Review: Terra Nil

destructoid.com:

Everything on the earth is a wasteland. All is left to dust and ash, and by the time the player enters the frame in Terra Nil, all that’s green is gone. There is nothing left to do but rebuild. And it’s in restoring nature, in unpacking the very idea of a city-builder, that Terra Nil finds a smart twist on a traditional foundation.

It’s fun to think that the same team behind Broforce and Genital Jousting made Terra Nil. It’s not that I don’t think a studio that’s made games about bros and dicks can’t also make a game about ecological restoration. But Terra Nil sees Free Live exploring an incredibly serene approach to puzzles and city-building. Free Lives has range, is what I’m saying.

Terra Nil (PC [reviewed], Android, iOS) Developer: Free Lives Publisher: Devolver Digital Release Date: March 28, 2023 MSRP: $24.99

So we started with the basics: Earth, or at least the planet approximating Earth in Terra Nil, is dead. You’re never really told, outside of some lore and red-string you could tie together, why that is, because that’s not really important. What’s important is restoring the world, and leaving no trace of yourself in its wake.

This is why Terra Nil checks off the boxes of a city builder but in reverse. You start with a wind turbine or something that can generate power. Then you deploy toxin scrubbers, to clean the soil of hazardous material. Finally, you irrigate, rotating to change the shape and direction of the greenery you’re about to unleash.

This 1-2-3 process is the foundation of Terra Nil. It’s the manner by which you will, over the course of four major areas, rebuild this world. It’s a soothing routine that feels immediately rewarding. You’re given a blank canvas of ruin and, with a few simple steps,