The original Reus was a game that I thoroughly enjoyed, despite its flaws, and I was very pleased to discover that a sequel was being made that looked to address the biggest issues I had with the first game. I played a demo of Reus 2 during the Earth Appreciation Fest, and following that I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to beta test, playing it substantially over the last month prior to its release. Reus 2 has transformed significantly over that time and it's become clear to me that Abbey Games, its developer, have shown enormous dedication and passion for the game, which in turn led me to give the same during my time with it.

Reus 2 is effectively a turn based strategy game, although it may not appear to be that at first glance. The basic premise is that you control 3 giants, one representing plants, one animals, and one minerals to make a planet prosperous for the human settlers that reside there. Each giant can terraform the planet to place different biomes and then in turn add biotica (e.g. rabbits, fir trees & topaz) to provide 3 types of resources for your settlements - food, science & gold. Biotica also have different symbiosis which enhance its output and its here where a significant amount of your strategy comes from, trying to maximise the output of your biotica through thoughtful placement and clever planning. Initially this all seems a simple ask, early options have simple requirements or none at all, however as you progress and unlock more options you're having to juggle many more choices with each potentially allowing you greater and greater yields. This will be necessary too, as your settlements grow, so too will what they need to develop further leading to creating a prosperous planet - the main metric which is used to determine your success.

I've barely scratched the surface of the game in my description above, each biome carries its own unique biotica and rules to maximise their output, a choice of different leaders occupying the settlements in your planets which ask for different resources, the need for biodiversity to place apex biotica (those that give the greatest yields), other terraforming options (such as creeks) and micros to further offer you opportunities to ramp up your scores all enter the mix as you progress through the game, not to mention the eras and turning points each planet will face, which ultimately guide where your focus will be.

The game's replayability comes from a metaprogression system which gradually unlocks the extra complexity mentioned above and also by different biotica available to you on a planet, which is limited by "drafts" which let you pick extra apex and cohort biotica for your planet to help nudge you toward your goal. You'll slowly fill your universe with diverse planets that will end up looking very different from each other.

Speaking of looks, the game oozes charm, each biotica lovingly drawn, your human and giant residents on the planet animating and interacting in wonderful ways - I've spent quite a lot of time just watching herbivores eat from the plants, predators hunt those herbivores and humans go off hunting for food or to admire the latest creation to arrive within their borders. The game also provides a lovely layered soundtrack which naturally evolves as you reach the third era to match the direction your planet takes, it's all very lovely.

There's so much untapped potential here, and even the little faults haven't detracted from my enjoyment of the game. I originally only intended on playing for 5-10 hours during the testing period, but ended up sinking in more than double my total playtime of the original. That's how much I've enjoyed seeing what it has to offer, and I could quite happily play more. If you like thoughtful, chill experiences, or want something unique, then I can highly recommend Reus 2.

Thanks again to the team at Abbey Games for letting me experience Reus 2 early, and also for being so open to feedback & criticism, utilising it to shape that development of the game. Be proud of what you've accomplished.

Nominated for Labour of Love Award in 2023.

I don't normally buy Early Access games, but I played the demo back in January and immediately sunk 40 hours into it. I felt obligated to buy the game then.

Against the Storm has completely ruined other City Builders for me, it plays to the strengths of these games while removing all of my gripes with the genre by applying its procedural generation and shortened play sessions for each settlement. Each settlement is slightly different, as you're limited by the building options offered to you and the species that will be there, and you're given a definite objective that can be completed in many different ways. At times, it feels more like an intricately designed puzzle game, with an incredibly balanced tension where you feel like you might fail at any moment before suddenly finding the final piece you need to win.

Eremite Games, the developer, have been exceptional throughout the Early Access period, putting out a new set of features every fortnight without fail, being highly involved with the community and responding to bugs very quickly. Their dedication to the game shines through. This is my GOTY of 2023 and I can't wait to see what else is in store.