I have a lot of time for Terra Nil. I’ve written about it before and extolled its virtues as a city-builder that doesn’t do things by the book. It felt pertinent and relevent in 2023, and even more so as scorching heat waves cause chaos in 2024. It might be one of the most ecologically-aware games I’ve ever played. So it’s nice to have an excuse to get eyes on it again this year.
In case you need a primer, Terra Nil is a chill, meditative twist on the city-builder genre that asks you to repair, rather than build. To use advanced eco-tech to transform a barren, desolate wasteland into a thriving, vibrant ecosystem. You know you’ve done a good job if you leave no trace you were ever there. It, truly, turns the genre on its head.
The game, dubbed an ‘eco-puzzler’ by developer Free Lives (who you may know from much less wholesome projects like Broforce or Gorn) and publisher Devolver Digital, is getting a massive expansion that greatly expands the amount of content on offer – and it’s completely free to play on Netflix, by the way.
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