Utopia (video game)

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Utopia
Utopia
Box art
Developer(s)Don Daglow
Publisher(s)Mattel
EngineProprietary
Platform(s)Intellivision
Genre(s)Strategy
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Utopia is a video game, released on Intellivision in 1981 and often regarded as among the first sim games and god games. It is also regarded as setting the scene for the real-time strategy genre. It was designed and programmed by Don Daglow.

A Mattel Aquarius home computer version of Utopia has also been released. In July 2010, the game was re-released on Microsoft's Game Room service for its Xbox 360 console and for Games for Windows Live.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot

Utopia is a two-player game without an AI opponent, although a single player can play to achieve a high score and ignore the other island. When starting the game, the players choose how long each turn lasts (60 seconds being the default), and how many turns the game lasts (15 turns being the default).

Each player rules his or her own island and uses the controller disc to move a rectangular cursor around the screen. Both players spend gold bars to construct different buildings on their islands, build fishing boats or PT boats, or to fund rebel activity on the enemy island. As each island's population grows, the ruler is responsible for feeding their populace and keeping them happy, or risk rebel activity, which decrease the player's score and sometimes destroy buildings.

Income is generated when randomly generated rain clouds (and sometimes hurricanes) pass over a player's farms, when a fishing boat is positioned over a school of fish, and at the end of each turn, based on the player's factory output and fishing boats.

The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.

Most turns consist of constructing a building at the beginning of the turn, then continuously maneuvering the player's fishing boat over a moving school of fish in order to maintain fishing income, with occasional interruptions to construct new buildings whenever the player is able to afford them. Alternatively, the player in the lead might spend considerable time maneuvering a PT boat to try and sink the losing player's fishing boat in order to keep their income down.

Game algorithms generate and determine the course of rain clouds, tropical storms, hurricanes, schools of fish, and pirate ships.

Buildable units

  • Fort: Prevent rebel units from appearing within 1 square
  • Factory: Generate income at beginning of each turn, but with a side effect of lowering population through pollution and disease.
  • Farm: Feed 500 people, and provide income when rained upon
  • School: Increase well-being of people and factory production
  • Hospital: Boost factory production and increase population growth
  • Housing project: Increase well-being of 500 people by housing them
  • Rebel soldier: Randomly place a rebel upon the enemy island, possibly destroying a building
  • PT boat: Sink enemy fishing boat or tie up a computer-controlled pirate ship
  • Fishing boat: Feed 500 people, generate income at beginning of each turn, and earn continuous income when positioned over a school of fish

References