Details
- Release: February 2016 on iOS / August 4, 2020 on Steam
- Purchased: December 28, 2020
- Discounted at Purchase? Yes, 35% off
- Bingo Category: “Has an Isometric Perspective”
- Time played: 1hr
Why this game?
Easy: It’s got an isometric, voxel style perspective and style.
Review
I’ve played plenty of the Civilization games, as well as RTSs like Rise of Nations. I wasn’t entirely sure if Polytopia was a turn-based or RTS. Turns out, it’s turn-based.
Which means that this is essentially a distilled and simplified Civilization! Cool. The default or main game mode is called “Perfection.” You have 30 turns to get as high as score as possible. And that’s done by growing your cities, claiming territory and cities, researching tech, fighting other NPC empires, and exploring. I like that in this mode there’s an ending. That’s always an issue in Civ games, where the games just go on forever. I think I’ve finished maybe two or three games when I’ve played Civ. And I played a lot of Civ 4 and Civ 5 in college.
Since Polytopia not nearly as complex as Civilization, with not nearly as much going on, processing all the turns is quick. My 30-turn play was done in about an hour. It probably would’ve taken longer if I’d had taken the time to read everything. Like the technology in the tech tree, to really understand what the benefits are. Conversely, I imagine once I know all the tech, it’ll go way faster.
There are two other modes: a no-turn limit mode and a creative mode. I’ve yet to try either.
Verdict
I like it. Its very mobile game-esque. Which is great, since it is also on mobile (I played it via Steam on PC). I could totally see playing this at work on break or lunch on my phone. Or maybe at an airport, waiting to board. It’s straightforward, doesn’t require a lot of deep understanding, and quick.
I’d definitely play this again, if I’m in the mood for Civ, but without having to sacrifice tons of time.
