There are certain genres that really don’t fit the mold of an iOS game. Most of the time this is because of screen real estate or lack of controls. Certain strategy, fighting, or simulators are some examples. If something as simple as controls are done right, it just feels natural like it’s just meant to be on iOS. Crescent Moon Games and Glenn Corpes brought a new creation sim to the table in Topia World Builder ($0.99, App Store Link) for iOS that blends great design with seamless controls.
Overview
For the time being, Topia is a sandbox simulator with challenges, leader boards, and the ability to share planets with friends coming in a future update. If you’ve ever played other creation sims such as Earth Sim or Spore, you know what to expect here. The only slight difference is Topia World Builder focuses more on the world itself and creating landscapes, rather than certain creatures.
In Topia you are a god of sorts, creating the whole environment from the ground up. You can add landscape such as mountains, valleys, and rivers to make your world one of a kind. There are also six different kinds of animals you can add to your planet including one type of bird, two types of predators, and three different herbivores.
Gameplay
There are six different worlds in Topia that you can add to such as Lost Island, Pangera, and Grooves. Of course, if you choose, you can build your own with various options of land and animals. These worlds which are already created, aren’t too different from one another. There may be slight changes, but of course adding your additions to the world is what matters most.
Some notable aspects of the animals that roam the planet are that they interact with each other in a number of ways. Most of the time I saw them in herds, but if a herbivore runs into a carnivore, of course the carnivore will attack. Also, if the animals are near water, they might run into it and they’ll eventually drown and die.
Controls
As mentioned earlier, one of the best parts of Topia World Builder are the controls. Everything feels so fluid. It doesn’t feel cramped at all, even on a smaller screen like the iPhone or iPod Touch. There’s a tutorial to guide you through all the options and features that you can add to your planet. On the top right of the screen are the landscape and animal options that open and close when you choose one.
There is also an option to choose lightening, which kills off the animals, if you so choose. You can play the sim either in landscape or portrait. I prefer playing in landscape because you can see the whole planet and all your options at the same time. Also, you can zoom in and out further in landscape than portrait mode.
Overall
Topia World Builder is one of the better sims on iOS. The graphics are really nice. There’s a lot of detail in the planet from the water to the land. One thing I had trouble with was saving planets. Even though you go to the menu and save it, it would be hard to find it after you go into a different planet.
Topia may be limited to a sandbox simulator for the time being, but it’s still a lot of fun to play and create a wide variety of unique worlds. Once a new update releases with challenges and the ability to share planets, Topia will offer hours of endless gameplay.
Price: $0.99, App Store Link
Rating: 4/5[rating:4]
Pros:
- Great controls
- Beautifully designed
- Plenty of features and tools
Cons:
- Currently only has Sandbox mode
- Planets don’t save 100% of the time
