Terra Nil
A reverse city-builder about restoring nature.
Terra Nil is a strategy game from South African studio Free Lives, published by Devolver Digital. It launched on Windows, macOS, and Linux on March 28, 2023, with mobile versions for Android and iOS arriving later via Netflix Games on July 18, 2023. A Nintendo Switch port followed on December 18, 2023. Unlike typical city-building games that encourage resource consumption and expansion, Terra Nil inverts the genre: players restore ecosystems instead of exploiting them, drawing inspiration from the rewilding movement and the climate crisis.
**Gameplay**
Players begin with a barren wasteland and must transform it into a thriving ecological paradise filled with plants and animals. This is done by placing buildings that terraform the landscape. Wind turbines, which can be placed on any flat terrain, generate power for toxin scrubbers that prepare the soil for irrigation. Water pumps refill dry riverbeds, and additional tools let players place riverbeds only in specific pre-determined locations or along existing dry riverbeds, or create new stone tiles along select riverbeds. Each tile converted from wasteland to lush ecosystem earns points, which can be spent on more buildings and upgrades.
In the second stage, players can upgrade existing structures to create biomes like wetlands, wildflower meadows, and dense forests. Restoring these biomes attracts deer, birds, fish, and bears to the map. In the third phase, once enough of the ecosystem and weather has been restored, players must recycle all their buildings to construct an airship and leave the map, leaving no trace of their presence—only a rewilded paradise.
**Development**
Terra Nil was created by a three-person team—Sam Alfred, Jonathan Hau-Yoon, and Jarred Lunt—at Free Lives using the Unity engine. It was announced on June 7, 2021. The game originally began as a project for Ludum Dare 45 in October 2019, released on Itch.io. In October 2020, the developers partnered with Free Lives to expand it into a fuller version with more levels and improved graphics. A free demo was released on June 16, 2021, during Steam Next Fest. The full game launched on Windows, macOS, and Linux on March 28, 2023, with Android and iOS versions following on July 18, 2023. A Nintendo Switch port followed on December 18, 2023.
**Reception**
Terra Nil received generally positive reviews on Metacritic. PC Gamer called it
- Release Date
- March 28, 2023 (Windows, macOS, Linux); July 18, 2023 (Android, iOS)
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Lore & Background
Terra Nil was originally developed by a three-person team—Sam Alfred, Jonathan Hau-Yoon, and Jarred Lunt—for Ludum Dare 45 in October 2019 and released on Itch.io. In October 2020, the developers partnered with Free Lives to produce a more in-depth version with more levels and upgraded graphics. The game was announced on June 7, 2021, and a free demo was made available on June 16, 2021, as part of the Steam Next Fest.
Reader's Guide
Terra Nil received generally positive reviews on Metacritic. PC Gamer described it as a consistently relaxing, satisfying experience that does not aim to supplant complex games like Civilization or Anno. Hardcore Gamer praised its simple yet incredibly fun gameplay, striking visuals, and nice level of challenge. Rock Paper Shotgun found the reverse city-builder puzzle elements to be an unavoidable punishment, though Hardcore Gamer singled them out as the game's most clever and unique hook. Criticizing the game's focus on chasing numbers, Rock Paper Shotgun's reviewer felt that later stages ruin its relaxing mood. In contrast, The Guardian found the gameplay more forgiving than expected and praised how the game's elements come together to make it relaxing, also noting that its simplicity and easiness reinforced its message that cleaning up the environment could be made simple. The game's significance lies in its unique approach to the strategy genre, using gameplay to promote ecological restoration and awareness of the climate crisis.
Did You Know?
- Terra Nil was originally developed for Ludum Dare 45 in October 2019 and released on Itch.io.
- The game was developed by a three-person team: Sam Alfred, Jonathan Hau-Yoon, and Jarred Lunt.
- Mobile versions of Terra Nil are part of the Netflix Games subscription service.
- In the third phase, players must recycle all buildings to create an airship and leave no trace.
- Riverbeds can only be placed in specific pre-determined locations or along existing dry riverbeds—not carved anywhere on the map.
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