‘Reus’ Lets You Craft Your Ecosystem With Chickens

Reus is a new god game that lets you craft your ecosystem with chickens.

Abbey Games’ 2D god game Reus is set for release this spring, and developers are showing off another aspect of the unusual videogame. The ecosystem … er, system is controlled by the giant’s ability to add wildlife to the world. The act of adding wildlife to the world via your giant avatar creates a symbiosis between plants and animals for the benefit of the humans. There are over 100 different natural resources you can use to create your own ecosystem.

God games are nothing new to PC gamers, who may have tried their hand at Black & White over a decade ago. Black & White gave you a giant animal you had to keep track of and train as you prepared a nation to conquer other nations, and eventually other worlds. You actually controlled a dismembered hand that did everything, including casting spells and even slapping your giant animal when it misbehaved.

Unlike Black & White, however, Reus doesn’t have you just training your giant avatar. The avatar is a character you directly control. The giant doesn’t move until you tell it to.

In Reus, you are in control of a civilization on the verge of a breakthrough, and it’s your responsibility to ensure they survive and thrive long enough to finish their project. Effective management grants you a human helper of sorts that you can pick up and put on your head for special abilities. Some abilities include upgrading your “aspects”, with which you can make blueberries more “fruity” or turn them into apple trees, either of which increases your food and makes your humans more productive.

In the video below, Reus lead designer Adriaan Jansen shows off the game’s ecosystem controls and options.

What do you think of crafting your ecosystem in Reus?