When I think of the best city building games – Cities Skylines, SimCity 2000, Against the Storm, Frostpunk, Manor Lords – the trend is always the same. You start out among open fields and nature (whether inviting or oppressive) and end up with a thriving, buzzing hub of industry and activity. It is extremely satisfying. But the great Terra Nil essentially excels in the reverse direction, where a successful operation does nothing at all. It’s inventive, compelling, and now available at a deep discount thanks to a Steam sale.
The concept of Terra Nil is relatively straightforward. In each area, you’re faced with a barren, devastated landscape that has no life at all. Your job is to restore it to a thriving, living ecosystem with fertile grasslands, clear oceans, forests teeming with wildlife, etc. Once the natural order is restored, you pack up all your machinery and technology and leave no trace. It’s a city-building game, only in reverse, and it’s a delight.
With procedurally generated maps that give you a new challenge each time, Terra Nil evolves into both a puzzle and a strategy game. You must figure out how to use your resources most efficiently to meet the needs of both the environment and the animals that live in it.
First released in March 2023, Terra Nil recently received a major overhaul from developer Free Lives with the Vita Nova update. This introduces a number of new levels to test your skills in, adds nine new buildings, and completely revamps the animals. Animals that were previously a fairly late addition to your worlds now appear naturally as you begin to meet the conditions for their habitat, and will continue to grow and thrive alongside it. However, if you fall short, you’ll see them disappear again.
If you’re looking for something new, Terra Nil is one of the most interesting concepts for a city-building title you’ll find, and its very positive Steam user rating of 86% is further proof of its quality. Thanks to a Steam sale, you can now purchase Terra Nil from the Valve store for the lowest price ever, so don’t miss your chance.
Terra Nil is 40% off on Steam until Thursday 22nd August. Expect to pay $14.99 / £12.59 for your copy, down from the standard price of $24.99 / £20.99. Just head here to grab it while the offer is still available.
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