If you’ve ever wondered what London or Paris would look like after some kind of apocalyptic event but don’t really fancy actually blowing up a real city IRL because that’s an awful thing to do, Neverdark could be the game for you.
As spotted by PC Gamer, Neverdark is essentially a post apocalyptic RTS, the apocalypse here being a global blackout that has led to rioting and gangs desperately scrapping for control over what’s left of the world.
Basically, it looks like everyone who was fighting on Twitter lost their internet and had to settle their scores on the streets. That would be a bloodbath, to be fair.
The game’s Steam page describes it best:
War emerged as governments fell. Society collapsed upon itself and guns, medicine and food became the new currency. A new world rose from the ashes of the old one, one ruled by bands of raiders, religious cults, bikers gangs, idealistic democratic communes and organisations built around charismatic leaders. Cities became battlegrounds. This is the world of Neverdark!
The big twist with Neverdark is that the game’s developer Simteract has used maps of real cities, so fights take place on the streets of New York, Tokyo, Paris, and more.
Instead of large scale brawls that typically dominate the RTS scene, Neverdark will have players sending specialists out on specific missions to gain more power and influence over the city.
You could, for example, send a sniper to assassinate a powerful rival leader, or send a scout to infiltrate another gang and spread discontent. These events take place in real time, but you can still engage in RTS style scraps when the moment is right.
Beyond that, you’ll have to manage the areas, troops, and resources you do have, as well as deal with the odd ethical issue as you pass new laws for your brave new world or decide whether to fight or negotiate peace.
There’s no confirmed release date for Neverdark just yet, but the game’s Steam page says it’ll be available soon.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.