Of Life and Land PC

Of Life and Land, announced under the working title Circle of Kerzoven, is an economic strategy with elements of a life simulator, focusing on rich interactions with the natural environment. The game was developed by the independent Swiss studio Team Kerzoven, founded by Marco Burri, who initially worked on the project alone, and concurrently co-created an extensive mod (total conversion) for Gothic II - Legend of Ahssun.

Mechanics

We play the role of a leader establishing and developing new settlements in a distant, wild corner of the empire. We need to acquire resources, transport them, store them and process them. Additionally we have to construct buildings, meeting the basic needs of residents and developing technologies, and connect them with paths, creating a logistically efficient system. We can trade the surplus of goods we have for the missing products with other settlements.

Each citizen of our settlement is a separate individual with distinctive genetic features. They have their own home, workplace and increasingly complex needs, the satisfaction of which is crucial for continuous development. Neglecting the needs may reduce the stats of a given person. Farm animals are less complex creatures than humans, but we also need to take care of them, providing them with appropriate shelter, food, and a group. Plants also need to ensure appropriate conditions for growth and yield: proper temperature, fertile soil, and irrigation. We can individually control each of the living beings by checking their specific needs.

An important aspect of the gameplay is also the impact of our actions on the surrounding natural environment. Depending on the decisions we make, we can live in harmony with nature or change its shape forever, for example, by causing the extinction of a wild population of a certain animal species. We also have to face challenges resulting from the climate, as well as natural disasters, changing seasons, weather conditions, and the dynamic needs of the settlers.

We set the pace of the game ourselves, stopping, speeding up or slowing down the passage of time.

Game modes

Of Life and Land offers only singleplayer experience. In addition to the standar mode, there is also a map editor in which we can shape the landscape and fill it with plants, animals and paths.

Technical aspects

The game was created using Godot Engine technology and features low poly graphics (simple geometric models with a small number of polygons).

Last updated on 12 April 2024