Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-time strategy game developed by Slug Disco Studios and published by Hooded Horse. Players control a colony of ants by expanding the colony, gathering resources, and fighting other creatures.
| Empires of the Undergrowth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Slug Disco Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Hooded Horse |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4[1] |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editPlayers control an ant colony. Like traditional real-time strategy games, players engage in base-building, but the ant colony is the base. Various types of ants comprise the factions, who gather resources in the form of food.[2] Having a surplus of food means that reinforcements can be quickly birthed, but running low can cause the colony to become poorly defended if too many ants die. Pheromones can tell ants where to forage for food.[3]
There is a skirmish mode and a story-based campaign, in which players must fend off hybrid creatures, such as a hermit crab-scorpion mixture, that have been created in a lab. Player-controlled ants can evolve, too, giving special abilities and unlocking new species of ants. Additional nature documentary-style missions are also available in the campaign.[2] These missions are narrated and offer insights into what has happened.[3]
Development
editDeveloper Slug Disco Studios is based in the United Kingdom.[4] Empires of the Undergrowth entered early access in December 2017. Hooded Horse released it for Windows on June 7, 2024.[5]
Reception
editPC Gamer called it "an absolutely excellent RTS".[2] GamesRadar said it is a very satisfying SimAnt-style game.[6] The Games Machine said it did nothing new and was missing several features common to real-time strategy games, such as multiplayer, but they enjoyed the variety of enemies and the boss battles.[7]
References
edit- ^ Hider, Jess (2017-03-23). "UE4 Devs Take Center Stage in the Powered by Unreal Engine Zone at EGX Rezzed". Unreal Engine. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ a b c Bolding, Jonathan (2024-06-09). "I'm not watching trailers this weekend, I'm playing this ridiculously good RTS about ants". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b Brown, Fraser (2017-12-14). "Premature Evaluation: Empires of the Undergrowth". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ "About". Slug Disco Studios. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
- ^ "Empires of the Undergrowth PC". Gamepressure. 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ Hurley, Leon (2018-01-15). "8 games to scratch that lost classic itch - relive old gaming memories with new things to play". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ Paschetto, Nicolò (2024-06-18). "Empires of the Undergrowth - Recensione". The Games Machine (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-09-13.
