How to Play
Your first ten thousand years
There is no rush and nothing to buy. Here is everything you need to take one settlement from a campfire to the stars.
Getting started
Found a city
Tap New City, roll Another island until you like it, name your city, choose a difficulty and tap Found. A short guided tutorial teaches you by doing. You can keep several cities and switch between them.
Lay a road
Every building must touch a road that connects back to your Town Center. Tap Road, drag from a glowing node across open land, then tap Build. Nothing is spent until you do.
Build homes
Open Build and choose House: it waits on the best free spot beside a road, with other good spots outlined. Drag it or tap a spot, then tap Place. A progress bar shows the work, which goes on while a road reaches the site.
Follow the goals
The goal card near the top of the screen always shows the next step for this age, from "Build 4 houses" to raising the wonder. Tap it for the journal.
Controls. Drag to pan (two fingers always pan), pinch to zoom, and twist two fingers to turn the view. Tap any building with Inspect to see what it does, and to move, upgrade, repair or demolish it. Placed something in the wrong spot? Undo takes it back for a few seconds.
Growing homes
A house on a connected road is level 1. It then climbs one level for each service that covers it, in order: a house needs water before faith counts, faith before a market counts, and so on. Each age raises the highest level a home can reach, and its look changes with every age. Tap a house to see which need is next and which building brings it.
| Level | Service | Provided by | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A road | Connected to the Town Center | Stone Age |
| 2 | Water | Well, Aqueduct Fountain, Water Tower | Stone Age |
| 3 | Faith | Shrine, Temple | Stone Age |
| 4 | Market | Market | Bronze Age |
| 5 | Health | Bathhouse, Hospital | Classical Age |
| 6 | Culture | Amphitheater, Stadium | Classical Age |
| 7 | Safety | Watch House | Medieval Age |
| 8 | Education | School | Renaissance |
| 9 | Power | Power Station, Solar Farm, Fusion Reactor | Industrial Age |
| 10 | Transit | Metro Station | Modern Age |
| 11 | Wellbeing | Biodome | The Beyond |
Service buildings cover homes within their radius, shown when you place them. Bigger homes hold more people, and more people let you raise the wonder.
Resources
Your city runs on five resources. Residents eat food and pay taxes in gold; producers need workers, who come from your homes.
Food
Made by Town Center, Forager's Camp, Fishing Hut, Wheat Farm, Windmill, Glasshouse Farm, Vertical Farm. If the granaries run empty, people go hungry and begin to leave.
Wood
Made by Town Center, Woodcutter's Lodge, Forester's Lodge. Clearing forest for a building or road also yields a little wood.
Stone
Made by Stone Pit.
Gold
Taxes from happy residents, plus Market, Bronze Smithy, Guild Hall, Bank, Factory, Office Tower. Many buildings cost gold upkeep, and they run at half strength while the treasury is empty.
Knowledge
Made by Library, Scriptorium, University, Research Lab, Quantum Institute. Every wonder from the Colossus on needs it.
Where you build matters
Some producers must sit beside the right terrain, and they work faster the more of it surrounds them:
- Forager's Camp: near fertile meadow
- Fishing Hut: near water
- Woodcutter's Lodge: near forest
- Stone Pit: near rock
- Wheat Farm: near fertile meadow
- Windmill: near fertile meadow
Happiness
Happy homes fill up faster and pay more tax. Happiness rises with a home's level and with beautiful things nearby, and falls when people are hungry, out of work, or cut off from the road network.
- Raise it with decor: Ancestor Post, Garden, Marble Statue, Plaza Fountain, City Park, Giant's Paddock, Three-Headed Monkey, Carrier's Waystation, Hedge Maze, Timber Coaster, Harvester Silo, Giant Llama, Arcology Spire. Events such as festivals help too.
- Mind the smoke: the Power Station and the Factory make nearby homes less happy, so keep them away from houses.
Wonders and new ages
Each age ends with one wonder. It can only be built in its own age, only once, and only when your population is large enough. Completing it carries your city into the next age, which unlocks new buildings, a new need, and new looks for every home. The Space Elevator completes your city's story, and you can keep building afterwards.
| Wonder | Age | Needs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Circle | Stone Age | 45 people | 100 food150 wood130 stone |
| Great Ziggurat | Bronze Age | 120 people | 400 food500 wood800 stone500 gold |
| Colossus | Classical Age | 260 people | 900 food1,800 stone1,500 gold400 knowledge |
| Cathedral | Medieval Age | 450 people | 1,800 food1,500 wood4,000 stone3,500 gold1,200 knowledge |
| Grand Dome | Renaissance | 700 people | 3,000 food2,500 wood7,000 stone8,000 gold3,000 knowledge |
| Iron Tower | Industrial Age | 900 people | 4,000 food10,000 wood30,000 stone40,000 gold15,000 knowledge |
| Sky Spire | Modern Age | 1,000 people | 5,000 food32,000 stone42,000 gold18,000 knowledge |
| Space Elevator | The Beyond | 1,100 people | 6,000 food45,000 stone70,000 gold35,000 knowledge |
Upgrades, moving and undo
Food, industry, knowledge and service buildings can be raised up to level 3: tap one and choose Upgrade. It keeps working while the work goes on, then makes more, needs more workers and, for a service, reaches further. From level 2 it wears its level on a placard in the style of its age. Any building except the Town Center and the wonders can be picked up with Move and set down somewhere better for free; the game shows which homes would gain or lose a service before you commit.
The wiki explains building upgrades, moving and rotating and undo in detail, and introduces the optional side quests coming in a future update.
Events
44 things that can happen
Events pop up as your city grows. Most are choices with a reward. Disasters strike where a service is missing, and a ruined building can be repaired for part of its cost by tapping it.
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A Wandering Stranger
Visitor · Stone Age to Medieval Age
A cloaked stranger at the edge of town offers to teach a trick or two in exchange for a hot meal. Share your food and your woodcutters work faster for a while.
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The Great Hunt
Fortune · Stone Age to Bronze Age
Scouts spot a herd of giant deer beyond the hills. Join the hunt for a feast, or let them graze in peace. Either way, your people are happier.
-
Trade Caravan
Visitor · Bronze Age to Renaissance
Traders with laden donkeys ask to camp by your market. Swap wood for gold or stone for food, or send them on without a deal.
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A Duel of Wits
Visitor · Classical Age to Renaissance
A swaggering sea captain challenges your best orator to a duel of insults while the whole harbour watches. Accept, and win gold and a legendary mood.
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Harvest Festival
Fortune · Stone Age to The Beyond
After a good year the people want music, dancing and far too much food. Spend food on a festival for a big happiness boost, or save the stores and disappoint them.
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A Flash of Insight
Fortune · Classical Age to The Beyond
A scholar runs through the streets having cracked an old problem. Fund the work with gold for a large knowledge reward, or applaud for a smaller one.
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Bumper Harvest
Fortune · Bronze Age to Industrial Age
Warm rain and long sun: the fields have never looked so full. Food output rises for a while.
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A Glittering Vein
Fortune · Bronze Age to Industrial Age
Quarrymen strike a seam of something shiny. Mine it for stone and gold.
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The Road Connects
Fortune · Medieval Age to Renaissance
Carriers with handcarts run goods along every road, and the supply chain hums. Gold income rises for a while.
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Two Banners
Visitor · Medieval Age
Two rival noble houses camp outside the walls, each demanding the town's support. Host a tournament instead, or stay neutral and live with the tension.
-
Visitors from Abroad
Visitor · Industrial Age to The Beyond
Delegations from distant cities come to see what the fuss is about. Give them the grand tour for gold and civic pride.
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Something in the Bay
Visitor · Modern Age to The Beyond
An enormous, very polite lizard surfaces in the bay and stares at the skyline. Sell tickets, or ask it nicely to leave.
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The Arena Festival
Visitor · Modern Age to The Beyond
A slick promoter wants to run mystery-chest contests at the stadium. A fair tournament keeps people happy; the chests pay well but leave buyer's remorse.
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A Very Strange Petition
Visitor · Modern Age to The Beyond
Two freelance investigators, one in a suit and one with large ears, petition to rename the river after their car. Approve it for some absurd local fame.
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Fire!
Disaster · Bronze Age to The Beyond
A building outside the reach of a watch catches fire. A bucket brigade usually saves it; let it burn and it falls to ruin until you repair it. Watch coverage prevents fires.
Prevented by safety: Watch House.
-
Fever in the Streets
Disaster · Bronze Age to Industrial Age
A fever spreads through homes that no bathhouse or hospital covers. Quarantine costs gold but saves lives; waiting it out costs residents and happiness. Health coverage prevents fevers.
Prevented by health: Bathhouse, Hospital.
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Rising Waters
Disaster · Stone Age to The Beyond
Heavy rain swells the water and a building at the shore is at risk. Spend stone on a levee to keep it safe, or hope for the best.
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Thunderstorm
Disaster · Stone Age to The Beyond
A wild storm rolls in off the sea and everyone hides indoors. Wood output dips for a minute, but the storm leaves some driftwood behind.
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Blackout
Disaster · Industrial Age to The Beyond
The lights go out in homes without power coverage. Pay for emergency generators, or spend some grumpy candlelit evenings. Power coverage prevents blackouts.
Prevented by power: Power Station, Solar Farm, Fusion Reactor.
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More Work?
Homage · Stone Age to Bronze Age
Every time you point at a labourer, they grunt "more work?" and trudge off to do it. Point at the same one too often and they start getting sarcastic.
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More Huts Are Required
Homage · Stone Age to Classical Age
A herald follows you around town announcing, at regular intervals and with total sincerity, that more housing is required. He is not wrong. He is just very, very loud.
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The People Want Water
Homage · Stone Age to Classical Age
A queue of very dusty citizens has formed outside the Town Center. Each carries an empty jug and the same complaint, delivered in the same weary tone your advisors use.
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A Very Large Pet
Homage · Stone Age to Bronze Age
The faithful at the shrine have adopted an enormous, gentle cow. It eats a field a day. When praised, it learns to carry boulders. When scolded, it sulks on the granary roof.
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A Miracle, Please
Homage · Stone Age to Bronze Age
Your followers have gathered at the shrine, arms raised, asking you to flatten a hill so they can build more huts. They seem certain you can do this. You are, after all, the hand in the sky.
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Gossip on the Rounds
Homage · Bronze Age to Classical Age
Your water carrier, your priest and your tax collector have met on one street corner to compare notes on every house they passed. "This one needs water." "They all need water." "Has anyone seen the tax collector?" "I am the tax collector."
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Follow the Leader
Homage · Bronze Age to Medieval Age
A long line of identical little folk in green tunics is marching, single file and with total determination, toward the sea cliffs. Nobody knows who is in front. Nobody has asked.
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Ford the River?
Homage · Bronze Age to Industrial Age
A wagon train of pioneers has reached the river at the edge of your land. The water is three feet deep. Their leader asks your advice: ford it, caulk the wagons and float, or wait for a ferry?
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The Smith Is in a Mood
Homage · Bronze Age to Medieval Age
Your smith has been seized by a strange creative fit. She has claimed the workshop, refuses all visitors, and keeps scrawling demands for shells, bones and one perfect gem.
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Just One More Season
Homage · Classical Age to Modern Age
Your chief planner hasn't slept in three nights. "Just one more season," she mutters, sketching another district by candlelight. The plans are brilliant. Her eyes are not.
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The Gentle Envoy
Homage · Medieval Age to Modern Age
A soft-spoken envoy from over the hills arrives preaching peace, patience and very good soup. He would like to open an embassy, swap a few maps and, if it isn't too much trouble, borrow your best cook.
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Brother Wollo's Chant
Homage · Medieval Age to Renaissance
A robed monk stands at the border, arms raised, droning one long and very wobbly syllable. A rival town's ox cart has already wandered over to your side, looking puzzled but content.
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The Steward's Suggestion
Homage · Medieval Age
Your steward bows low. "My lord, the people adore you. Shall we find out how much? I could raise the taxes a little. Or a lot." He is already sharpening a quill.
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An Imp With a Pickaxe
Homage · Medieval Age to Renaissance
A small, cheerful imp has tunnelled up through the quarry floor. He says he digs for gold, claims walls for fun, and works twice as fast after a friendly slap on the back.
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Stones From the Sky
Homage · Medieval Age to Industrial Age
The new masons stack stones as the crane drops them, spinning each one in mid-air to fit. Whenever a row is complete it simply vanishes. It is very efficient and deeply confusing.
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Pepper on Every Table
Homage · Renaissance to Industrial Age
Your merchants have petitioned the council: they refuse to move into finer houses until there is pepper on every table. The island traders have pepper. They also have opinions about the price.
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The Rail Baron
Homage · Industrial Age to Modern Age
A man in an improbably tall hat wants to run a railway through town. He has already drawn the line on your map, in ink, straight through the bakery. He would like to discuss profits.
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The Guests Would Like to Leave
Homage · Industrial Age to Modern Age
The new pleasure pier is a triumph, but a crowd of guests in matching hats is milling about by the carousel. A thought bubble hovers over every head: they would like to go home now, please, and cannot find the exit.
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The Teacup Incident
Homage · Industrial Age to The Beyond
Someone set the fairground teacups to full speed straight after the pie-eating contest. The sweepers have been summoned and are, heroically, not saying a word.
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A Gift From the Grand Admiral
Homage · Industrial Age to Modern Age
The Grand Admiral of the Pelican Isles, a small man in a very large hat, offers a ship of pineapples in exchange for a statue of himself "somewhere tasteful". He has brought a sketch. It is mostly hat.
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The Bus That Never Arrives
Homage · Modern Age to The Beyond
A brand-new bus has been circling the same roundabout since Tuesday. The driver insists the route is perfect. The passengers have started a book club.
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The Penguins Have Left
Homage · Modern Age to The Beyond
Someone left a gate open at the city zoo. A tortoise has reached the bakery, a giraffe is peering into third-floor windows, and a family of penguins is queueing for the metro.
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Splines Under Review
Homage · Modern Age to The Beyond
The city's planning computer has shown the same message for an hour: it is reticulating its splines. Nobody knows what a spline is. Everyone agrees it should be reticulated properly.
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The Hungry Sweeper
Homage · Modern Age to The Beyond
A round yellow cleaning robot is roaming the metro tunnels, gobbling every crumb in sight and humming a little eight-note tune. Commuters have started leaving biscuits out for it.
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A House Without a Door
Homage · Modern Age to The Beyond
A family moved into a new home and has stood in the kitchen ever since: nobody built them a door. A small green diamond hovers over their roof, looking more worried by the hour.