The Universim god-game city-builder 1.0 is out now

The Universim from Crytivo has finally released, what they call a "new breed of God Game" where you guide a civilisation from nothing up to the stars. It comes with Native Linux support and it is rated Steam Deck Playable, although the Steam Deck rating is from 2022.

From a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in 2014, and then an Early Access on Steam in 2018, it's been a long time coming. A game I've played on and off over the years, always liking what I saw but it was far from complete. The big 1.0 release brings in an absolute ton of content including new buildings, space exploration, new planets, aliens, new quest lines and the list just keeps on going. 

This is a game that will truly suck away endless hours of your time, not just because there's now a lot to it, but even getting a basic civilization going will take quite a few hours. A joy to watch everything grow though, and it's quite a pretty game too. Nothing realistic looking, with Crytivo opting for a much more casual colourful style to it - although the planets themselves look pretty great.

If you want something resembling a city-builder, but you want something a bit different, The Universim is an interesting choice with all the god powers at your disposal. It's a pretty relaxing game, although there's times when it can be a bit intense when you're dealing with different disasters, the overall theme of the game keeps it remaining mostly calm. The narrator is a nice touch too which guides you through the game, giving you quests and hints. There's not really another game quite like it.

Release trailer viewable below:

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Features:

• God-like Gameplay: Play as a deity guiding the Nuggets, a sentient species, through their evolution from the Stone Age to the Space Era.
• Nuggets’ Civilization Dynamics: Observe the Nuggets' daily lives, from eating and drinking to mating and conflicts.
• Technological and Era Advancement: Progress through a research tree with over 200 advancements.
• Planetary Exploration and Management: Discover and colonize a vast array of procedurally generated planets. Each planet offers unique ecosystems and challenges.
• God Powers and Influence: Wield 15 God Powers like tornadoes, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and more. Use these powers to guide, protect, or discipline the Nuggets.
• Ecological Impact and Management: Manage the delicate balance of your planet's ecosystems. Your decisions, alongside the Nuggets' actions, have real environmental consequences, influencing global climates.
• Mysterious and Humorous Narrative: Engage with a story-rich game narrated with humor. Unravel the layers of a deeper cosmic story that challenges your perception of being a deity, revealing unexpected twists about your true role.

Something I have noticed in the 1.0 release with the Linux version is that the main menu is a bit broken, with lots of ghosting and graphical issues with menus. The actual game itself is fine, just the main menu is graphically messed up and it appears to be the same on macOS. Hopefully they will fix that soon. Performance once actually in game seems pretty good though!

You can buy it from:

Humble Store

Steam

GOG (no Linux version)