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Empires of the Undergrowth

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2024

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Quick resume

Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.

Global score

95/100

Genres

Simulator, Strategy, Real Time Strategy (RTS), Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and immersive ant colony rts gameplay
    • Engaging narrative with excellent narration
    • Detailed and realistic ant behaviors and animations
    • Strategic depth with colony building and resource management
    • Active and passionate developer support

    Cons

    • Limited content and levels currently
    • No multiplayer or cooperative modes yet
    • Steep learning curve and challenging difficulty spikes
    • Some ui and control limitations
    • Long wait times between updates

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Survival, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players direct ant groups via pheromone markers with some indirect control, allowing strategic freedom within constraints"

    • Competence
      4

      "Challenging RTS gameplay with strategic resource management and colony building requiring skill and adaptation"

    • Competition
      -2

      "Focus is mostly on single-player campaign and personal progression; multiplayer not yet implemented"

    • Continuation
      4

      "Highly engaging gameplay and replayability with long sessions and repeated attempts to overcome challenges"

    • Cooperation
      -3

      "Primarily single-player experience with limited social or cooperative multiplayer features"

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players design and upgrade their nest layout and manage colony growth with some freedom"

    • Domination
      -3

      "Interactions emphasize survival and strategy rather than exerting superiority or social dominance"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Immersive nature setting and engaging story provide a strong escape from real life"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and passion for ants and strategy games"

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different ant species, strategies, and nest designs to overcome challenges"

    • Exploration
      2

      "Players explore different maps and environments with unique challenges and enemies"

    • Expression
      2

      "Some customization of colony layout and upgrades allows personal expression"

    • Fantasy
      -1

      "Grounded in realistic ant biology and behavior with some fictional narrative elements"

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Minimal social interaction; mostly solo play with community engagement outside the game"

    • Growth
      4

      "Players learn game mechanics, improve strategies, and develop colony management skills"

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay typical of RTS games with no physical activity component"

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires continuous attention and active management during missions"

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "No close social relationships formed within the game; limited to community forums"

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players lead and manage ant colonies, making strategic decisions and directing units"

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate resources, upgrades, and unlock new ant species to strengthen colony"

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Some players find the gameplay satisfying and immersive, though it can be challenging and tense"

    • Sensation
      2

      "Enjoyable visual and auditory experience with detailed animations and atmospheric music"

    • Status
      -3

      "No in-game social status or ranking systems; focus on personal achievement"

    • Story
      4

      "Engaging narrative with documentary-style narration and characterful scientists"

    • Strategy
      5

      "Strong emphasis on strategic planning, resource management, and tactical decision making"

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tense moments managing colony survival under threat provide excitement and suspense"

    • Value
      3

      "Good perceived value for price given quality, depth, and ongoing developer support"

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat and predation are core mechanics involving ants fighting other insects and predators"

    • Survival
      5

      "Central motivation is to keep colony and queen alive against environmental threats"

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026