Empires of the Undergrowth
- November 1, 2021
- Slug Disco
- 26h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Empires of the Undergrowth" is a real-time strategy game that allows you to build and manage an ant empire, controlling various warrior ant species in intense battles. Expand your nest, protect your queen, and navigate the threats and opportunities of the insect world, with hundreds of ants clashing in epic battles. Manage resources, optimize your nest, and ensure the survival of your colony.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Highly recommended for ant lovers and RTS fans.
- Engaging gameplay with a unique blend of strategy and educational elements.
- Regular updates and a dedicated development team enhance the overall experience.
- Lacks a save feature during missions, leading to frustration when having to restart long levels.
- Difficulty spikes can feel unfair, especially in later missions.
- Some players find the game repetitive and grindy, requiring multiple playthroughs of the same levels.
- story1,252 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Empires of the Undergrowth" centers around a genetically modified ant colony, known as "gene stealers," navigating various challenges while being observed by scientists. Players engage in missions that blend resource management and strategy, with a documentary-style narration that adds depth and humor to the gameplay. While the narrative is engaging and the missions are diverse, many players express a desire for more content, as the current story mode is relatively short and requires repetitive gameplay to progress.
“The story revolves around this ant colony that's being experimented on as a new species known as 'gene stealers' who are able to adapt and add genetic material from other ant species into their own colony such as leaf-cutter ants, fire ants, black ants, and more.”
“The story mode is very well done, and the maps are great.”
“The narrator speaks as if you were watching a nature documentary about ants, and the story is super interesting and the ending is incredible.”
“The story is very short, and after you did the 'story' mode, there isn't much else to do, then endless, and that really isn't that fun.”
“The only downside is not being able to save during a mission, which can lead to frustrating restarts after long play sessions.”
“The missions are challenging and provide a myriad of ways to provide strategy, but the lack of variety in the story missions makes it feel repetitive.”
- gameplay555 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally well-received, characterized by its unique blend of real-time strategy and ant colony simulation mechanics. Players appreciate the straightforward controls and the depth that emerges as they learn the mechanics, although some find the gameplay can become repetitive or simplistic over time. The game features a variety of ant species with distinct abilities, engaging environments, and a compelling narrative, but some players express frustration over the lack of a save feature during missions and the steep learning curve for certain mechanics.
“The gameplay is solid, the environments are stunning, voice acting and animations are great, and the music, my god, the music.”
“The gameplay is deceptively simple.”
“The core gameplay loop is amazing, the campaign narrative is surprisingly tense and immersive for a game about ants, and the music is just mwah!”
“The gameplay is really boring, and the graphics don't make up for it.”
“The lack of a save option while mid-mission was very disappointing when I had to restart the game, sometimes losing upwards of 2 hours of gameplay.”
“Unfortunately, the idea is where it ends, and the mechanics are problematic.”
- graphics324 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the beautiful and realistic visuals, detailed animations, and overall aesthetic appeal. While some users noted that the graphics may not be cutting-edge or could be improved, they still effectively enhance the gameplay experience, contributing to the game's charm and immersion. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, especially for an indie title, with many players expressing satisfaction with the visual quality and performance across various hardware setups.
“The graphics are incredible as well as the combat features.”
“The graphics and animations are gorgeous, enemy variety splendid, from the smallest enemy ants to scorpions there are dozens of enemy types to overcome and deal with.”
“The graphics are amazing, gameplay is great even on my potato of a computer, almost no lag, and a very good storyline!”
“The visuals leave a lot to be desired.”
“While graphics on an M2 Max are like a PS3, the gameplay is fantastic :)”
“Right when you log in, you notice how choppy everything is; even if you turn the graphic settings all the way down, it doesn't seem to help at all.”
- music218 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its quality, variety, and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. The soundtrack is described as dynamic and immersive, often shifting to match the game's action, and is noted for its orchestral elements that evoke a documentary-style atmosphere. While a few players found the music repetitive over extended play sessions, the majority consider it one of the standout features, with some even expressing a desire for the soundtrack to be available for purchase.
“The soundtrack slaps so hard that I would still play it just to hear more of that trombone, even if the gameplay itself sucked.”
“This is legitimately the best game soundtrack I've ever heard, up there with the Risk of Rain series.”
“The music complements this game really well, and the narrator... whoever the narrator is needs to get into narrating history/nature documentaries; about on par with Sir David Attenborough.”
“The music is horrible.”
“The soundtrack is a bit too on the nerves after a couple of hours.”
“The music is horrendous and the gameplay is very boring.”
- replayability114 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
Overall, "Empires of the Undergrowth" is praised for its high replayability, driven by unique maps, various difficulty levels, and additional modes like free play and challenges. Players appreciate the strategic depth and educational elements, which encourage repeated playthroughs, although some express concerns about the game's current content limitations and potential for becoming repetitive. Despite mixed opinions on replay value, many find the game engaging enough to return to frequently.
“Easily one of my all-time favorite games in recent times; it's got replay value and is a solid choice if anyone is looking for a masterclass RTS game.”
“Unique maps and challenges offer great replayability, and the story dialogue is well done.”
“Between difficulty levels, achievements, arcade levels, free play mode, and new game plus, there's a healthy amount of replayability here even after you finish the main campaign.”
“Poor replayability for $30.”
“To sum this up, the game is great but to the average person will become boring quickly due to the low replayability and lack of content because of the painfully slow development.”
“Sadly, I don't see this having any endgame content to it; maybe if you could evolve your ants to have better stats/start as other insects you can get more replayability out of it, but once you build a huge colony, restarting another seems pointless unless you play as another ant species.”
- humor92 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for being both entertaining and educational, with players enjoying the over-the-top antics of the characters, particularly the comedic banter between scientists and the humorous narration reminiscent of nature documentaries. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend funny moments with engaging gameplay, making it a delightful experience for players who appreciate a lighthearted take on strategy and ant-themed adventures. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm that enhances the game's appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
“The plot is funny and full of surprises; I really liked how the 'real world' missions are presented as a documentary.”
“A fun mix between educational, nature documentary-style commentary and a funny, insane scientist's story.”
“The narrator is so funny and evil; had me laughing the whole time.”
“If I could learn how to copy those little review things for the bug section, I would put 'the game itself is a big terrarium for bugs' as a joke, but since I can't, I have to explain it in this unfunny manner. Good game for strategy and ant enthusiasts!”
“The humor in this game falls flat; it feels forced and lacks any real wit or charm.”
“I expected some clever jokes or funny moments, but instead, I was met with cringeworthy attempts at humor that just didn't land.”
- grinding66 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, often requiring players to replay missions multiple times to gather resources and strengthen their colonies, which can lead to frustration and tedium. While some players appreciate the strategic depth and find the grinding rewarding, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially in later stages where the repetition becomes excessive. Overall, the grinding aspect is a mixed bag, with some players embracing it and others wishing for a more streamlined experience.
“Not too grindy; you can get away with playing each level once on a fair difficulty and still be able to progress.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The campaign starts pretty fun, but later levels get frustrating with grinding for an hour or two to complete the objective, and then a hidden surprise attack kills everything and makes you start over from scratch.”
“After 190 hours, I think I've had enough of doing the same levels over and over and over and over and over and have yet to complete the campaign; the 4+ missions added in the last year and a half are just a tedious joke.”
- stability42 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance with minimal bugs, others experience significant issues such as freezing and crashes, particularly during specific actions or in certain modes. The game is still in early access, which contributes to its instability, but regular updates and developer responsiveness to glitches are noted positively. Players on different platforms, especially Mac, have reported varying experiences, with some encountering more visual bugs than others.
“Game runs great on the highest graphic settings on my old 2019 iMac and on my newer beefier Windows box.”
“Fun, original, educational, challenging, pretty, bug free (forgive the pun), regular updates and additional content, developer communication, achievements, runs well on a potato rig, early access but pretty much complete, would happily put another 175 hours into it ....”
“I was afraid since it was an early access, it would be riddled with bugs (no pun intended) but it was the opposite, no lag, no stutter, no glitches, no crashes, it ran smoothly and excellent.”
“However, this being a new game, it is very buggy, perhaps only on Mac.”
“Too bad currently the most recent update, which I enjoy when I can, has introduced lag spikes and freezes even so bad they've locked the game in a pseudo pause mode without access to a pause menu or any ability to escape this state.”
“Games are buggy and keep crashing every time you do something that involves saving or going to the menu.”
- optimization32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed feedback from users. While many praise its solid performance and ability to run smoothly even on lower-end systems, some report significant performance issues, particularly during high-action moments, indicating that further optimization is needed. Despite these concerns, several players find the game enjoyable and well-optimized for its genre, suggesting that improvements are on the horizon as it continues to develop.
“I absolutely love this game; even when I get super high populations of ants, my FPS stays over 35 on max graphics. That says a lot about how well optimized this is!”
“It's an extremely high-quality RTS game, and I gotta admit I'm blown away by the optimization.”
“The game looks amazing and is well optimized to be able to run on less powerful systems. It has a reasonable learning curve with several difficulty options, and it feels rewarding overcoming tough enemies.”
“Several times throughout the campaign, I had to restart the game because the performance would take a nosedive off a cliff.”
“The overall visual performance is like something from 20 years ago, with unpolished details.”
“This garbage fire is the least optimized strategy game I have ever seen, and the only thing I like about it is ruined by this design flaw that the devs do not fix.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its exceptional voice narration, immersive ambient sounds, and engaging music, which collectively create a captivating environment. Reviewers highlight the emotional depth conveyed through the narration, enhancing the overall experience and making the setting feel alive and dynamic. The combination of relaxing and tension-building music further enriches the atmosphere, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Exceptional voice narration helps the game have a great atmosphere throughout the campaign.”
“Ambient sounds and effects, such as the rustling of leaves and the scurrying of ants, create an atmospheric and immersive environment.”
“Brilliant game with a great atmosphere and music.”
“But the winner is the atmosphere; I found myself jumping in emotions, from fear to disgust through the narration of how insects' life is always dangerous.”
“It adds a bit of atmosphere with it being about bugs.”
“Pretty great even in early access, absolutely nails the atmosphere and walks the line well between gaming and biology.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been positively received, with players appreciating that it does not feel like a cash grab despite initial concerns. The small development team is praised for their dedication to creating a quality product, providing regular updates, and ensuring that the gameplay experience is not hindered by excessive ads. Overall, players feel that the game offers unique and detailed levels without overwhelming monetization tactics.
“This game is an elaborate advertisement for ant farms.”
“Fun fact: I quit that game because the amount of ads blocking reinforcements and forcing me to lose.”
“It also looks like the game that many false Facebook ads proclaim to be.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a wide range of emotions while engaging with the game, from nostalgia and excitement reminiscent of childhood experiences to deep philosophical reflections on the nature of work and community. Some reviews highlight a profound emotional connection, evoking feelings of empathy and joy, while others convey disappointment and frustration, suggesting a disconnect between expectations and the game's execution. Overall, the emotional responses are varied, showcasing both the game's ability to inspire and its potential shortcomings.
“Made me feel 10 again playing AOE 2 for the first time, very different gameplay but the same kind of excitement and desire to see that next stage.”
“Now, with the long journey finally at its conclusion, I have to say; never before has a game got me this emotional.”
“This game made me so happy I cried, died, and turned into the sun.”
