Watch On
No metropolis builder is full with no wholesome dose of distress. That’s been true since SimCity, the place establishing your digital metropolis got here with the understanding it could possibly be worn out by an earthquake or twister at any second. It’s change into a heavier theme inside the style of late, nonetheless, thanks in no small half to the recognition of 2018’s Frostpunk. Now, the ominously titled Nested Lands additional doubles-down on grimdark settlement simulation, and you’ll see for your self simply how nasty issues can get by the open alpha which is playable proper now.
Developed by Brazilian outfit 1M Bits Horde, Nested Lands takes place in a grim medieval world ravaged by plague, its roads and woodlands prowled by bandits and people pushed mad by pestilence. In this unforgiving setting, gamers should try and construct a thriving settlement, assigning villagers particular roles in establishing buildings, crafting instruments, and gathering sources, whereas additionally venturing out into the wilds to find different peasants to affix your ranks.
“The world is brutal, so be ready for bandits to raid the village,” the builders write in a press launch. “Fend off their assaults, reinforce the settlement, and most significantly, survive the plague.”
It sounds thematically much like 2023’s Gord, however there are a couple of key variations. First, Nested Lands is performed predominantly in third particular person, with you controlling a personality and wandering round your settlement performing duties and preventing enemies. Second, Nested Lands comes with the choice to play cooperatively, letting you “embrace the horrors” with as much as 4 friends. Also, hopefully Nested Lands shall be, y’know, good, which is greater than I can say for Gord.
In any case, you may glean some concept of Nested Lands’ high quality for your self. The open alpha is offered now through the sport’s Steam web page, and would not appear to have a set finish date. According to the press launch, this Alpha spherical is “designed to check gamers on how far they’ll lengthen their settlement and the way autonomous it might be”, whereas a Steam put up relating to the Alpha explains it contains “3 to 4 hours” of play. The similar put up additionally emphasises that that is merely “the primary playable iteration of the sport” with “extra content material to come back”.
