Terra Nil (NSP, XCI) ROM + v0.6 Update

Terra Nil is a strategy video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released for Windows, iOS, and Android on March 28, 2023; the mobile port was released as part of the Netflix subscription service.

Ports for macOS, Linux, and the Nintendo Switch were released later in 2023. While the gameplay focuses on placing buildings, as is common in city-building games, Terra Nil is the reverse – focusing instead on ecosystem reconstruction.

Rather than promoting the consumption of resources to expand, the game is inspired by the rewilding movement and the climate crisis and seeks to restore nature rather than exploit it. This game is a transformative game that revolves around converting desolate, lifeless terrain into a flourishing, lively ecosystem.

Convert barren soil into fertile grasslands, cleanse polluted oceans, cultivate expansive forests, and establish an ideal haven for diverse wildlife. Subsequently, recycle your structures, ensuring no remnants of your presence are left behind. Reclaim the barren wasteland.

A City Builder in Reverse! Utilize advanced eco-technology to purify the soil, crafting plains, wetlands, beaches, rainforests, wildflowers, and more. Afterward, systematically recycle all constructions, maintaining the environment in pristine condition for its new animal residents.

Varied Landscapes Every Time! Procedurally generated terrains ensure that each playthrough of Terra Nil is unique. Strategize your construction amidst randomly generated and challenging landscapes featuring winding rivers, mountains, lowlands, and oceans.

Natural Rhythm and Harmony! Each Terra Nil region advances through distinct phases, with the ultimate objective of leaving behind an untouched wilderness. The focus is not on boundless expansion but rather on balancing and nurturing the environment before departing in harmony.

Tranquil Experience! Terra Nil offers a serene, meditative experience with lush hand-painted environments, soothing music, and an atmospheric ambient soundscape. Upon completion, indulge in Appreciate mode to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the restored ecosystem.

GAMEPLAY

Players are tasked with turning a barren wasteland into an ecological paradise with a variety of flora and fauna. This is achieved by placing several buildings on the landscape which allows you to terraform. Wind turbines provide power, but can only be placed on stone tiles. These are used to power toxin scrubbers, which prepare the soil for irrigation.

Water pumps are used to refill dried river beds, while additional tools allow the player to create new rivers and new stone tiles anywhere on the map. For each tile that is converted from a wasteland into a lush ecosystem, the player is rewarded with points, which can be spent on further buildings and upgrades.

In the second stage of the game, players can upgrade existing buildings to create biomes such as wetlands, wildflower meadows, and dense forests. Restoring these biomes will cause herds of deer, flocks of birds, schools of fish, and lone wandering bears to populate the map.

The unique selling point of the game comes in the third phase, where – once a sufficient amount of the ecosystem and weather has been restored – the player is tasked with recycling the buildings they have placed to create an airship on which they will leave the map. Doing so, they will leave no trace of their presence; just a rewilded paradise.