Terra Nil

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,918 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Terra Nil Game Cover
Terra-Nil is a short and sweet relaxing builder game about restoring barren lands.
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Terra Nil is a game about transforming a barren, lifeless landscape into a thriving, vibrant ecosystem. Turn dead soil into fertile grassland, clean polluted oceans, plant sprawling forests, and create the ideal habitat for animals to call home. Then recycle your buildings and leave no trace that you were there. Reclaim the wasteland. A REVERSE CITY BUILDER Use advanced eco-technology to purify t…

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  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,918 reviews
gameplay452 positive mentions
grinding122 negative mentions
  • Very relaxing and calming gameplay with beautiful visuals and soothing music.
  • Unique concept of restoring ecosystems instead of traditional city-building mechanics.
  • Satisfying gameplay loop that encourages strategic planning and creativity.
  • Game is quite short, with only 8 levels, leading to concerns about replayability and value for money.
  • Some mechanics can be unintuitive, leading to frustration and the need to restart levels.
  • Performance issues and bugs, particularly with the recycling drone and UI elements.
  • gameplay1,343 mentions

    The gameplay of *Terra Nil* is characterized by a satisfying loop of restoring ecosystems through strategic placement of buildings and plants, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a calming soundtrack. While the game offers a unique twist on the city-building genre with its focus on environmental restoration, many players find the mechanics to be simplistic and repetitive, leading to a lack of depth and replayability. Despite its engaging puzzle elements and relaxing atmosphere, some users express frustration with certain mechanics and the overall brevity of the gameplay experience, suggesting that it may not justify its price for some players.

    • “The underlying gameplay and concepts are original, well-developed, and replete with fun complexity.”
    • “The gameplay loop is enjoyable once you get the hang of it, and the overall gameplay is to arrive, clean things up, make sure things will be okay with you gone, then pack up your machines and leave the environment to recover itself.”
    • “The gameplay is relaxing, but challenging enough to keep my attention.”
    • “Gameplay is lacking depth, but for a comfort game, that does not really matter that much, but if you want Civ/AoE/SimCity kinds of strategy, look elsewhere.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple and shallow, and it starts to get repetitive after only 2 hours.”
    • “The gameplay loop feels like doing your taxes.”
  • graphics817 mentions

    The graphics of "Terra Nil" have been widely praised for their stunning visuals and charming art style, which create a calming and immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the vibrant colors and detailed environments that enhance the game's eco-conscious theme, although some have noted performance issues and a lack of graphics settings. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and soothing sound design contributes significantly to the game's relaxing experience.

    • “The stunning visuals and enchanting soundtrack create a mesmerizing atmosphere, while the dynamic weather changes keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and very stylistic, the ambience is great which makes up for the lack of gameplay.”
    • “The visuals are beautiful, the soundtrack is pleasing, the levels are procedurally generated, which creates some variety to the maps.”
    • “- considering how relatively simple the game's graphics are, it stutters terribly on each level from grass stage onwards”
    • “The optimisation is atrocious, and the game doesn't have graphics settings, except for LOD that goes from 'shit quality even when you zoom in all the way' to 'max resolution textures and highest quality models for every single object, even when you zoom out all the way out', with no settings in-between.”
    • “Unfortunately, the graphics resemble Sims 1, especially when the animals appear which should be the high point :(”
  • music661 mentions

    The music in Terra Nil is widely praised for its soothing and tranquil qualities, enhancing the game's relaxing atmosphere and complementing its beautiful visuals. Players appreciate how the soundtrack evolves in response to gameplay, creating a meditative experience that encourages immersion and reflection. Overall, the combination of calming music and engaging sound design contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a peaceful gaming experience.

    • “The music and visuals underline the relaxing and almost meditative mood of the game and the small milestones within each mission give life to the nature that you are doing your best at restoring.”
    • “The music is soothing and relaxing, and it perfectly complements the game's overall vibe.”
    • “The soundtrack is beautiful and the visual style of the game is something I won't forget quickly.”
    • “The music is a bit mediocre, but it fits well enough.”
    • “While this game is pretty, the soundtrack is calm and unobtrusive, it's just not enough to make me want to keep playing after my 6 hours sunk in.”
    • “Its soundtrack is a bit sparse, but it gets the job done, and is similarly meditative and quiet.”
  • replayability420 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while procedural generation offers some variation, the overall experience can feel repetitive due to limited content and objectives. Some enjoy the relaxing nature and find enough replay value in different difficulty levels and map layouts, while others feel that once the game is completed, there isn't much incentive to return. Overall, it provides a short but enjoyable experience, with potential for more replayability if future updates expand the content.

    • “I haven't finished all the levels yet (I'm about halfway done), but I like how the maps are randomly generated and there are different difficulties for increased replayability.”
    • “Maps are procedurally generated, so there's plenty of replayability to try and craft a more perfect habitat than before.”
    • “The fact that each time you go back to an area and restart your restoration efforts, the map will be generated slightly differently adds replay value, especially if you are hoping to get all the achievements.”
    • “My one gripe (pre-update) was that the length/replayability was pretty limited, since there were only a handful of levels with minor variation on replays.”
    • “There's zero replayability.”
    • “The replay value is low to has once you've beat the game, there's not much else to do or explore.”
  • story346 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, primarily revolving around the theme of ecological restoration without any significant narrative or character development. Players engage in missions to transform desolate environments into thriving ecosystems, but many reviewers express a desire for a more substantial storyline or context to enhance the experience. While the gameplay is relaxing and visually appealing, the lack of a deeper narrative leaves some players feeling that the game is more of a puzzle experience than a story-driven adventure.

    • “The 'story ending' 4th level was a fantastic idea to cap off the journey of restoring the world.”
    • “Despite the simplistic story, it provides these super emotional moments when you turn the tide and your previously poisoned wasteland turns into a thriving paradise with little animals running around, birds and butterflies coming back, etc.”
    • “It's a story told through the environment and the UI that is provided to you.”
    • “There is no story, other than the planet has rotted away into a polluted wasteland, and you need to restore the wildlife.”
    • “The story is very much in the background as the calming music, gameplay, and visuals take center stage in this relaxing strategy gem.”
    • “The whole campaign feels like a tutorial, and I was really expecting to go to another planet after done with missions.”
  • grinding132 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious and repetitive mechanics, particularly during the recycling phase and cleanup at the end of levels. Many players found the gameplay to be enjoyable initially, but it quickly devolved into a frustrating slog, with actions feeling more like chores than engaging tasks. Overall, while the game has a compelling concept, the grinding elements detract significantly from the overall experience, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration.

    • “It is not tedious, but each level you reach a point where you're an unstoppable restorative force.”
    • “What I got was a tedious slog where you have to tear down every individual bit of machinery one at a time with no way to speed up this process, having to meticulously plan out not just the start, but also the middle and end bits.”
    • “The recycling phase is too tedious, needs to be sped up or just removed.”
    • “Actions are repetitive, tedious and with minimal payoff.”
  • optimization129 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance, low frame rates, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. While some players noted improvements in recent updates, the consensus is that the game still suffers from optimization issues, particularly on lower-end hardware and specific platforms like the Steam Deck. Many reviewers expressed frustration over the game's technical shortcomings, suggesting that it feels like it was built with unresolved technical debt, leading to a less enjoyable experience despite its appealing aesthetics and engaging gameplay mechanics.

    • “The standard difficulty has lots of room for optimization.”
    • “I'm really enjoying the game, the theme is lovely, the optimizations are tricky; however, checkpoints are frequent enough that it's not scary to try and mess up, I can always try the stage again.”
    • “Learning how to strategize and develop the land into the most optimized biomes is super satisfying.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized.”
    • “Finally, the optimization of this game leaves a lot to be desired.”
    • “Pretty poor performance no matter how you change the settings despite the relatively small map size; low framerate led to a pathfinding error for the recycling boat on the second map I played and couldn't finish the level.”
  • atmosphere125 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals, enchanting soundtracks, and dynamic weather changes that create a meditative experience. Players appreciate the hand-painted environments and ambient soundscapes, which contribute to a calming vibe that encourages exploration and enjoyment of the game's world. While some critiques mention a lack of depth in gameplay, the overall sentiment highlights the game's ability to evoke a sense of peace and beauty, making it a favorite for those seeking a tranquil gaming experience.

    • “The stunning visuals and enchanting soundtrack create a mesmerizing atmosphere, while the dynamic weather changes keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
    • “The hand-painted environments, music, and atmospheric ambient soundscape lend themselves to making Terra Nil an incredibly pleasant and relaxing experience.”
    • “This is a very relaxing, atmospheric game that combines careful planning and beautiful visuals and sounds to create a truly tranquil experience.”
    • “But making the player repair something just to force them to break it down again for no reason but obviously bad game design in the very first level is at most an atmosphere of hostility towards the player.”
    • “Which seems to run counter to the wholesome, relaxed atmosphere every other component is trying to build.”
    • “A comfy atmosphere only gets you so far.”
  • emotional118 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game "Terra Nil" is overwhelmingly positive, with players describing it as a deeply wholesome and heartwarming experience. Many reviewers noted moments of joy and satisfaction, particularly when restoring ecosystems, which often evoked strong emotional responses, including tears of happiness. The game's calming visuals and eco-friendly message contribute to a soothing atmosphere that resonates with players, making it a memorable and uplifting experience.

    • “The simplistic beauty of this game made me cry multiple times (in a good way).”
    • “It made me happy, it made me cry with joy upon seeing a full habitat restored.”
    • “This game, even though there is no dialogue, no characters, no real 'story', almost made me cry!”
  • stability86 mentions

    The game has been widely criticized for its stability issues, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. While some users noted minor inconveniences, others experienced game-breaking problems that required level resets or hindered progress. Overall, the consensus is that the game needs significant optimization and bug fixes before it can be recommended for investment.

    • “It's not a long game at the moment, but it's been, for me at least, a clean and bug-free experience I've enjoyed totally.”
    • “Though not buggy, the 'clean up' crew sometimes gets stuck.”
    • “There's no troubleshooting or logistics management to try for a different solution to a puzzle; it is pure pass or fail.”
    • “There are still many glitches in the game that need to be fixed; some have even caused me to have to reset a whole level right at the end.”
    • “Until some of the glitches are ironed out, I would not recommend people invest the time and money in the game.”
    • “Game-breaking bugs and glitches on launch.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the improvements made in recent updates, while others criticize the lack of transparency in advertising and the overall monetization strategy. Overall, the experience feels more akin to a mobile game without intrusive ads, but the monetization practices still detract from the enjoyment for some users.

    • “I would like to give it a 'meh', but for the above reasons and the not so transparent advertising, it gets a negative from me (also 'meh' is not possible on Steam :-( ).”
    • “It seems more like a better mobile zen garden without the ads.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the presence of a funny bear, which adds a lighthearted touch to the experience. However, some players find the gameplay to be somewhat repetitive, which may diminish the overall comedic impact.

    • “This game is good :) it's got a funny bear!”
    • “The gameplay is sort of funny, but repetitive.”
    • “Funny tree game”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

Buy Terra Nil

Play time

9hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
5-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 94 analyzed playthroughs

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