The Battle of Polytopia
The Battle of Polytopia is a 4X turn-based world-building strategy game developed by Swedish gaming company Midjiwan AB. It was released in February 2016 for iOS and Android.[1] The player leads one of fifteen tribes to develop an empire and defeat opponents in a low poly square-shaped world. It is playable alone against AI, against friends in a "Pass & Play" mode, and against online opponents in multiplayer mode.[2]
| The Battle of Polytopia | |
|---|---|
 Game icon | |
| Developer(s) | Midjiwan AB |
| Publisher(s) | Midjiwan AB |
| Designer(s) | Felix af Ekenstam |
| Programmer(s) | Felix af Ekenstam |
| Composer(s) | Robin af Ekenstam |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | February 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Development
Released in February 2016, the game was originally named Super Tribes. However, in June 2016 the name was changed to The Battle of Polytopia due to trademark issues.[3] A desktop version was released on Steam on August 4th, 2020.[4]
Gameplay
The Battle of Polytopia is a competitive turn-based single- or multiplayer strategy game. In single-player the opponent(s) is controlled by a computer and is free to play. There are two game modes: "Domination", in which the aim is to eliminate the opponent(s) in an unlimited number of turns, and "Perfection", in which the aim is to acquire the most points within 30 turns. In multiplayer, which may be accessed by making a purchase, the opponent(s) is human. In multiplayer, there are two game modes: "Might", in which the aim is to capture all tribe capitals, and "Glory", where the aim is to gain 10,000 points before any other tribe. There is a leaderboard that lists the highest-scoring games of all time.[5]
The player commands a tribe, of which there are 15; four are free and 11 require purchase. Each tribe is distinguished by different audiovisual aesthetics and most have a different starting ability, called "technology". Additional technology and units can be acquired during each game at the expense of "stars", which are earned through the possession of settlements. Additional technology will also be received upon encountering a foreign tribe. Settlements may be upgraded, at the expense of stars, as an investment to increase the number of stars yielded per turn. Various tasks may be unlocked during the game, the completion of which is rewarded with a monument, which contributes to the improvement of its associated settlement. The player begins the game with a single settlement and a single unit; this unit may be moved across the map in search of resources and additional settlements to capture, which are initially hidden by fog of war. Each game is played on a randomly generated map so that no two games are the same. Units of opposing tribes may attack one another and capture their settlements. Capturing an enemy tribe's first settlement will block their ability to acquire new technology, and capturing all enemy settlements will defeat that tribe. Points are earned throughout the game for various activities that contribute to the growth of the empire.[5]
The game includes several Easter eggs, including (but not limited to): summoning of a "nature bunny" in single-player by tapping an empty square 10 times, converting the default night sky to day by holding it for 15 seconds, raising or lowering a city by alternate tapping of bottom-left and bottom-right squares, and mixing the aesthetics of one tribe with the starting technology of another if both tribes have a three-star rating (i.e. ≥ 50,000 points achieved in a previous Perfection game).
Tribes
| Name | Technology available | Name of starting technology | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xin-Xi | Regular | Climbing | Yes |
| Imperius | Regular | Organization | Yes |
| Bardur | Regular | Hunting | Yes |
| Oumaji | Regular | Riding | Yes |
| Kickoo | Regular | Fishing | No |
| Hoodrick | Regular | Archery | No |
| Luxidoor | Regular | None; begins with a Level 3 city | No |
| Vengir | Regular | Smithery | No |
| Zebasi | Regular | Farming | No |
| Ai-Mo | Regular | Meditation | No |
| Quetzali | Regular | Shields | No |
| Yǎdakk | Regular | Roads | No |
| Aquarion | Special – unique to Aquarion | None | No |
| ∑∫ỹriȱŋ | Special – unique to ∑∫ỹriȱŋ | Forest magic | No |
| Polaris | Special – unique to Polaris | Frostwork | No |
Solar power investment
Midjiwan AB has pledged that all profits earned through purchases of the game's "Zebasi" tribe will be invested in loans to solar power contractors in emerging markets, in cooperation with the Swedish company Trine. These loans are then used to offer solar energy to rural communities.[6]
References
- "Cult Turn-Based Strategy Game 'The Battle of Polytopia' Getting Online Multiplayer February 15th". TouchArcade. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- "Take over the world (over and over and over) in The Battle of Polytopia". Macworld. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- "Civilization-like Super Tribes is now called The battle of Polytopia, updated with new UI and tribe". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- "The Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise Releasing on August 4th!". Steam Community. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- Brouwers, Josho. "Battle of Polytopia". Ancient World Magazine. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- "Mobile game finances solar energy in rural communities". hype.news. Retrieved 2020-06-18.