Empires of the Undergrowth
An RTS where you command ant and termite colonies.
Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-time strategy game from UK-based developer Slug Disco Studios, published by Hooded Horse. Players take charge of an ant or termite colony, expanding their nest, gathering resources, and battling enemies in a conventional RTS loop.
The main campaign puts you in charge of a fictional ant species called the "Gene thieves," which can absorb genetic material from other creatures through Royal Jelly. You oversee both the home colony and side missions that drop you into challenging scenarios with struggling ant or termite colonies. Each side mission is narrated like a nature documentary, with an in-game narrator offering context and alerting you to key information. There is also a Sandbox mode, extra levels, demos for upcoming content, and a DLC.
The core loop involves completing these side missions, each featuring different ant or termite species with unique abilities. After a mission, you return to the Gene Thief colony and receive resources from laboratory scientists to strengthen it. As you progress, you unlock the species you led in side missions and integrate them into the main colony. After finishing a specific stage, the lab staff run an "experiment," sending in enemies like rival colonies or dangerous insects and small animals to test your defenses. These experiments only become available after completing one sublevel.
Levels are largely unrelated to each other, with no set storyline. Each level typically has two or three sublevels, connected mainly by the ant or termite species featured. Rewards scale with difficulty.
Playable species include the Gene-thief ant (Formica ereptor and Myrmica ereptor), black ant, big-headed ant, bullet ant, exploding ant, exploding termite, fire ant, leafcutter ant, little black ant, Matabele ant, termite (Macrotermes bellicosus), and wood ant. Non-playable eusocial species include the African stink ant, army ant, driver ant, naked mole-rat, slave maker ant, and trap-jaw ant.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Empires of the Undergrowth
- Developer
- Slug Disco Studios
- Publisher
- Hooded Horse
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- Windows, MacOS
- Released
- June 7, 2024
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Empires of the Undergrowth entered early access in December 2017 and was released for Windows on June 7, 2024. The game was originally meant to include honeypot ants, bull ants, Saharan silver ants, and Rasberry crazy ants, though these were never added. It was also originally planned as a mobile game with tug-of-war-like features above ground and a dungeon-keeper-like underground gameplay, but this concept was cancelled.
Reader's Guide
The game's significance lies in its unique blend of real-time strategy with a nature documentary style. Each side mission is narrated in a documentary style, with an in-game narrator providing context and key information, creating an immersive and educational experience. The core gameplay loop involves completing side missions where players experience different ant and termite species and their unique abilities, then returning to the main Gene Thieves colony to receive resources from laboratory scientists. As the game progresses, players unlock species they led in side missions and integrate them into the main colony. Laboratory staff conduct 'experiments' by sending enemy forces such as rival colonies or other dangerous insects and small animals to challenge the player. Levels do not follow a set storyline and are almost unrelated, typically having two or three sublevels related only by the ant or termite species. The game includes a Sandbox mode, extra levels, demos for incoming levels and ants, and a DLC. Reception was mixed: PC Gamer called it 'an absolutely excellent RTS', GamesRadar said it is a very satisfying SimAnt-style game, while The Games Machine noted it did nothing new and was missing features common to RTS games such as multiplayer, but enjoyed the variety of enemies and boss battles.
Did You Know?
- The game features a fictional ant species called 'Gene thief' ants that integrate genetic data from other species via Royal Jelly.
- Originally planned as a mobile game with tug-of-war features above ground and dungeon-keeper-like underground gameplay, but this was cancelled.
- The game includes both eusocial and non-eusocial non-playable species, such as naked mole-rats and velvet worms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who made Empires of the Undergrowth?
Slug Disco Studios, a UK-based developer, created the game, and Hooded Horse handled publishing. It launched exclusively on Windows.
What is the core gameplay loop in Empires of the Undergrowth?
You command an ant or termite colony in a classic RTS structure: build and expand your nest, collect resources, and fight rival colonies in real-time combat. There is no hero unit or card system—it is a straightforward unit-management and base-building experience.
What is the campaign story about?
You lead a fictional ant species known as the Gene Thieves, who can siphon genetic material from other creatures using Royal Jelly. The campaign alternates between managing your home colony and side missions where you step in to help struggling ant or termite colonies survive challenging scenarios.
How long was Empires of the Undergrowth in development?
The title entered Early Access in December 2017 and shipped its full release on June 7, 2024, meaning roughly six and a half years of iterative development before the final build.
Can I play Empires of the Undergrowth on Mac or console?
No; the game is available only on Windows. There is no official Mac or console port listed by either Slug Disco Studios or Hooded Horse.
More in Real-Time Strategy Games, Further Titles 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced