Through using the use of sound/graphics as well as how pertinent it is to find supplies, going out into the world where almost all interactions are fraught with danger give a real sense of fear as to not get killed by the worlds survivors. Every sound or shadow moving makes for a world that should worry the player and then some.
Users must make many choices in game that can result in many realistic consequences. Should the player take a gun out with them to scavenge, what if they run into enemies and didn't bring one? What if they brought the gun but now don't have room in their inventory to collect all the items needed to survive the next day?
While playing a huge role in the game the mechanics of crafting are not explained that well leaving the player to guess as to what they need to do, which can be frustrating.
On each beginning of the game, the city is randomly generated. This makes for a new experience every time a new game is played which keeps things fresh for the player.
Probably not for everyone, but if you like a zombie overrun post-apocalyptic scenario, this game sets the atmosphere accordingly with constant scavenging for resources on the verge of human extinction, moral choices and a disturbing soundtrack.
Rebuild tends to get easier the more farmland one obtains, so the further the player reaches in the game the easier things become, which looses some appeal.
Every aspect of the game requires the player to constantly think of how to best spend their resources be it people or time. It is a constant but fun battle to balance the gameplay by customizing all aspects of the game as it advances.
The game is best played in short bursts due to things having timers. This is a tactic often used to try an coerce players into paying to speed up the game, but for those looking for a casual experience that they can play in short bursts throughout the day this is a perfect fit.
Like many free to play games, Doomsday Preppers sens out push notifications to the devices notification bar if the game has not been opened in a certain amount of time. This is seen as annoying due to the messages being unwanted and clutter where users often look to find important notifications. Luckily the OS allows users to turn these off on a per app basis in the OSs app settings.
Its a great little game and worth picking up but it I clearly a indie game as some polish is missing here and there. hopefully that will get better though.