Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim

Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim is a 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) strategy game. The developers' goal was to create a dynamic gameplay, adapted both for playing solo and with other players in multiplayer mode. The action of the title was placed in antiquity, giving us access to the most important countries of that period.

Game mechanics

At the beginning of the campaign, you choose your faction from among 52 kingdoms, including Assyrians, Babylonians and Hittites. They are located on one of eight maps, which also define the eras during which the game will take place. Each of the countries has unique characteristics and challenges that we will have to deal with.

Ozymandias is in turn-based game. During each turn, we make a series of strategic decisions about the economy, the army and foreign relations. The map is divided into hexagonal fields. Our wealth is determined by various resources, such as money or food. By choosing one of the areas we own and having enough resources at our disposal, we can build new cities, generating additional income and providing population growth for our country. Of course, the more cities and the greater the wealth, the less favorably our neighbors will look upon us.

To defend ourselves from attacks or invade the territories of foreign kingdoms, we need an army. For it we have to reckon with two types of costs: recruitment and maintenance. If we ensure the livelihood of our soldiers, we can send them to conquer other lands, which brings a lot of profit and creates new areas for expansion. The battles themselves are presented in a symbolic way: our and our opponent's strength is expressed numerically based on the soldiers on display, and the clash is won by the one with the higher ratio.

Depending on the faction, we are given different goals to achieve. There are always several, and they oscillate around both the size of the country and the development of the economy, as well as cultural achievements, such as the construction of one of the wonders of the world. The goals are random, making each game unique. The campaign is won when you manage to fulfill all the requirements set.

Game modes

Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim offers two game modes: multiplayer and single player. In the solo mode, we can take a tutorial in the form of a short campaign discussed by explorer Gertrude Bell, and then go into battle against the AI at full speed. In multiplayer mode, on the other hand, we face off against other players over the Internet. Depending on our choice, we have more or less time to make our move, which will please both lovers of dynamic and quieter gameplay.

Technical aspects

The entire game is in 2D perspective, stylized on old papyrus, while offering a clear interface reminiscent of archaeological notes.