Imagine you were given a whole planet to colonise. You were given the skill, the resources, the money and everything else you need. All you would just be required to do was make sure the inhabitable planet ends up as suitable as possible for human settlement.

Well, that’s what I have been trying to do for the past two weeks ever since I was introduced by a friend to this new game, TerraGenesis. Developed by Edgeworks Entertainment, TerraGenesis is a free game available on iOS, Android and even PC. Basically, it is a freakishly deep simulation and strategy game that about terraforming planets and creating thriving civilisations.

And while you may think that this is just a game built by a broke developer in his mother’s basement, you should know that the developers actually did a copious amount of research to build the game.  They utilised actual science and data from NASA to provide the most realistic simulation, and in terms of the types of things you’re able to do in TerraGenesis my previous description holds true: It is freakishly deep.

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What you are basically required to do is work to balance all the elements of the red planet and try to get them to the best levels for humans to survive. This is mostly because you are required to have humans settle there independently.

So, initially, you are provided with resources to build facilities. These facilities are mainly for research purposes which you actually have to begin with. The planet is chaotic with insane amounts of carbon and hanging between low to zero levels of oxygen and water. So now you get why no one would ever live there.

However, you are given options, you could either build settlement facilities (or cities) and have the population depend on your money to get food, oxygen and water from Earth or build mines. If you choose the former, you run at a risk of losing more money than you make and that could, in turn, leave your dependants with nothing. If you choose to build mines, then you can start making more money which is a definite plus for you.

Moreover, building a mine especially in an area with high levels of carbon means you get to reduce the levels of carbon on the planet which results in higher levels of oxygen and then higher sea levels.

I know it is quite a mouthful but as described earlier, it is all about strategy and knowing what to prioritise in order to create a planet that is in the end as habitable as the current Earth. A whole lot more is install for you if you choose to play the game. But what I can promise you is that you will be filled with expectation once you start. After all, who wouldn’t want to see a desolate red planet transform into a beautiful one?

Will I continue to play it? Of course! Is it the best? It could be better in terms of detail but we can work with what we have so far. Maybe you should try TerraGenesis out as well.