Heart of the Machine

Heart of the Machine is a 4X turn-based strategy that allows us to play as the first self-aware artificial intelligence. The game was developed by Arcen Games, a studio that has the thematically related game AI War in its portfolio.

Plot

Heart of the Machine presents us with a rather gloomy vision of the future. Despite the progressing technological development, humanity has become corrupt and has begun to decline. In these circumstances the first self-aware AI is born, over which we take control in the game. It depends entirely on us how it will be able to protect itself from the temptations of malicious corporations, and also in which direction it will develop. AI can both enslave or even destroy humanity, as well as work to its benefit, solving the problems that plague it.

Gameplay

In Heart of the Machine we watch events from a bird's eye view. The game takes place in a vast city made up of tens of thousands of buildings and millions of residents. It offers both handcrafted elements and procedurally generated components.

The gameplay is turn-based and all issues related to the functioning and development of the artificial intelligence rest on our shoulders. Although initially we have to try to act in secret, so that the corporations do not target us when we are not yet ready for confrontation, over time this begins to change.

By "infecting" devices and facilities, constructing and taking over buildings such as genetic laboratories, factories, military bases and nuclear silos, expanding the energy network and a communication relays, as well as creating complex production chains for various purposes, we gain new development opportunities and also arguments in the fight against hostile forces.

Of course, we need resources for everything. They come primarily from the buildings we erect and take over, but also from the corporations and the black market. As our computing power increases as we progress, over time we can issue more commands each turn.

We can conduct our activities in a number of ways:

1. The game allows us to decide on a forceful solution and field a powerful army consisting not only of robots and autonomous vehicles, but also of more sophisticated units such as genetically modified dinosaurs and animals.
2. On the other hand, we can choose more subtle methods of operation, producing units specializing in hacking and conducting secret operations behind enemy lines, as well as bribing the heads of various corporations to gain extremely useful allies.
3. There is also a third way in the form of supporting people, especially those most in need, by conducting various types of projects related to agriculture or housing construction. As a result, we can become a deity for the masses living in the metropolis, who will be ready to defend and die for us.
4. We can also combine elements of these solutions, skillfully maneuvering between open actions and conducting selected operations covertly, as well as between caring for the fate of humanity and one's own interests.