Terra Nil Reviews
A provocative and technical feat, Terra Nil stands out from games with a similar environmental setting. It requires you to think creatively and intelligently about the challenges faced by the natural world, and it leaves you with a realistic vision of what humanity needs to do to change the world for the better.
I’ve seen more than a few people express surprise that Terra Nil is a Devolver Digital-published work, and I’m really not sure what they understand about the company. This is a game that gently reinforces a fundamentally positive and progressive view of the world and does so by transgressing the status quo and challenging expectations of both genre and theme. That has always been Devolver’s MO, and Terra Nil is perhaps the most important and timely project in its catalogue to date.
Despite its technical flaws and short gameplay, we found ourselves unable to put down Terra Nil on Switch. The simple act of rebuilding a broken and polluted world is so satisfying and well-crafted. From the moment you put down your first wind turbine to watching your airship remove any evidence of your hard work, the game gives you a sense of hope for our own climate crisis without needing to explicitly say a word. This is pure relaxation in video game form and is worth picking up, particularly once that promised first patch is rolled out.
Taking a different approach, working to rebuild the environment rather than burying it, in development sims
Terra Nil is a fantastic strategy game, one that only an studio like Free Lives could have developed. The idea of an inverted 4X where the objective is create more nature and reduce the human footprint works great in hindsight, that being said some mechanics are not as intuitive as you might think specially in the latest leg of the game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Instead of explosive power fantasies, you're invited to an ecosystem-saving hero story.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Terra Nil completely turned the concept of city bulider strategy on its head. Instead of building cities in it, you restore the ecosystem and you can relax incredibly.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
What is on offer at release is worthwhile, both in gameplay and message. In focusing on environmental expansion instead of human expansion, Terra Nil delivers something wholly unique. While the peaceful nature and serene tone are sometimes interrupted by uneven mechanics, Terra Nil is a worthwhile experience for those looking for a new twist on the sim genre.
More of an elaborated puzzle game than a strategy game, Terra Nil is an interesting experience that lasts a little too little.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There are lots of games about the environment here lately and it’s understandable as to why given that is a very hot button issue in society today. Terra Nil’s approach to take that very real fear of the worst environmental disaster but instead of continually stoking the flames of that fear they present you with the tools of opportunity of recovering from the brink, in a word showing that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Much like the avatar that players will play as in game, Terra Nil is a fantastic little game that comes in, does its job and vanishes into the night once it’s done.
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Terra Nil puts a cute and quirky twist on the classic city builder and completing each level feels truly rewarding. It is well worth looking into for any cozy games fan.
Terra Nil is a game that will make you aware of how important the balance of nature is. And how each living thing on the earth connects to each other. It doesn’t lecture, but its gameplay does make you think about the environment. It is a well-thought-out restoration game with relaxing gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and a nice challenge.
Terra Nil is a transformative city builder, in every sense of the word. While it presents a world that is polluted and broken down in a way that painfully reflects our world, it also tells us that nature can prevail in the end and that we can help facilitate that healing. It shows that with a bit of ingenuity and clever puzzle-solving, we might just work our way back over time. And it does it all in a tight package with a clear end and a focus on letting the natural beauty of our world take the spotlight. Can you believe these are the people who made the penis-fighting party game?
Terra Nil is a relaxing experience that engages the mind as much as it helps you to turn it off. Free Lives have gone out of its way to make the planet a little greener by using this game to spread the message of conservation, and with the generous donations to charity that came with it.
Terra Nil is a game that you can just love, even with some of its flaws.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Terra Nil is a masterclass in everything that it attempts to be. A resource management sim that can be as difficult or relaxing as you want, that successfully provides an alternative to classic city-building games by completely flipping the core pillars of the genre on its head, and showing that a game about fostering nature can be just as engaging as one about destroying it. The game does an amazing job of evoking emotion in the player with just its environment alone and even allows you a moment to relish in the majesty of each region you have restored before heading on to the next. Terra Nil wants you to find love and beauty in nature, even if you have to leave it behind. Endlessly satisfying and elegant, any fans of city builders should give this outstanding take on the genre a try.
If you’re looking for a relaxing strategy game, love the environment, or want to try a city builder with a twist, Terra Nil is absolutely a game worth checking out.
Terra Nil is a strategy game that's devoid of land colonisation, the exploitation of natural resources, or anything else you'd usually associate with a game of this ilk. But it's all the better for it. If you want a tranquil terraforming game, this is a good fit.
Terra Nil is a truly unique sim game that does a fantastic job in showcasing various ways the environment can be affected, with an astonishing level of hard work put into the tools needed to make things better. With simple yet incredibly fun gameplay, striking and gorgeous visuals, and a nice level of challenge that rewards players for properly planning things out without putting them under too much pressure, this is a terrifically wholesome and clever game that's worth checking out.