Did you play Crest? That gorgeous but rather abstract Swedish affair that you’d swear was a Molyneux tulpa? No? Your sins are forgiven, because as is often the case with indie titles that don’t hit the ground running, Eat Create Sleep have relaunched their tribal papercraft terrarium, with new elements, overhauls and tweaks. Additions that will entice the agnostic and convert the disbeliever.
Crest’s big hook is gently steering a tribe’s path via celestial decree. You combine an increasing string of functions, much in the same way you’d code up something in a catechistic Carnage Heart. Your believers might take heed, or undertake a different interpretation. The Populous inspiration is strong, and if I were to measure its creative merit, Crest is the game Molyneux should have made in place of the abortive Godus.
Become a god in this indirect god sim. Influence and try to control your followers using commandments but beware, free will leaves these open to interpretation. Will you create a flourishing civilization or lead them into cannibalism?
Crest takes place in a stylised Sub-Saharan landscape and explores concepts of human behaviour, religion and nature. It adds to the traditional god game genre with an indirect influence mechanic which produces uncertain outcomes. Observe how AI behaviour evolves as a result of your decisions which affect the interdependent circle of humans, animals and nature. Micromanage the world, progress by unlocking new words and interact with and lead your people by issuing commandments.
- Explore the high-concept of religion by building your own
- Interact with your followers by issuing commandments using a pictographic language
- Progress by unlocking new words, slowly increasing the complexity of your commandments
- Observe how your followers evolve as a result of your decisions
- Micromanage a world where weather, vegetation, mineral deposits, drought and animal behavior will create surprises
- Customize your games with increased or decreased amounts of resources, animals, islands and overall island quality
- Express yourself in a game without end-goal nor winning condition, allowing you to purely focus on building your legacy in a world where you are the god of everyone
- Built in twitch support allows streamers to engage their viewers in the actual game! Join cities and vote on commandments to help or disrupt the streamer’s plans
I really do hope the rejigged decree element has made Crest not so much a more responsive game, but a game that does a better job of monitoring and conveying the mindset of the people. Parsing response to your divine mandates was tough in the earlier version, so fingers crossed this not so much destroys the ambiguity of interpretation, but tracks it more adequately.
The aesthetic is beguiling and the music is just magnificent, to add to incentive. It does speak to a more creative time in the strategy sphere, particularly the heyday of Populous, Black & White, shades of the original Majesty and, heck, even Creatures. Terrariums of blissful uncertainty. Monsoons roll across the islands, dragging their downpour through deltas and tributaries. Prides of lions stalk the savannah, preying on quarry and unsuspecting citizens alike. People dance and celebrate, they marry and multiply, age and die.
It’s captivating stuff, particularly from the omnipotent but arms-length perspective of a god. Not much out there quite like it. Go on.
[Followers who own] [PC], [Mac], [Linux] > [hunt] > [Crest]
[Followers who own] [Crest] > [receive] > [blessing]
Crest relaunches on December 13
Intriguing. I would make a terrible god, though, because I want to micromanage everything and have everything running like clockwork. I like simulation games as long as nothing interferes with my grand design. The idea that my followers may or may not heed my commands and that there may be a comprehension gap might lead to great frustration on my part.