Substructure

Futuristic visions of space mining have accustomed us to the idea that extracting resources from foreign celestial bodies is most often discussed in the context of relatively safely located planets, moons, and asteroids. Dubious Design studio decided to approach this topic a bit differently when creating their strategy game with simulation elements, titled Substructure. The game forcing us to thoroughly explore a wandering planet on a collision course with the Solar System.

Gameplay

In Substructure events are viewed from a bird's-eye perspective. During the game our task is to build a thriving agricultural-industrial complex on the newly discovered planet. Although the entire endeavor begins on the surface, as we progress, we gain resources and technology that allow us to dig deeper, all the way to the core of this globe.

Agriculture and industry

The local soil is very fertile, so green fields cover most of the planet. Although industrialization plays a key role here, agriculture is also important in the context of development, which means that instead of turning the entire planet into an industrial complex, it's worth maintaining a balance between crops and factories. Another point is that both branches of our activity are interlinked. For example, cultivated plants can be used to power combustion generators, while drones are used to operate megafarms.

Digging into the ground

As we progress, we create increasingly complex production chains and automate more processes (making use of machines like programmable transport platforms). Over time, it allows us to start digging through the successive layers of the planet. In the depths, we find new materials and energy sources, which we process into various products and use to expand our infrastructure.

Challenges and development

It is important to remember that the deeper we drill, the greater the challenges we face, and consequently, the more advanced tools we need. For example, some rocks can only be extracted without sunlight, certain plants can only grow underground, and specific materials become easier to extract the closer they are to the planet's core.