Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy, Indie
Empires of the Undergrowth
Beta Update - Achievements & Other Fixes
We've just released another update for the ongoing optional beta. We're not far from the end of this beta period now, and it will soon be released for everyone. Again, thank you to everyone who has tested and reported issues over the past couple of months of this long-running beta.
Fixes
Fixed an issue where formicarium and custom colonies could end up not having heating tiles in Hibernation
Fixed an issue that broke formicarium colonies in skirmish mode
Fixed an issue that could cause an Aloe aphid farm to spawn in the air in Drive Them Back (custom game version)
1.2 Subjugation now counts all soldier types for objective fulfilment
1.2 Subjugation now updates objectives on construction rather than a periodic check
The Other Foot now accepts any worker for tube objectives
The Other Foot progress bar will now only display its tooltip when visible
The Crucible no longer requires mediae to be built if the colony doesn’t have them
Drive Them Back (custom game) fixes to prevent pathing and culling issues
Can no longer click to enter an enemy nest if it is unopened
Down arrow will no longer show on enemy nests on hover if it is unopened
Changing the game type in freeplay will no longer reset landmark settings
Fixed a missing subtitle related to earwigs
Moved the landscape in 5.1 to prevent it interfering with the tile grid
Matabele medics and bullet ants can now harvest mulch if in a termite colony
Fixed wood ant melees having different AoE resistance values then they should in NG+
Stink ants can no longer climb smaller climbable creatures
Prevented multiple versions of the hybrid fight (FC4) sequence occurring
Termites should no longer be able to spawn from mounds that are currently occupied
Fixed an issue causing Formicarium Challenge 3 tunnel exits to be inaccessible
Drive Them Back (custom game version) should no longer display formicarium rewards on victory
All non-worker ants should now be able to fight off phorid flies at level 3
Increased chances of Matabele soldiers being built in AI colonies in custom games
Fixed some collision issues on Drive Them Back (custom game version)
Ants fighting titans when the titan dies are less likely to be automatically killed
Fixed an issue where queen death would not cause a colony to become food in Drive Them Back (custom game version)
Wave spawn should now continue after Play More button is pressed in custom games
Fixed an issue where termite kings would be removed if landmarks are set to random
Attempted fix for lynx spiders being killed if they start climbing whist in combat (please let us know if you see this still happening)
Fixed an issue where fog of war could be seen through on the top of both the nest and linked termite mound in the savannah custom game maps
Fixed some instances of Matabele medic tiles displaying as black ant tiles
Drive Them Back achievement icon fixed
Fixed achievement “A Bridge Too Many”
Fixed achievement “Finish Your Vegetables”
Fixed "Just Ignore Them” achievement
"Finish Your Vegetables" tracker no longer says ‘Termighty’ has been fulfilled
December 2024 Newsletter - What a year!
As we barrel towards the end of the immense year that was 2024, we’re still running a long optional beta which is testing some major new features - we hope to get that out for everyone before Christmas. Thank you so much to everyone who has been having a play with it; your feedback as always is invaluable. Poor old John has been run off his feet for the past several weeks trying to implement it!
The bleak depths of winter are nearly upon the colony...
In this final newsletter of the year, we’ll concentrate on the features that will be arriving sooner rather than later, the most exciting of which is probably completely custom colonies for your skirmish and freeplay games! That’s been an interesting one to implement, and we’ll get to that shortly. First, let’s go over the recent extended beta period and how we’ve been gathering feedback.
Beta Testing
Once again, hats off to everyone who’s given some time testing out the latest balances, fixes and new stuff in the currently running optional beta. We appreciate everyone who can spend a little bit of time experimenting with things that are probably not entirely functional yet! This has been our longest optional beta period, and we hope to bring it to a conclusion in the near future and release the results for everyone to see.
As detailed in the previous vlog, we’ve been experimenting with separate stats for some creatures in custom games (as opposed to the campaign) and in some cases separate abilities. The most obvious of these is the big-headed ant major soldier ‘adrenaline’ ability, which gives them a timed buff on entering combat. Also, leafcutter media ants have been rebalanced to be slightly worse fighters but much better gatherers, and black ant soldiers are way tougher with a maximum damage they can take in a single hit.
The thought process behind these changes is that the campaign and custom games have much different needs, and although we’ve had the stats for the two different game modes divorced for quite a while now we haven’t made use of the facility until now. Custom games can be much less predictable than the carefully scripted campaign levels, and certain species are inherently tougher to use. We hope these ongoing tweaks will make some of the lesser used custom game species more attractive to more people.
Custom Colonies
As mentioned earlier, ‘custom colonies’ is a new features that allows a custom game to contain a colony of nearly any makeup that is currently being tested in the optional beta. You can have a colony with a leafcutter queen, but containing big-headed ant supersoldiers, little black ants and termite major soldiers, for example. There are some exceptions for technical reasons (ie, no Matabele medics in leafcutter colonies) but the possibilities are still very expansive.
A termite in an ant colony?? Such things are possible with custom colonies!
Remix Mode
A larger game mode related to this called Remix has recently been introduced to the beta, which allows almost any level (campaign, extra and demo) to be played with almost any combination of colony creatures that make sense. When I say make sense, I mean in the way that there’d be no point trying to beat 2.1 Rising Tide as leafcutter ants given the lack of foliage on that level.
Something a bit weird going on here...
This has proven to be a little tricky since it introduces a bunch of extra considerations, but we’re getting there. Campaign levels played in this way will be apart from a saved run, and played in a standalone fashion similar to extra levels now. This mode also follows the same technical limitations as custom colonies in custom games do.
New Freeplay Maps
Two new freeplay maps are also currently undergoing testing - Grasslands, and Drive Them Back (custom game version). In both of these, there are 8 colony entrances on the surface of which four can be in play in a single game. If playing as a termite colony, you’ll start in one of the 4 termite mounds. Otherwise, you’ll be in a regular nest entrance. This can be overwritten via a checkbox and any colony can occupy a termite mound - I guess you moved into an old one!
The Grasslands of the savannah beckon
In the case of Drive Them Back (custom game version), we’re responding to a long-requested feature of making custom game versions of the campaign levels. While they can’t have the complex scripting that goes on in a story mission, some of the campaign levels are quite suited to custom games from a layout point of view. Please let us know what you think about how Drive Them Back (custom game version) plays, and if the response is positive we may well make custom game versions of other campaign maps in the future.
Tier 5 Achievements
All of the tier 5 achievements are now active in the optional beta, as are ones for the tier 4 challenge mode (with the six-spotted fishing spider). Although we tried to get these ready in time for 1.0 back in June, we wouldn’t have been able to get many of them in so we thought it was best to wait until we had a full set of ‘chieves worthy of your time.
One or two issues with these have been identified now thanks to the testing (again - thank you) so we’re working on getting those fixed up before the patch gets a wider release.
Art Refresh
Although it won’t make it in this side of the new year, the art refresh of tier 3 is continuing and we’ve been extremely happy with the results. Our environment artist DanC was a little sad when he realised that whip spiders aren’t actually spiders and spin no silk of any kind - but we think you’ll agree he’s found a nice alternative in this twisted knot of plant roots act as Big Whippy’s lair in 3.2.
A lair fit for a legend!
Festive Spider
We realise it’s a bit late this year, but if you’re in the optional beta you’ll be able to access the Festive Spider level by clicking on the gift that appears in the main menu! As always, the Hungry Spider levels are deviously difficult and come with their own special achievement for completing them. Expect multiple repeats for this ARPG-like game mode. When we leave the current optional beta and set the patch live for everyone, this will of course be available in the live build.
GameDeveloper.com Article
A few weeks ago, community manager Mike wrote a long “postmortem” style article for GameDeveloper.com that goes over the entire history of Empires of the Undergrowth as a project, from initial ideas and inception to final release. This will be good reading for anyone who has an interest in how a project like EotU grew from an initial frustration with the contemporary offerings at that time, to becoming very much its own thing with an almost accidental discovery of the game’s most unique features.
For those who don’t know - while the only game that Slug Disco develops is Empires of the Undergrowth, we act as a publisher for a number of other indie developers making nature-inspired games. That means that while we don’t work on those projects directly, we help out with marketing and other promotion.
A new project has just joined our publishing ranks - Strange Seed! In this evolution game, you begin as a very basic blob - but have the ability to acquire traits. To solve puzzles and progress, you’ll need to take on traits from things that you eat - as the trailer shows, for example, acquiring a shell to become heavy enough to push open a door.
So, welcome Strange Seed to the Slug Disco publishing portfolio! And of course, welcome Chris of Chronicle Games (the developer). Check out the above trailer and find the game’s demo - we think you’ll be as utterly charmed by it as we were. Join its Discord while you're at it!
Company News - New Hires
For anyone who’s interested in our company goings-on, please welcome Ethan and Kartik, who have joined Slug Disco as C++ developers. They’ll be helping us out with Empires of the Undergrowth, and a variety of other stuff as well. We’re also near the end of the process of hiring a dedicated creature artist, for similar reasons. 2025 will be full of developmental goodness!
Screenshot Central
Always my favourite part of these newsletters - if you’d like to be included in the future, the easiest way to get these to me is to join our Discord and post in the dedicated screenshot channel. To get some interesting angles, hold shift while pressing the photo mode button to uncouple the camera from the ground plane.
A topical Festive Spider shot from ArmyAntGaming
A fishing spider blocks the way of the fire ants from Zvistic
Cinematic driver ants from Medin
The End of Launch Year
Finally, in this last newsletter before 2025 arrives, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for being here for Empire of the Undergrowth’s full release. We’re not exaggerating even slightly when we say that we’re nothing without your support, and you’ve stuck with us through nearly 7 years of early access. We are far, FAR from done with EotU - and there will soon be an updated roadmap detailing our intended path through 2025 and beyond. See you there!
Empires of the Undergrowth is on sale!
Empires of the Undergrowth is available at a 50% discount as part of the Autumn Publisher Sale running until December 4th.
Command an ant colony and wage strategic battles in the insect kingdom. This ant-based RTS challenges players to build, defend, and expand their colony, using unique pheromone-based strategies and powerful warrior ants to survive against formidable foes.
Nominate Empires of the Undergrowth for the Steam Awards
Hello, colony caretakers!
Now that autumn is here, your local ant colony might be seeking a warm place to hunker down. But we’re seeking something a little different – a nomination for Most Innovative Gameplay during this year’s Steam Awards.
Since we launched Empires of the Undergrowth earlier this year, we’ve received a swarm of positive feedback about its unique blend of colony management simulation & RTS gameplay. It’s been such a pleasure to immerse you all in the complex world of ant colonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELSOKmgDRvA
Over the last year, we’ve released several updates to ensure Empires of the Undergrowth is the best game it can be. These updates have introduced a number of new features and key gameplay improvements.
Here’s a look at some of the most important features we added over the course of the last year:
[table] [tr] [td]Custom game map: Imprisoned[/td] [td]New custom game playable colony: Matabele ants[/td] [td]Reworked difficulty settings[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Custom game map: Strawclutch[/td] [td]New custom game playable colony: Termites[/td] [td]Revamped main menu[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Custom game map: Sand Spit[/td] [td]New challenge: Six-spotted Fishing Spiders[/td] [td]Expanded arachnophobia mode options[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Full story mode[/td] [td]New challenge: Assassin Bugs[/td] [td]New music tracks[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Final Campaign Tier 5[/td] [td]New savannah creatures added to custom game modes[/td] [td]Increased rewards for first-time level completions[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]100 new achievements[/td] [td]New Extra Level: Tug of War 3[/td] [td]Enhanced Battle Arena options[/td] [/tr] [/table] And there’s plenty more to come! For a more complete look at some updates from the last year, you can check out our update notes:
We’ve been working on the game's next steps, and the beta branch is now live on Steam. Here’s what’s included:
Two New Custom Game Maps: Savannah-themed environments offering unique challenges.
Custom Colony Options: Use any ant species in custom games.
New Game Mode: Remix: Replay levels with different or customized colonies.
Tier 5 Achievements: New objectives for players to complete.
Balance Changes, Fixes, and Optimisations: Adjustments and updates for a smoother experience.
How to Access the Beta You can access the beta branch on Steam now. For instructions on how to join, click here and use the provided password. Your feedback is appreciated as we finalize these changes.
Empires of the Undergrowth: Thank You for an Incredible Year
Creating Empires of the Undergrowth has been a truly spectacular experience for our team. While we knew we could make a great colony management sim, we never expected to build such an incredible community alongside it. Your support has been invaluable in making Empires of the Undergrowth’s v1.0 launch a fantastic success. We’re so thankful to have your support now and for all the future updates to come.
Competition is high for the Most Innovative Gameplay award, so every nomination helps. Check the “Nominate” button at the top of this post to nominate Empires of the Undergrowth for this category in the 2024 Steam Awards.
In this optional beta update, we're introducing Remix - a new game mode accessible from the Arcade menu. With it, you can play almost any level in the game (from the campaign documentary missions, extra levels and demo levels) with almost any combination of ants or termites. The possibilities are nearly limitless!
This optional beta is for Windows 64 bit systems only.
We're also introducing two new savannah-themed custom game maps - Grasslands, and Drive Them Back (custom game version). As far as the latter goes, this is something that has been requested for a whole and we've been meaning to give it a go. If it goes down well, we might make custom game versions of other campaign levels in the future. On both of these maps, you will spawn in a termite mound if playing as termites, and the remaining termite mounds will spawn non-colony fodder termites (as long as at least one Matabele colony is in play).
Finally, the long-awaited tier 5 & tier 4 challenge mode achievements are fully implemented and activated. You'll be able to earn these achievements on Steam immediately if you participate in the beta, but please report any issues you encounter with them to us on the discussion boards.
Code: balanceandchanges
If you would like to join the beta, the code is balanceandchanges. If you don’t know how to join a beta and would like to, follow the instructions below:
Find Empires of the Undergrowth in your Steam library, right-click on it and choose "Properties"
Choose the "Betas" tab
In the box titled "Enter beta access code to unlock private betas", enter balanceandchanges
After the "Access code correct" information appears, make sure you've chosen "Open beta" from the "Select the beta you would like to opt into" drop-down menu
Press close - the game will now update to the beta branch.
Headline Features
New game mode - Remix
Can play almost any level with almost any combination of ants or termites
Custom colonies will adopt the feeding habits of the selected queen
Accessed from the Arcade area of the main menu
Some combinations disallowed for technical reasons (ie, no Matabele medics in leafcutter colonies)
New custom game maps - Grasslands & Drive Them Back (custom game version)
If playing as termites, will spawn in mounds otherwise in regular nest entrances
Non-colony fodder termites will otherwise spawn from unoccupied mounds if Matabele ants are in play
Tier 5 & Tier 4 Challenge Mode Achievements
8 new achievement for tier 4 levels with challenge mode
45 new achievements for tier 5 levels
Can now be achieved and earned on Steam from this beta
Additions & Changes
Custom colonies now display the appropriate graphic for their chosen workers
Custom colonies now just say "worker" and "queen" rather than gene thief
Dead fish landmark replaced with map-appropriate large food sources
Large food source landmark will spawn opposing ants that are map-appropriate
Added Aloe version of aphid plants for savannah custom games
Added an extra harvesting slot for woodlice
5.3 challenge scorpion no longer gets its abilities back when it respawns or moves underground (abilities that happen at 25%, 50% and 75% health)
5.3 challenge scorpion will no longer attempt to walk away when it performs a ground thump
5.3 challenge scorpion will only run away if engaged underground; if on the surface it will continue to fight so long as there are enemies to fight
5.3 challenge scorpion now only escapes when termite sun damage is in progress
Fixed an issue that could cause an aphid to be deleted if a new aphid was taken to an occupied aphid slot on a plant
Custom colony setup now has an "OK" button instead of a "Close" button for player assuredness
Updated Strawclutch thumb to show alternate nests
Updated the Slug Disco logo on the main menu
Many localisation updates
Fixes
Fixed leafcutter colonies in a Skirmish game spawning as basic ereptor colonies
Fixed termites, leafcutters and BHA major soldiers not harvesting the correct resource type when in a custom colony different to their usual feeding habits
Custom Matabele colonies in custom games are now only given soldiers if they have them available
Fixed custom AI leafcutter colonies building a media chamber even if they don't have them
If the 5.3 challenge scorpion is killed on the surface its dialogue no longer plays on defeat (as it mentions being killed underground)
Fixed a crash related to titan climbing
Fixed a lignocellulose landmark issue
Pheromone markers in enemy nests now respond to the smoke visual option
Fixed remaining tile materials
Prevented destructible barriers from being inspectable
Fixed an issue where freeplay games would always assume 4 colonies in description
Colony creatures other than leafcutters now make cutting sound when cutting leaves instead of digging sound
Tug of War 3 text label fixed
Empires of the Undergrowth at the Hooded Horse November Publisher Sale
Greetings, colony caretakers!
We’re excited to share the latest developments for Empires of the Undergrowth, including updates introduced in the optional beta for custom games. This update brings the highly anticipated Custom Colonies feature, enabling players to create unique colonies combining unit types in new ways. Additionally, Empires of the Undergrowth is part of the Hooded Horse November Publisher Sale, offering 50% off until November 23rd.
The optional beta introduces the Custom Colonies feature, allowing players to mix and match different ant and termite units to create their dream colony. This new system provides a fresh layer of strategy and creativity, enabling colonies to adopt unique feeding habits and abilities based on their chosen queen. While some combinations are restricted for technical reasons, most options are available. Alongside Custom Colonies, several gameplay adjustments and fixes have been implemented:
Balance Adjustments: Updates to lignocellulose nodes, termite spawn rates, and unit abilities refine the strategic flow of custom games.
Fixes and Improvements: Lighting corrections, texture fixes, and updates to underground levels enhance the overall experience.
Learn More
As a reminder, Empires of the Undergrowth is part of the Hooded Horse November Publisher Sale at 50% off until November 23rd.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the optional beta. Join the conversation in our forums or on Discord, and let us know your feedback!
Until November 23rd, Empires of the Undergrowth is available at a 50% discount as part of the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale.
Command an ant colony and wage strategic battles in the insect kingdom. This ant-based RTS challenges players to build, defend, and expand their colony, using unique pheromone strategies and powerful warrior ants to survive against formidable foes.
Empires of the Undergrowth x Empire of the Ants Bundle
Congratulations, Microids and Tower Five, on the Empire of the Ants launch! We're excited to announce that we've created an ant-credible bundle featuring our games to celebrate this fantastic release. Lead your colony through the perils of the forest in this groundbreaking, photorealistic RTS, where you command insect legions in epic battles.
Experience an epic microscopic world with our special bundle featuring both games.
This update to the beta has a new feature for custom games - custom colonies! Using it, you can create an entirely unique colony for your game that mixes-and-matches many different unit types - for instance, you can have a Matabele colony with leafcutter majors and termite soldiers in it. Find the option in the colony setup section of the custom game launch menu. There are also further balance changes and fixes - see below for full notes.
If you're not currently participating in this optional beta and would like to, see the previous post for details on how to join it. The password is balanceandchanges.
Additions & Changes
New custom game feature: custom colonies
Allows colonies to contain virtually any ant or termite in the game
Can be selected in colony setup
Colony will adopt the feeding habits of the selected queen
Workers will match the queen
Some combinations are disallowed for technical reasons (eg: Matabele medics cannot be included in a leafcutter colony)
Black ants in custom games now have armour (0/1/2, up from 0/0/0)
3 lignocellulose nodes per landmark will spawn at a time instead of 1
Limited lignocellulose nodes per landmark to 15
Increased time between termite spawns on the lignocellulose landmark (now every 6-30s, up from 4-20s)
If a lignocellulose landmark has no mulch, termites spawned to harvest from it will despawn
Big-headed ant major Adrenaline ability duration reduced to 20s (down from 40)
Adrenaline ability now uses the same visuals as the fire ant Vigorous ability
Fire ant Vigorous ability damage reduction buff is now 15% (down from 25%) in custom games
Fixes
Loading screen corrected for several extra levels
Undergrounds of The Culling and Hibernation now use the rotting log environment
Fixed lighting on multiple extra and demo levels
Victory music for the Festive Spider seasonal level now works
Fixed tunnel exit textures in Hibernation extra level
Creature stats in the build menu will now use the ones currently in use, not just the story ones
Moved some unharvestable leaves in 3.2 to be reachable
Fixed an issue where saving and loading would cause the wrong egg type to appear on some termite tiles
Attempted to fix a Cold Blood crash - please report if you are still getting crashes on this level
Ever wonder what it’s like to command an army of ants in a world where everything from ladybugs to hermit crabs wants you dead? Welcome to this ant-based RTS, where you don’t just build a colony—you wage war on the insect kingdom. It’s not just ants versus bugs; it’s strategy on steroids, with pheromones as your secret weapon and hundreds of warrior ants clashing in a frenzy of mandibles and formic acid artillery.
Until October 10th, explore the fascinating world of ants in Empires of the Undergrowth at a 50% discount.
Explore amazing deals on all Hooded Horse titles during the Steam Publisher Sale.
"/> Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-time strategy game where you manage an ant colony, gather resources, and defend against predators. Check out the recent 1.0 release!
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