I recently checked out the early visual prototype for The Universim. Universim is a god-like civilization builder in the mold of the Populous games. Brought to us by indie developer Crytivo Games, Universim is still in pre-alpha. Though the prototype is a visual format only, and doesn’t give us any real functionality yet, it does give us a good idea of the scale and overall look the developers are going for.
The starter “Mother Earth” planet you begin on shows off several biomes. These basic environments range from grassy fields, to massive rocky mountains, vast oceans and forested areas. It also gives you a rough idea of the range of tech you will have at your disposal. From small tribes, to farms, to giant skyscraper filled cities, the plan to allow you to build a society up to the advanced stages of space flight is also evident.
Like most god-like games, the planned gameplay revolves around your interaction with the native people of each planet you may visit. The Universim plans to add more dynamic abilities by leaving these societies growth completely to the AI, and although you will be able to affect environments and events, you will not be able to control people directly. This should add a level of unknown to the game, as actions you take may often not have the results you intend. This will be balanced with a “Wrath” meter, which will fill up as you take actions, and allow you to reign down destruction on your people when they decide to take actions you disagree with.
The developers at Crytivo games have bold plans for The Universim. Colonization will be a key factor with The Universim. You will be able to send ships to other planets in the universe and build new habitats for your people. With random generated planets a lot of care and planning will have to go into each colony, as varying weather and environment effects will give your people new challenges with each planet you encounter.
With the crowdfunding effort for The Universim still on going, I am looking forward to seeing how far the devs are able to go in their quest for rejuvenating the god-like genre with their new concepts.
MicBeMac Games 