Tristan and Oliver pledge allegiance to mother nature and reclaim the polluted earth in Free Lives’ reverse city builder Terra Nil, cultivating it into these three bits:

• Tree Act Structure - Unpacking the three stages of the core loop and having clear objectives to a simulation game
• Leave No Trace - Subverting player expectations by relinquishing your creation to nature and recycling your structures
• Take It All In - The absence of pressure, threading the line between a game and a meditative experience

Let us know what you think:

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3-Bit Design: @3bitdesign

Oliver - @oliverwauters

Tristan - @theatrewalker

Or email - [email protected]

Some references:

Developing 'Terra Nil': A Strategy Game About Nature, Not Expansion - Sam Alfred, GDC 2024 (talk)

Terra Nil Lead Designer On Lessons from Broforce & Designing Strategy Games - Shacknews Interviews (video)

Why a recycling mechanic saved Terra Nil's climate cleanup design - Bryant Francis, Game Developer (article)

Terra Nil: techno-fixes, nature for nature, and the importance of feeling ecological vibes - Joost Vervoort, Medium (article)

This Video Game Prioritizes Restoring An Ecosystem Over Profits - Science Friday (podcast)

FIRESIDE CHAT | Terra Nil - Sam Alfred, Jonathan Hau-Yoon, John Faciane, & Dominique Gawaloski - Games for Change (video)