Tinysasters 2 (puzzle)

Tinysasters 2: rise of the nexus by StormAlligator is a puzzle game where the player builds a civilization in a tiny disaster-prone world.

I am labeling this game as a puzzle rather than a construction/management game since it feels more like the former. The player has to think up solutions to achieve the outcome he/she desires and deal with continuously appearing challenges. On the other hand, the game field changes too often for any construction to be truly permanent. I cannot really consider this a construction game if anything I build can be destroyed in the next two minutes.

Tinysasters 2 is the polished version of the original Tinysasters, which was created from scratch within 48 hours for Ludum Dare 23 based on the theme 'Tiny World'. Tinysasters is a contraction of 'Tiny' and 'Disasters'.

The calm before the disaster.

The objective is to build a nexus (or more) to score points. Building and upgrading a nexus requires resources generated by buildings as well as the presence of certain terrain tiles. To get the required terrain tiles, some creative terraforming is necessary, which requires more resources. To complicate matters, there are regularly occurring disasters that change the layout of the land, endangering resource production and potentially messing with the requirements for upgrading the nexus.

At the start of the game, the player builds buildings to generate resources. Resources are used to build more buildings. Resources are also used to buy skills that help predict and manage disasters. In addition, there are passive skills that help resource production and active skills that modify terrain.

A few of the available skills.

The game's whole 12-level campaign is a huge tutorial to teach all the features of the game. Once the player has learned the game rules, there is the 'time attack' and the 'endless' game modes where the player may test his/her skills.

The game modes available.

Endless is a relaxed mode where the player may develop his civilization as he/she pleases, handling disasters along the way. Score is based on the total levels of all nexuses. There is no time limit so the player is free to advance as far as he/she wishes. The game does not save the civilization, though, so everything has to be started from scratch if the player leaves the game. The high score is saved, however.

Start of the time attack mode.

The time attack mode allows the player a short time of play in order to score as many points as possible. Building and upgrading nexuses early will give more points. Disasters will appear from time to time to complicate matters. This game mode is the true challenge of the game, requiring the player to decide the best way to upgrade nexuses the earliest while handling random complications.

Disasters will keep changing the landscape. Resource production has to be maintained. Buildings sometimes have to be sacrificed in order to meet the requirements of upgrading a nexus (or sometimes forced to be sacrificed because of a disaster). Time attack mode requires the player to adapt to new situations while deciding on the best way to proceed with the available resources.

Pressure would be unbearable if it were not for the pause button. Thankfully, during the pause, it is possible to give orders though no resources are generated and active skills will not cool down. The end of the allotted time brings relief and, if a good score is achieved, satisfaction.

A time attack in progress.

Tinysasters 2 is (to me) a puzzle game, requiring the player to adapt to situations and think of ways to achieve the outcome he/she desires. The tutorial is complete, making it easy to learn the rules of the game. Presentation is adequate, allowing the player to accurately understand the situation and make his/her move.

Tinysasters 2 is a worthy development from the original Tinysasters.