of the Dark.
• Before progressing the player may choose to reroll any Clanfellow for a progressively increasing cost in coin (5, 10, 15, etc.). Spouses not born to the clan can be removed and replaced without extra cost (children vanish if this is done), removing direct descendants of the Clan Patriarch/Matriarch will remove the spouse of that individual, along with any children.
• A Tutorial option is auto-checked just above the Start Game option, there is no ability to toggle the tutorial once the game begins.

Animal / Food purchase

Livestock and Pets can be purchased (or sold if not wanted) before progressing further, with the male of each species costing two thirds what the female will cost. All Animals are purchased as new Adults. Each species of animal may provide a particular benefit as the days in game pass, they also require feeding and shelter to survive during winter.

• Cattle : Require the most food, Cows will provide Milk once Buckets are available.
• Chickens : Chickens provide Eggs frequently.
• Goats : Nanny Goats provide Milk half as fast as Cows.
• Pigs : Provide no extra product, but have larger litters so provide meat quicker.
• Sheep : Adults and Seniors provide Wool once a year.
• Cats : Will hunt Rats, reducing impact on Food Rot.
• Deerhound : Will aid in hunting Wildlife, especially Wolves. Can also guard the Livestock.

Food ( Dried Mushrooms and Smoked Meat) may be purchased to reduce the need for gathering food in the early days of game.

Start Game

Once the Start Game option is selected the screen reverts to the map the player should have already seen and zooms in to where the Clanfolk have been placed. (This should be near a Lake and some Berry Bushes, probably in the middle area of the map if possible.) If the player is happy with the location they can start ordering Jobs and placing Basic Needs Objects, otherwise they will need to give the Clanfolk Move To orders in the area they want the Clanfolk to settle and hope that Items are carried there once Stockpiles are placed (and animals follow). Especially for a first game the player should probably just accept the location and start issuing orders there. (If the Lake the Clanfolk have been placed beside is one of the 2x2 Lakes it will be important to move them to a larger Lake.)
If the Tutorial was selected it will begin as soon as the zoom in has finished.