Typically we don’t cover social and/or casual games here at DT. It isn’t a matter of not wanting to, or that we don’t like them, it is simply a matter of manpower. There are so many casual games out there that we can’t do justice to the growing genre. But every once in a while a casual game catches out eye and demands for us to pay attention. That recently happened with Idle Games’ new title that debuted Wednesday on Facebook, Idle Worship.
Idle Worship is a Facebook game that falls into the burgeoning sub-genre of “god games.” In Idle Worship you step into the shoes of God. Or more precisely, one of many gods. If you are a loving god, the Mudlings—your flock–will feel blessed and loved. If you are a vengeful god, they will be terrified of you; a truly god-fearing people. The one thing you don’t want is to have them become atheists. That would be bad, as atheists don’t generate any of the much needed energy you collect from your followers that you use to expand An odd round of your wrath should set them in line though.
Your promised land consists of a small island that contains an idle of your making. The shape of the idle is up to you, but the customization options number in the billions. Like other casual god games, Idle Worship exists within the confines of Facebook. That presents the unique ability to operate within an ever changing universe that will be dominated by the people you meet and connect with—or go to war with.
You are the center of your own universe, but it is a universe with many centers, each trying to exert their own dominance. You may find an ally in a neighboring island that allows you to have a small presence in the form of a prophet, or you may find your glorious land invaded by missionaries, hell-bent on converting non-believers at the edge of a sword.
Other players/gods will be able to take a foothold or not based on how you treat your followers, and that boils down to attention rather than morality. If you want to strike a few with lightning to keep them in line, have at it. If you choose to turn them into peace loving hippies, you have that choice. The game is built with a tongue and cheek nod. There is very little in this title that is meant to be taken seriously. In principle it is similar to other games int he genre, but it manages to stand out.
The things that sets Idle Worship apart from many other similar games is the polish and technical sophistication on display. This is not a hastily thrown together game, but a long developed casual game from a company that will soon be going head-to-head with the likes of Zynga. This may at first glance look similar to other games, but there is more to it than you may first think. The development cycle was over two years, which makes it among the longest development cycles in casual gaming to date. This game will either be a major hit or a spectacular disaster. Our money is on hit. Either way it will be worth checking out.
