SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony

Release Date: February 26, 1991

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Original strategy game simulating.... life of ants. In the game we control a colony of black ants somewhere in the backyard of a suburban house, and our goal is to extend our colony to the whole garden - by the way eliminating hostile colonies of red ants and not very kind to us property owners.

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SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony Description

After SimCity's staggering success and not very enthusiastic reception of its continuation - SimEarth, Maxis surprises with the theme of his next game, offering players a simulation of ants' lives. The game was inspired by the research of professor E.O. Wilson, an entomologist from Harvard University, focusing on these extraordinary creatures.

In SimAnt we control a colony of black ants somewhere in the backyard of a suburban house. The aim of the game is to extend its colony to the whole garden, and even home - at the same time eliminating hostile colonies of red ants and not very kind to us property owners. This is a significant difference compared to previous "sims", which were open in nature and did not pose any conditions for victory to players.

SimAnt offers three game modes: fast, full and experimental. In the fast-paced game we create a colony of black ants and compete with a computer player who controls the enemy red ants. In the full game, we have the task of expanding our territory, eliminating hostile colonies and driving people out of their homes. To this end, we must ensure the growth of new queens and workers, as well as facing natural threats such as electric sockets, insecticides, mowers and rain. Other insects will also stand in our way, but a larger group of ants can attack and kill a much larger opponent, such as a spider or caterpillar. In the experimental mode, in addition to the black ants, we also control the red ants and spiders. We also have access to a set of special tools that allow us to experiment and track insect reactions to our actions.

The game allows you to take control over both single individuals, between which you can switch freely, as well as whole clusters of ants. A controlled insect can influence the behaviour of other ants, e.g. by marking with pheromones the route to places such as food or an enemy colony. When the action takes place on the surface of the ground, we observe it from above - descending under the surface, the game switches to a cross-sectional view from the side.

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Last updated on August 14, 2015