Populous (video game)
| Populous | |
|---|---|
European cover art
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| Developer(s) | Bullfrog |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Peter Molyneux |
| Composer(s) | Rob Hubbard |
| Series | Populous |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) | June 5, 1989 |
| Genre(s) |
God game Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) |
Single player Two player |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| CVG | 96% |
| Famitsu | 31 / 40 (SNES) |
| MegaTech | 91% |
| Raze | 89% |
| Zero | 92% |
| ST/Amiga Format | 92% |
| Your Amiga | 93% |
Populous (Populous Gaiden for the Game Boy release in Japan) is a computer game developed by Bullfrog and published by Electronic Arts, released originally for the Amiga in 1989, and is regarded by many as the first god game. In the game, the player assumes the role of a deity, who must lead followers through direction, manipulation, and divine intervention, with the goal of eliminating the followers led by the opposite deity.
Played from an isometric perspective, the game consists of more than 500 levels, with each level being a piece of land which contains the player's followers and the enemy's followers. The player is tasked with defeating the enemy followers and increasing their own followers' population using a series of divine powers before moving on to the next level. The game was designed by Peter Molyneux, and Bullfrog developed a gameplay prototype via a board game they invented using Lego.
The game received critical acclaim upon release, with critics praising the game's graphics, design, sounds and replay value. It was nominated for multiple year-end accolades, including Game of the Year from several gaming publications. The game was supported with multiple expansion packs upon release. It is the first game in the Populous series, preceding Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods and Populous: The Beginning.
The main action window in Populous is viewed from an isometric perspective, and it is set in a "tabletop" on which are set the command icons, the world map (depicted as an open book) and a slider bar that measures the level of the player's divine power or "mana".
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