After years of development and a successful Kickstarter campaign, The Universim sees the launch of its 1.0 version. The Universim is a planetary management game where players take on the role of a god, fitting for its God Game genre. The goal is to guide a civilization of small Nuggets to maturity. Amidst evolutions, weather events, and even discord among inhabitants, players have the final say in the development of their population over decades and subsequent eras.
It all begins at the moment of Universe creation, with no light or any form of life, only the engaging voice of the peculiar narrator who will accompany the unfolding narrative. And in an epic moment, light is shed, and the Universe expands before the player. The development of populations is aimed at achieving a scientific level that allows for space travel, in search of new planets to be explored and subsequently inhabited. These planets can vary in size, resource types, and the presence of hostile wildlife.
Returning to the beginning of everything, it’s crucial to choose the central point of the city, the epicenter from which everything will be built. A favorable position for development is essential, as Nuggets build their homes without a specific direction. It is up to the players, in the case of specific buildings, to place them close to residences so that they are covered by internal activities, such as water or food supply, or for example hospitals to restore strength to the ailing.
Like in other games of this genre, there’s a growing need for population development, both in terms of numbers and in knowledge and science. It’s important to pay attention to everything to keep the population happy and on track for prosperity. Indeed, at the initial moment, everything seems quite overwhelming, and it will take time to memorize menus and activities.
The story is quite simple but can evolve to a point even personal, depending on the level of involvement the player wishes to have with their population. It’s easier to empathize with the Nuggets when the population is small, but even with its growth, it’s fun to observe their interactions follow every step of a specific individual.
The population can also be shaped around integration with Twitch chat, allowing each viewer to enter the game with their little Nugget and follow their life, with the possibility of giving orders to their little recruit. In the midst of an interesting array of abilities given to the chat, it’s interesting to note that it also becomes a sort of god, albeit with fewer privileges than the player themselves. It’s thus possible to control weather changes, introduce catastrophic events such as tornadoes, which can even lead to the total destruction of a small village, or if feeling more sympathetic, offer resources for the faster development of civilization. Undoubtedly, this adds an interesting dimension and involvement to the game.
As the population evolves and increases, missions will focus on population aspects, such as keeping satisfaction levels high to prevent constraints like revolts against the ultimate representative or ensuring that the level of worship of a god remains balanced. Although they are secondary and completely disposable missions, they are fun activities that keep the player involved in the well-being of their creation.
This evolution is linked to the need for inclusion of new resources and specific abilities of each era. Starting in the Stone Age and advancing to the medieval era and beyond, the player uses experience points to unlock new abilities through a skill tree. These activities do not require the inclusion of inhabitants for their completion, as it is only necessary to wait for the activity to come to its conclusion.
The presence of the narrator adds a layer of humor. From small opinions to decision-making, even to the moment of reproduction of the little Nuggets, as if the player looks at the dwelling where the action is taking place, they are promptly warned by the voice. It follows the same vibe as titles such as “The Stanley Parable” or “Portal.”
The Universim is a god game that mixes humor and a lot of strategy into the genre. Its graphical aspect overflows with fun and blends perfectly with all the comic air that the narrator translates in his lines of text. The progression between eras is quite natural and intuitive, without excessive waiting moments between them.
