It's a goal, but there is a bit exploration too. You can find some treasures and bosses. You have a micro management of your ressources too (hunger -> build a kitchen where NPC will craft some food and/or go pick yourself ingredients/food and/or craft it). The main "plus" is a story and NPC with interactions (quests and craft).Is there much exploring or anything in this game or is it purely about building a town?
The demo is free and long enough to overview main features.