Rise to Ruins (2019)

Developer: Raymond Doerr
Publisher: SixtyGig Games
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 4.4 of 5, 7,754 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 87 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A slow-burn god simulator where you carefully manage resources and defend your village against waves of enemies, blending strategic planning with tense survival.

atmosphericstrategicmeticuloustensesurvivalretrosimulation

What players say

Players split on whether the game is abandoned, some call it fully complete while others point to broken mechanics from years ago. The game is punishing but fair, with a steep difficulty curve that hides a small amount of content, though fans say it takes dozens of hours to get there.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.