Send Ants to War in the Empires of the Undergrowth

A new strategy game revolving around ant colonies called Empires of the Undergrowth now has an early access date for the start of December.

The game is landing on Steam's Early Access program soon where it'll give players the chance to create and expand their very own ant colony. If controlling a bunch of ants sounds uneventful, you've likely never seen how intricate and dangerous an ant's life can be. Building up your underground domain isn't as easy as it looks when you have to get every ant to work together towards one unified effort when everyone has to divvy up responsibilities like gathering food and building tunnels, and that's just what takes place beneath the surface. Above ground, life is even more precarious, as the trailer above indicates, with other insects posing threats to your hard-working colony's existence.

Gameplay-wise, Slug Disco Studios expanded on day-to-day tasks that you'll have to instruct your ant colony to perform.

"Taking clear inspiration from classics such as SimAnt and Dungeon Keeper, players will be able to dig through the earth, build tunnels and chambers, hunt for food and raise large colonies," a press release stated. "Above ground, players need to send their ants on long missions, far from the nest to secure and defend lucrative resources. The mechanics are more accessible than your typical RTS; control of your ants is achieved by placing pheromone markers, and gives the colony a more realistic, natural feeling."

But one of the best parts of the game is the narration that accompanies all of the six-legged adventurers. You won't be hearing David Attenborough's voice during the ongoing events that unfold under and above the ground, but the famous narrator was a huge inspiration for the voice that narrates Empires of the Undergrowth.

"Playable missions are narrated from the perspective of a documentary film maker studying the ants, who offers intelligent insight into the goings-on of the colony and the undergrowth beyond," the press release continued. "The primary game mode in early access is Formicarium, where you take ownership of a laboratory colony of unique DNA-harvesting ants as they work to assimilate the desirable traits of their foes. You can upgrade them by playing one-off missions, sometimes with your home colony and sometimes with other ant species."

Look for Empires of the Undergrowth on Steam early next week when it launches on Dec. 1.