Biome is a virtual snow globe; it is a world which will be sculpted by your hand, while remaining autonomous in its evolution. Biome is one of those games which has a lot of potential hidden within it for those who have a love of exploration, but it’s also very much pre-Alpha at this stage, and the build that was demoed at Rezzed this year is going to change a lot before it’s finally ready, finished and released.
Biome initially caught my eye because I have a background in microbiology. The Oxford English dictionary defines a biome as “a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra”. After sitting down and getting my hands on Biome, I can say with absolute certainty that it’s a game for more than just science-y types such as myself.
At time of writing, the game is very simple; you have a patch of land of a set size which you can rotate, zoom and examine at your leisure using the right mouse button. It is captivating enough watching the subtle changes that happen to your biome while sitting back with a cup of your favorite hot beverage - the weather will change from snow to rain, and the ground will reshape itself slowly over time, just as it would in the real world. It’s simply a joy to watch.
The real fun in Biome, however, is in the left mouse button. The Build which we got our hands on at Rezzed will allow you to randomly change the topology of your biome in either small ways with light clicks, or in large ways by holding the mouse button and releasing. After spending a good 15 minutes with the game you can easily see the scope that Biome has to offer; your biome can be underwater, just as easily as it can be a rolling field of grass. If you click the biome enough, you can even find yourself a volcanic biome, complete with lava pools.
The team behind the game, LowPolyWorld, has confirmed that the final build will be a lot less random; you will be able to sculpt the land as you see fit, raising mountains or carving valleys throughout your land. There will be life in your biome too - it will start small with grass and small plants, but as your biome grows, you’ll find mushrooms and trees sprouting for you to play with. The next major update to the game will likely herald the inclusion of both plants and animals, because as developer Tom Kail told us, “We want the world to feel alive. That means anything from ferns to bears!”
Once Biome’s major systems are in place, LowPolyWorld will be focusing on the game’s lore. “We want to give people a sense that the world is deeply spiritual, and as such there will be shrines and such for players to stumble upon. These will yield unique effects onto the world!”
Biome is already a fascinating game, based on the demo. If the inclusion of flora, fauna and human constructions can add to this experience in the way we are hoping, Biome will no doubt become an incredible experience. It’s of course important to remember Biome is still in the pre-alpha stage of development, and that the final Build will be an entirely kettle of fish from what we have now; but I am very excited to see where Biome is going.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one, and will keep you up to date on the latest developments as they’re released.
Nic Bunce
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