Empires of the Undergrowth vs Stonehearth
Empires of the Undergrowth
Empires of the Undergrowth is an absolutely-unique ant colony management game that, despite being still in early access, has caused waves of interest and hype, especially within the indie community. The game features plenty of exciting and challenging game modes to put your management system to the test as you try your best to help your ant colony survive threats after threats. The game also provides players with a nifty little pheromones-based system to organize their ants into groups, challenges to earn crucial resources from, a progression system, as well as an upgrade system whereby you can invest Royal Jellies to upgrade an ant type, unlock a new ant skill, or unlock access to a completely new ant type.The game is surprisingly educational too. It teaches about different ant species and how they usually survive in the wild be it from the lack of food, their natural environment, or from certain predators. This might be particularly interesting for someone who has always been fascinated by ants and their colonies. After all, in some way, you'll be getting a digital version of an ant farm or a formicarium of your own!
Empires of the Undergrowth may be an indie game, but it's definitely one of the most innovative and interesting ones out there. If you are keeping your eyes on indie games that you might want to buy, this is one game you mustn't keep your eyes off of.
Stonehearth
Stonehearth is the game you'll want to play if you enjoy playing Minecraft because you can build your very own city. Although the game is basically a sandbox game like Minecraft, it has a building aspect that's much more similar to Craft the World... except that in Stonehearth, everything's in glorious 3D. In this game, you play as the leader of a small handful of adorable-looking pioneers who are looking for a new place to settle down. There isn't a lot of digging involved in Stonehearth though you still need to get your pioneers to collect resources from the environment or to plant and harvest their own.Like in Craft the World, you'll need to provide shelter for your people and equip them with the necessary equipment so they can fend off attacks during the night. However, when it comes to crafting, Stonehearth has a much more diverse and in-depth crafting system. The building system in this game is also pretty unique though it can be rather restrictive when compared to Minecraft since the most "building" you'll be doing is mainly houses for your villagers. Of course, let's not forget about the game's much better-looking graphics!
In some way, Stonehearth is more of a survival/town-building game than a pure sandbox game like Minecraft. However, it is perfect for players who enjoy having an entire town of minions to order around, and the satisfaction of leading and developing a tribe. For a price tag of $24.99 (on Steam), Stonehearth can be a bit on the costly side, but if this is the sort of game you're into, the game will always be worth the price. You can show your support to the indie developers behind this game as well... so there's that!