MMORPGs are, perhaps, my favorite genre of videogame. Take World of Warcraft’s Azeroth, for example: there’s Revendreth with its gothic horror aesthetic, then Ardenweald or The Dragon Isles that feel like a Dungeons and Dragons game come to life. Their scope feels infinite, limitless, and exciting. Despite my love of sci-fi, the likes of Destiny 2 and Eve Online have never quite reeled me in like WoW or FF14, but Klang Games’ new futuristic MMO, Seed, might just manage it.
A perfect mashup of The Sims’ life game tropes, Rimworld’s resource management, and city-builders like SimCity, Seed tasks you with overseeing the life of a seedling. These Sim-like entities co-exist in a vibrant, living world, inhabited by other players who are also trying their hardest to get by.
You’ll begin your journey in a hub area that houses all the new residents who flocked to your unique society. While you’ll start with a pillow to rest your head on and plenty of food, you’ll soon realize you need to make some cash. Flashback to my time as a Fashion Designer in The Sims Bustin’ Out.
In Seed, however, art imitates life. The best career paths require experience and a decent education, but university also costs a pretty penny. Everything is interlinked, so you’ll have to manage your seedling’s outgoings to ensure they have the cash to realize their ambitions.
But, as with real life, it’s not all work; there are moments of play, too. Your seedlings can forge new relationships with their neighbors, but personality quirks appear to affect whether anyone wants to spend time with them. You’ll have to be careful about plowing your head too far into the books, or becoming so career-driven that it verges on arrogance – no one wants to be friends with that person, after all.
Seed’s management sounds pretty intensive, which I don’t mind at all. The aforementioned Sims Bustin’ Out was one of my favorite childhood games, and I’ve been looking for a more quest-driven Sims ever since. Seed sounds like it could be that and more, so I’m excited to dive into the newest playtest.
Speaking of which, the new Seed playtest begins on Monday, August 12. You can sign up using this link.
If you’re looking for something to keep you busy in the meantime, we have a rundown of all the best management games. Or, if all of this talk of The Sims has you craving some chaos, we have a list of all the best Sims 4 mods, too.
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