16 replies to this topic

[AntidepressAnt]

A thread for posting about all sorts of electronic games with insects or other arthropods as a theme.

 

Gonna start with these two, which I already mentioned in another thread:

 

 

 

This upcoming game seems promising, Empire of the Ants:

 

 

 

Insect Worlds seems rather amazing:

 

 

Some retro ones, like SimAnt:

 

 

Bad Mojo, Kafkaesque game about a guy who turns into a cockroach:

 

 

Deadly Creatures for Wii, you can play as a tarantula or a scorpion:

 

[Ernteameise]

Well, I personally like Empire of the Ants (the old one, which I played in my youth, since it is based on one of my favorite books, the "Ants" sci-fi thriller series by Bernard Werber).

Bel-O-Khan! for the win.

It is a real time strategy and you play as a new Formica queen and have to conquer the undergrowth.

You can buy it on GOG, it is not on Steam.

 

Then there is a newer game, Empires of the Undergrowth, and you can play as various different ant species, like Formica, leaf-cutters and fire ants. It is very well done.

The game is on Steam.

 

There is also "the Hive" on Steam, but it is a bit bare-bones and you really have to play as the developer intended, if you deviate from the route, you will fail. This is a bit of a downer in a strategy game.l

[Flu1d]

There used to be a mobile game that let you walk around your neighborhood and look for queens. You could set them up in test tubes and eventually formicarium. I can't remember the name of it for the life of me, nor can I find anything about it anymore.

It needed a little bit of work, but it was overall a pretty good game and the developer was actively working on it. It was fairly realistic, and there were different species (real ones) to search for.

I wonder what happened to it?

[The_Gaming-gate]

There used to be a mobile game that let you walk around your neighborhood and look for queens. You could set them up in test tubes and eventually formicarium. I can't remember the name of it for the life of me, nor can I find anything about it anymore.

It needed a little bit of work, but it was overall a pretty good game and the developer was actively working on it. It was fairly realistic, and there were different species (real ones) to search for.

I wonder what happened to it?

I used to have that game, don’t remember the name though.

[AntidepressAnt]

Some others I remembered or found.

 

Grounded, with a similar premise as "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids":

 

 

Drunk on Nectar is going to have a lot of species to play around with and is aiming to be a very accurate "nature simulator":

 

 

Hollow Knight is likely currently the most famous and beloved video game with bugs as characters. It's certainly a great game, though I wish they looked a bit more like real bugs... The average person probably prefers it this way I guess.

 

 

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, a Paper Mario-esque RPG:

 

[IdioticMouse26]

Well, I personally like Empire of the Ants (the old one, which I played in my youth, since it is based on one of my favorite books, the "Ants" sci-fi thriller series by Bernard Werber).

Bel-O-Khan! for the win.

It is a real time strategy and you play as a new Formica queen and have to conquer the undergrowth.

You can buy it on GOG, it is not on Steam.

 

Then there is a newer game, Empires of the Undergrowth, and you can play as various different ant species, like Formica, leaf-cutters and fire ants. It is very well done.

The game is on Steam.

 

There is also "the Hive" on Steam, but it is a bit bare-bones and you really have to play as the developer intended, if you deviate from the route, you will fail. This is a bit of a downer in a strategy game.l

I have Empires of the Undergrowth, and I love it! I have like 100+ hours on it. It's on steam and has tons of different ant species in-game. Ants like: S. Invicta, Pheidole, leafcutter ants, and like ten more. I've also read the "Ants" too! Definetly reccommend the book. 

 

Edit: There is a new update for empires of the Undergrowth releasing in June 7! It adds termites, dorylus, Paltothyreus tarsatus(They can grow up to 20mm!), and Megaponera analis.

Edited by IdioticMouse26, June 4 2024 - 7:27 PM.

[mbullock42086]

TBH i have yet to see a bug-themed game I could get into.

 It's the anatomy that gets me.  It's always too wonky for me, especially whenever a spider or scorpion is rendered.

 Plus they're always too experimental in nature for me.  A jumping spider should be more like mario brothers in gameplay, IMO.

 I don't want to actually live the lifestyle of a spider lmao that's so boring hahahaha

[StayLoki]

Grounded is AMAZING. I was going to start a thread on it but I see now it's not a big hit I guess.
I'm 35 and spent like 10hrs exploring the ant hills once I got the armor where they wouldn't attack me.
A friend with kids recommended it to me but I told her I didn't want to kill the ants. She told me I could make friends with them, but it's so much more.
I've enjoyed ever hour spent in the game.

[StayLoki]

@AntidepressAnt
As a gamer, this post rocks!
Thanks for your hard work!

[Ernteameise]

Well, I caved in and bought "Empire of the Ants".

It runs pretty well on my Steam Deck.

This game just looks absolutely stunning.

 

I did play the 20 year old previous game, but this new game is very different and not a direct remake.

This game is much more about exploration and running around with your single ant, commanding other groups of ants during fights, compared to the strict RTS game-play of the original game.

 

Scientifically, it is NOT very accurate.

In the books (the game is based on the ant thrillers by Bernard Werber), the protagonist ants are Formica rufa wood ants.

The main colony nest of the empire is Bel-O-Kan, which is surrounded by branch nests.

The game starts out with you controlling a single ant.

Playing this ant, and jumping around, it did not feel very "Formica rufa" to me. Yes, there are ants that love to jump, and even ants that jump to attack (bull ants, weaver ants, Gigantiops....).

But these ants are not Formica rufa....

and it gets worse from there.

Your soldiers are actually Pheidole majors and your artillery are green weaver ants. Yes, great from a game-play perspective, since you can tell them apart well visually. 

It also kind of makes sense in-universe, since in the books, the empire of Bel-O-Kan with their very sophisticated queen, the wood ants hire mercenaries and form alliances and do indeed use conscripted other insects in their fights.

But how European wood ants should have found Asian / Australian green weaver ants as merceneries, I find hard to fathom or to believe.

So yes, while this game looks great, you have to suspend some scientific disbelief while playing.

[1tsm3jack]

Well, I caved in and bought "Empire of the Ants".

It runs pretty well on my Steam Deck.

This game just looks absolutely stunning.

 

I did play the 20 year old previous game, but this new game is very different and not a direct remake.

This game is much more about exploration and running around with your single ant, commanding other groups of ants during fights, compared to the strict RTS game-play of the original game.

 

Scientifically, it is NOT very accurate.

In the books (the game is based on the ant thrillers by Bernard Werber), the protagonist ants are Formica rufa wood ants.

The main colony nest of the empire is Bel-O-Kan, which is surrounded by branch nests.

The game starts out with you controlling a single ant.

Playing this ant, and jumping around, it did not feel very "Formica rufa" to me. Yes, there are ants that love to jump, and even ants that jump to attack (bull ants, weaver ants, Gigantiops....).

But these ants are not Formica rufa....

and it gets worse from there.

Your soldiers are actually Pheidole majors and your artillery are green weaver ants. Yes, great from a game-play perspective, since you can tell them apart well visually. 

It also kind of makes sense in-universe, since in the books, the empire of Bel-O-Kan with their very sophisticated queen, the wood ants hire mercenaries and form alliances and do indeed use conscripted other insects in their fights.

But how European wood ants should have found Asian / Australian green weaver ants as merceneries, I find hard to fathom or to believe.

So yes, while this game looks great, you have to suspend some scientific disbelief while playing.

I watched a playthrough and the whole time I was just getting mad at the game for not being sceintifically accurate lol

[Ernteameise]

 

Well, I caved in and bought "Empire of the Ants".

It runs pretty well on my Steam Deck.

This game just looks absolutely stunning.

 

I did play the 20 year old previous game, but this new game is very different and not a direct remake.

This game is much more about exploration and running around with your single ant, commanding other groups of ants during fights, compared to the strict RTS game-play of the original game.

 

Scientifically, it is NOT very accurate.

In the books (the game is based on the ant thrillers by Bernard Werber), the protagonist ants are Formica rufa wood ants.

The main colony nest of the empire is Bel-O-Kan, which is surrounded by branch nests.

The game starts out with you controlling a single ant.

Playing this ant, and jumping around, it did not feel very "Formica rufa" to me. Yes, there are ants that love to jump, and even ants that jump to attack (bull ants, weaver ants, Gigantiops....).

But these ants are not Formica rufa....

and it gets worse from there.

Your soldiers are actually Pheidole majors and your artillery are green weaver ants. Yes, great from a game-play perspective, since you can tell them apart well visually. 

It also kind of makes sense in-universe, since in the books, the empire of Bel-O-Kan with their very sophisticated queen, the wood ants hire mercenaries and form alliances and do indeed use conscripted other insects in their fights.

But how European wood ants should have found Asian / Australian green weaver ants as merceneries, I find hard to fathom or to believe.

So yes, while this game looks great, you have to suspend some scientific disbelief while playing.

I watched a playthrough and the whole time I was just getting mad at the game for not being sceintifically accurate lol

 

Well, you still get to play as a cute ant....

I find the game quite chill.

you just have to ignore that the different castes of your colony are, in reality, different species.

Edited by Ernteameise, November 10 2024 - 9:20 AM.

[1tsm3jack]

yeah, I don't have a pc though so I probably won't get to play anyway lol

[Barristan]

Most recent AAA games are bug-themed or was it full of bugs, I don't know.

Edited by Barristan, November 10 2024 - 9:38 AM.

[Ernteameise]

yeah, I don't have a pc though so I probably won't get to play anyway lol

It has released on a variety of consoles, too.

I myself play it with the Steam Deck.

Since the RTS aspect is a bit basic, it plays well on a controller.

[Ernteameise]

Most recent AAA games are bug-themed or was it full of bugs, I don't know.

The very reason I am mainly playing Indie titles.

I have been disappointed by AAA too many times in the past years.

[Ender Ants]

One of my all-time favorite bug/mobile games in general are the Bug Heroes series. Loved playing it as a kid and even now, although it's been a while. Very fun game in terms of story and gameplay mechanics. Better yet, the main character is an ant!

 

Bug Heroes: January 6, 2011

The first in the series is the best story-wise, as the second diverts from the lore. The graphics may look horrid to some, but trust me on this, it is a very fun game if you enjoy the tower-defense type of genre. I would play this game all the time on my iPad as a kid. Only downside is that sometimes it crashes because the game no longer supports updates I believe.

 

 

 

Bug Heroes 2: Released February 19, 2014

The second in the series is graphically improved by a lot. Was so happy they made a sequel to this many years after the original. More heroes to choose from, more abilities, and upgrades. This one still holds up well even today on IOS.

 

 

 

Bug Heroes: Tower Defense: Released September 3, 2023

When I tell you my jaw dropped when I saw this on YouTube, I had to get it instantly. Seeing this company still develop this series has been one of the best things ever. They go fully into the tower defense type of style this time. I haven't played it in a while and I prefer the 2nd over this, but just like the rest, it is another fun game to add to your list of bug video games.

 

 

 

Btw thank you for these recommendations! Keep them coming.

Edited by Ender Ants, November 12 2024 - 12:52 AM.