Real-Time Strategy Games, Further Titles Codexery

Multiwinia

A real-time strategy game with six multiplayer modes.

Multiwinia

Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest is a real-time strategy game developed by Introversion Software. It can be purchased on its own or as part of the Darwinia+ bundle.

The story picks up after the events of Darwinia, where a computer scientist named Dr. Sepulveda created a digital world inside a computer network. That world, Darwinia, was home to two-dimensional digital beings called Darwinians and was intended to become the first digital theme park. In the earlier game, the player eliminated a computer virus threatening the Darwinians. Afterward, Dr. Sepulveda believed the world was safe, but he worried that the Darwinians had been forced to fight their infected kin. Over time, they grew more aggressive, split into factions, and began fighting each other. Now called Multiwinians, these tribes continue to battle.

Gameplay is real-time strategy with six distinct modes. Each mode supports one to four players (human or CPU) and offers up to 50 maps of varying difficulty. As a multiplayer, more randomly generated version of Darwinia's world, it uses a statistically inspired random stochastic layered atmosphere.

In Domination, teams fight to control the entire map by capturing spawn points scattered around it. The goal is to achieve a dominant position and control all points. The match ends when one team wins or a timer expires, with the team holding the most spawn points declared the winner.

King of the Hill requires teams to occupy key tactical zones to score points. Each map has a fixed number of scoring zones—up to four on a standard two-player map. Teams earn one point per second for each zone they control. When multiple teams occupy the same zone, the team with the largest share scores, and the zone is displayed as a pie chart showing each team's percentage.

In Capture the Statue, Multiwinians must lift giant stone statues from the Statue Zone and carry them back to their base to score. Large numbers of Multiwinians are needed to lift the heavy statues, which move slowly. If the carriers are killed, the statue drops and stays until picked up again. If dropped heavily, such as on a steep hill, it shatters and reappears randomly in a Statue Zone. Each team has a base near its start point, and the winner is the team that carries the most statues to its base.

Rocket Riot gives each team a giant rocket at its start point.

Quick Facts

Title
Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest
Developer
Introversion Software
Publisher
Introversion Software (Windows) / Ambrosia Software (Mac OS X)
Designer
Chris Delay / Gary Chambers / Leander Hambley / Byron Atkinson-Jones
Released
Windows / NA · 19 September 2008 · EU · 10 October 2008OS X / 5 March 2009 / Xbox 360 / 10 February 2010 / Linux / 12 December 2012 / (Steam)
Genre
Real-time strategy
Modes
Single-player, multiplayer
Platforms
Windows / Mac OS X / Linux / Xbox 360

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Multiwinia follows its predecessor Darwinia, in which a computer scientist, Dr Sepulveda, created a digital world that existed within a computer network. This world, Darwinia, was inhabited by a two-dimensional digital life-form called Darwinians and was to become 'the world's first digital theme park'. In Darwinia, the player eradicated a computer virus that infected the world and threatened the life of the Darwinians. After this, Dr Sepulveda deemed the world safe again, while being concerned about the fact the Darwinians once had to fight their infected kin. Over time they became more aggressive, dividing into factions and fighting. Now labelled Multiwinians, the tribes continue to fight each other.

Reader's Guide

Multiwinia is a real-time strategy game with six different modes: Domination, King of the Hill, Capture the Statue, Rocket Riot, Blitzkrieg, and Assault. Each mode is designed to support between one and four players (human or CPU) and up to 50 unique maps of varying difficulties. As a multiplayer, and much more processed randomly generated universe version of Darwinia's, it has statistically inspired a random stochastic layered atmosphere. The game received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic. George Horlor rated the game 10/10 and recommended it, saying 'one of the best RTS titles out there, you own Steam? You should own Multiwinia'. Eurogamer called the game 'a quirky but devilishly compelling distillation of all that strategy games can be'. IGN cited the crate power ups as the game's 'most questionable element' and stated, 'while it's still undoubtedly fun as a lightweight experience, it's far from being cerebrally rewarding or especially clever.' PC Gamer UK said the game was 'endearing, yet thin'. GameWatcher called Multiwinia 'A true triumph.'

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