Microtopia
Review
Getting Antsy
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Small in stature
Ants are fascinating creatures. I am often amazed how they scurry about, all in single file heading towards a crumb, a discarded sweet treat lying on the floor, or a piece of fruit that has fallen from a tree, and then returning with the goodies to their colony. Cordyceps Collective uses this as the basis in their base building game Microtopia - albeit with one major difference…the game features robot ants.
In Microtopia, gamers begin with a single queen ant and players must cultivate your colony by breeding worker ants, who can then be combined into specialized units. The core gameplay loop involves producing ants, gathering resources, and constructing buildings, all tied together by an intriguing path-laying mechanic.
The ants that are produced by the queen don't do anything by themselves though. They'll stand around waiting for a command, or can be directed to follow specific lines that players will place on the ground. In a way, it feels like you're creating an electrical circuit with each path connecting to a computer chip inside that of the best rated online casino. In this case however, you're linking buildings. The ants will follow the paths like a train on a track, picking up or dropping off resources along the way. It's a clever system that allows for complex supply chains, but it can also be a source of frustration. Precise placement of paths and buildings is crucial, and the game isn't always forgiving in this regard.
As players progress, new building types will become available, each requiring certain resources to be collected before they can be constructed. The output from these structures can then be used to construct higher level buildings, and so it continues, with players guiding their ants along the paths to ensure that the correct materials are delivered to their required destinations. Most of the buildings and their uses are well explained in the introductory level, but getting them placed the correct way required some precise laying of paths.
Ant classes
As mentioned earlier, the Queen will give birth to small ants. But, these ants are basic, have a short life span and are somewhat limited to tasks that they can perform. However, combining two of these ants together will create a worker ant, one that has a greater life span. Worker ants can also be combined together to create various other ants that provide a range of services within the colony.
One of these is the Inventor Ant, one that can be used to build the knowledge within the colony. The game's tech tree is accessed through this unique Inventor Ant, with these specialized ants acting as your science generators. You nurture them with pollen on specific platforms, and once they're sufficiently fed, they provide a science boost before perishing. While the idea is novel, the execution feels unnecessarily micro-intensive. Constantly breeding and tending to Inventor Ants can become tedious, disrupting the flow of the rest of the game. It’s a shame, as the concept of evolving your ant workforce into drones, diggers, and other specialized castes is genuinely compelling.
On to bigger and better things
Exploration is another key element. New islands, each offering fresh resources, beckon. However, this comes with a catch: each island is essentially a fresh start. Resources aren't shared between locations, meaning you'll be rebuilding your colony from scratch each time you expand. While this encourages strategic thinking about resource allocation on each island, it also diminishes the sense of a grand, interconnected colony. Flying ants, crucial for reaching these new lands, add another layer to the management, but they don't fully alleviate the feeling of starting over.
Each of the biomes have their own vibe, and provide a place for the exploration to take place. The constructions and the various ant types are distinguishable from each other and all of the required information is clearly labelled, and when there are problems with a specific building, a giant exclamation mark indicates something is wrong. Unfortunately, the solution is not always evident.
Ant Civ
Ultimately, this ant colony simulator offers a unique and engaging experience, but it's one that could benefit from some streamlining and refinement. The core mechanics are solid, but the frustrating micro-management of the science system and the somewhat disjointed island exploration prevent it from truly shining. It's a game with a lot of potential, but it needs a bit more polish to truly capture the magic of a thriving, interconnected ant empire.
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6.6
fun score
Pros
Watching your colony grow
Cons
The science generation system for the Tech tree required excess micromanagement
