Developing ’Terra Nil’: A Strategy Game About Nature, Not Expansion

Terra Nil is a strategy game that eschews many of the mainstays of its genre. Lead designer Sam Alfred offers a look at how the team drew inspiration from the natural world to make a strategy game that’s not about the exploitation of natural resources, but about balance. This talk on the design of Terra Nil illustrates how, by looking outside established boundaries, old genres can be reinvigorated. GDC returns to San Francisco this March 18-22, 2024! For more information, be sure to visit our website and follow the #GDC2024 hashtag on social media. Subscribe to the GDC newsletter and get regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or RSS. Join the GDC mailing list: Follow GDC on Twitter: GDC talks cover a range of developmental topics including game design, programming, audio, visual arts, business management, production, online games, and much more. We post a fresh GDC video every day. Subscribe to the channel to stay on top of regular updates, and check out GDC Vault for thousands of more in-depth talks from our archives.