Empires of the Undergrowth (Dungeon Keeper clone with ants)

[Konjad]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/463530/Empires_of_the_Undergrowth/

Seems like a really good game, but it's still in beta hence I haven't bought it yet. However, it seems like Dungeon Keeper I've been waiting for decades. Anybody played it yet?

 

[tindrli]

how good it is? i always asked my self why there are no insect simulators

 

[trais]

It's been a while since I played it. It didn't have much content available back then, but it kept me entertained while it lasted.

I have the game on steam, so I guess I'll reinstall it tonight and give it another go to see how much they've updated the game since, then I'll report on its current state.

 

[Olinser]

Ugh, don't even mention Dungeon Keeper.

I loved the original 2 games. Then they pulled that utterly ludicrous freemium bullshit out and destroyed the IP forever.

 

[trais]

Ok, so they didn't add much to the game, which means that development is very slow... OTOH according to their steam page, they're close to releasing a major update with new ant species.

So as of now, there are only 6 missions (tho' decently varied) + freeplay mode, which isn't much. You can kinda extend playtime by playing on highest difficulty, which makes the game quite brutal and will most likely make you restart those maps couple of times before you'll git gut enough to complete them, but even then you're looking at a 5-6 hours of content tops.

But the game is FUN. Not even close to DK when it comes to complexity, but it's played at much faster pace and time flies by really quickly when you play it. Graphics are all right, music is nice, I haven't encountered any major bugs... ok, let's say glitches, because the game is full of bugs: from tiger beetles, ladybugs to woodlice.

For 20 bucks... I don't know. Game definitely has potential and I got my money's worth of fun out of it already, but ymmv. Waiting for that big update might be a good idea.

 

[Konjad]

Thanks, trais for all this information. In this case, I guess as with most early access titles, it seems the best approach is to wait for the release date and then make decision whether to buy it based on how much more content developers added. I hope they will work on it for a long time and make a really good game as even after so many years there's still nothing that plays as Dungeon Keeper (Dungeons was an utter garbage).

 

[Üstad]

It's still in early acess all these years but it seems the game is overhauled a lot with the updates.

In this case, I guess as with most early access titles, it seems the best approach is to wait for the release date and then make decision whether to buy it

0.31 version is released 2 days ago lmao.

Dungeon Keeper (Dungeons was an utter garbage).

Really? I never played it, I thought it's one of those awesome classics.

 

[Galdred]

It's still in early acess all these years but it seems the game is overhauled a lot with the updates.

In this case, I guess as with most early access titles, it seems the best approach is to wait for the release date and then make decision whether to buy it

0.31 version is released 2 days ago lmao.

My daughter is going through an ant phase. Does the game conveys its theme well?

Dungeon Keeper (Dungeons was an utter garbage).

Really? I never played it, I thought it's one of those awesome classics.

He means that Dungeons is nowhere near as good as Dungeon Keeper I think.

 

[Üstad]

My daughter is going through an ant phase. Does the game conveys its theme well?

I don't know what ant phase means so I'd suggest just check some 10-15 min gameplay video to see if that's what you're looking for. Know that the game is hard and tedious for a litte girl, so it might be a deal braker.

 

[luj1]

cool

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Sim Ant was pretty cool back in the day.

 

[JarlFrank]

This reminds me of "Imperium der Ameisen", an old German ant-themed RTS. I think it was internationally released as Empire Ants.

The den building is similar, as is the way you go out to explore the overworld. And then there's the obvious parallel in the naming, "Empire Ants" vs "Empires of the Undergrowth", I'm pretty sure this game was directly inspired by this obscure old classic.

I played Empires of the Undergrowth and it's pretty good. I like the different ant species, and the campaign missions are pretty varied. It's important to find a good food source and build up a large army to defend your base from beetle incursions.
A major difference to Empire Ants is how there you would unlock new ant types by research, while here your ant types depend on the race you select. Only spitter ants get ranged units, for example.

 

[Jenkem]

guess this game bombed here on the dex... been eyeing this for a while after seeing Mack from WAB rave about it, just downloaded the demo but haven't played yet..

they said the full release will be this year and they are discounting it 20% off until January 26 when they will raise the price if anyone was waiting for it.

"Empires of the Undergrowth is currently on sale for 20% off. At the end of the sale, the price of the game will be raised to reflect advancements made during Early Access. We wanted to provide advance notice in case anyone would like to purchase the game at the current discounted price."

 

[Konjad]

Played the demo today, but to be honest while it's not a bad game it didn't blow me away either. It's just alright. Demo has tutorial + 6 missions, I only did tutorial and one mission, then quit... I might play it again, but idk.

 

[thesheeep]

I'm definitely looking forward to it, but I won't be playing before actual release.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Coming June 7!

 

[Feyd Rautha]

It's available!








However there's a competitor called Empire of Ants coming November 7:

 

[thesheeep]

I've been playing this for a few hours now.

Can't really say much about in-depth mechanics or long-term playability yet, but I will say this has to be one of the most hypnotic games to watch that I've played in a while.
I've lost the second mission because I was just watching the little buggers go about their routine instead of doing what I was supposed to. Twice

 

[Baron Tahn]

Dungeon Keeper clone? Seems like Simant.

 

[thesecret1]

It's pretty cool, definitely worth $20.

 

[deama]

Nice so far! Been waiting for the full release for a while!

 

[JarlFrank]

Guess it's time to play again now that it's fully out. Very cool.