God game

Short description: Video game genre

Part of a series on:
Simulation video games

Subgenres

* Construction and management simulation
* Business simulation game
* City-building game
* Government simulation
* Life simulation game
* Digital pet
* God game
* Social simulation game
* Dating sim
* Eroge
* Bishōjo
* Otome
* Sports game
* Racing game
* Sim racing
* Sports management game
* Vehicle simulations
* Flight simulator
* Amateur flight simulation
* Combat flight simulator
* Space flight simulator
* Space combat game
* Space trading game
* Submarine simulator
* Train simulator
* Vehicular combat game

History

* Chronology of business simulation video games
* Chronology of city-building video games
* Chronology of god video games
* Chronology of space flight simulation games

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A god game is an artificial life game[1] that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine and supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character (as in Spore), and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to guard and influence.

## Contents

* 1 Definition
* 2 Game design
* 3 History
* 4 References

## Definition

God games are a subgenre of artificial life game, where players use supernatural powers to indirectly influence a population of simulated worshippers. It has also been categorized as a subgenre of strategy video games,[2] though unlike other strategy video games, players are unable to tell specific units what to do. The genre is also separate from construction and management simulations, because gameplay revolves around growing and utilizing their supernatural powers to indirectly influence their worshippers, such as by placing a target marker or goal for the worshippers to conquer, or affect those of their opponents, such as by creating natural disasters.[1] God games are typically single-player games played against a computerized opponent, but some involve competition between all rival players.

## Game design

God games allow players to take on the role of a god with limited powers, similar to the gods from the mythology of Ancient Greece . The player's power comes from simulated worshippers, who are usually simple or tribal in nature. It is common for most people in god games to look alike. Early god games only featured models for full-grown men and women, while Black and White introduced children. Players must economize quantities of power or mana, which are derived from the size and prosperity of their population of worshippers. The player consumes this power by using godly powers to help their worshippers, such as blessing their crops or flattening hills to make better farmland. This results in a positive feedback loop, where more power allows the player to help their population grow which helps them gain more power. However, more powerful abilities typically require more power, and these usually take the form of natural disasters that can damage rival populations rather than improve life for the player's worshippers. Games typically utilize an aerial top-down perspective, similar to a real-time strategy game.[1]

God games are classified as a subgenre of artificial life game because players tend to a population of simulated people that they control only indirectly. Although god games share qualities with both construction and management simulation games and real-time strategy games, players in god games are only able to exercise indirect control over their population. They cannot tell specific units what to do, as seen in strategy games, although players may sometimes compete against other players with their own population of supporters. Moreover, players are given godlike powers not seen in construction or management games, such as the ability to control the weather, transform the landscape, and bless or curse different populations.[1]

## History

Although there are many influences on the god game genre, the first god game is widely considered to be Populous from 1989.[3][4][5] Developed by Peter Molyneux of Bullfrog Productions,[4] the game established the gameplay template where the player's godlike powers would grow in proportion to the population of their worshippers.[5] The game gives players supernatural powers over land and nature that could be used for good or evil,[4] and some of this gameplay was emulated by other real-time strategy games with more direct control.[5] Notable hybrids of the genre include ActRaiser for the Super NES in 1990.[6] It was also an influence on the real-time strategy hybrid Dungeon Keeper,[5] developed by Molyneux in 1997.[7]

Both Molyneux's Black & White and Godus were heavily influenced by the Populous series.[8][9]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rollings, Andrew; Ernest Adams (2006). Fundamentals of Game Design. Prentice Hall. http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14053/3597646.cw/index.html.
2. ↑ "The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: God game". Next Generation (15): 34. March 1996.
3. ↑ Edge Staff (2007-11-01). "50 Greatest Game Design Innovations". Edge. http://www.next-gen.biz/features/50-greatest-game-design-innovations?page=0%2C3.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "IGN Hall of Fame: Populous". 2008. http://games.ign.com/halloffame/populous.html.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Ernest Adams (2008). "What's Next for God Games". Designer's Notebook. http://www.designersnotebook.com/Lectures/God_Games/god_games.htm.
6. ↑ Lucas M Thomas (2007-05-30). "ActRaiser VC Review". http://wii.ign.com/articles/793/793000p1.html.
7. ↑ "Dungeon Keeper on PC". http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/dungeonkeeper/.
8. ↑ "Top 25 PC Games of All Time". 2000-07-24. http://pc.ign.com/articles/082/082486p1.html.
9. ↑ Farokhmanesh, Megan (2013-08-31). "Populous to Godus: The rubbish-filled road of Peter Molyneux". http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/31/4676802/populous-to-godus-the-rubbish-filled-road-of-peter-molyneux.

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Video game genres (List)

Action|

* Beat 'em up
* Hack and slash
* Fighting
* Maze
* Pac-Man clone
* Platform
* Shooter
* First-person
* MMOFPS
* Third-person
* Light gun
* Shoot 'em up
* Tactical
* Survival
* Battle royale

Action-adventure|

* Grand Theft Auto clone
* Immersive sim
* Metroidvania
* Stealth
* Survival horror
* Psychological horror

Adventure|

* Escape the room
* Interactive fiction
* Interactive movie
* Visual novel

Role-playing|

* Action role-playing
* Dungeon crawl
* MMORPG
* MUD
* Roguelike
* Tactical role-playing

Simulation|

* Construction and management
* Business
* City
* Government
* Life simulation
* Dating sim
* Digital pet
* God
* Social simulation
* Sports

Strategy|

* 4X
* Auto battler
* Multiplayer online battle arena
* Real-time strategy
* Time management
* MMORTS
* Real-time tactics
* Tower defense
* Turn-based strategy
* Turn-based tactics
* Artillery
* Wargame
* Grand strategy wargame

Vehicle simulation|

* Flight simulator
* Amateur
* Combat
* Space
* Racing
* Kart racing
* Sim racing
* Submarine simulator
* Train simulator
* Vehicular combat

Other genres|

* Breakout clone
* Deck-building
* Roguelike deck-building
* Digital collectible card game
* Eroge
* Exergame
* Incremental
* Music
* Rhythm
* Non-game
* Party
* Programming
* Puzzle
* Sokoban
* Tile-matching

Related concepts|

* AAA game
* Advertising
* Advergame
* Arcade game
* Art game
* Audio game
* Casual game
* Christian game
* Crossover game
* Cult game
* Educational game
* FMV
* Gamification
* Indie game
* Multiplayer video game
* Nonlinear gameplay
* Open world
* Nonviolent video game
* Online game
* Browser game
* Online gambling
* Social-network game
* Pervasive game
* Serious game
* Toys-to-life
* Twitch gameplay
* Video game clone

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