The WhatsNext verdict
If you enjoy hands-on RTS missions built around growing and directing an ant colony, Empires of the Undergrowth delivers a distinctive, lively swarm strategy experience, provided you can tolerate sharp difficulty spikes and a fragmented campaign structure.
What it does best
A small colony becomes a serious strategic puzzle
A rare fusion of RTS, colony sim, and nature documentary
An unusually convincing ant-colony simulation
What might put you off
Steep difficulty spikes and occasional unfair-feeling pressure
The campaign can feel structurally disjointed
The setup
What you are walking into
Lead your Ant Colony to Dominance! Empires of the Undergrowth is an ant colony management game, in a fast-paced real-time strategy style. The player excavates their nest underground, constructing tunnels and chambers to store food and raise brood. On the surface, the ants claim territory, gather resources, overwhelm fearsome arachnids and clash with other colonies. Nest design, army size, composition and attack timing are key to securing victory. Missions are narrated from the perspective of a documentary film maker studying the ants, who offers intelligent insight into the goings-on of the colony and the undergrowth beyond. The primary game mode in early access is Formicarium, where you take ownership of a home colony of unique DNA-harvesting ants as they work to assimilate the desirable traits of their foes. You can upgrade them by playing one-off missions, sometimes with your home colony and sometimes with other ant species.
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