Terra Nil

Another way that I keep myself positive in such bleak times is by playing video games with a relaxing vibe. The most recent for me is called Terra Nil. It’s one I’ve been trying to play on my desktop computer for some time and it kept crashing. Finally I found a version for the Switch that is working fine.

In some ways, this game resembles tabletop games like Settlers of Catan, where you lay down hexagonal tiles and exploit the resources on them. Terra Nil has the opposite goal, however.

Players come to a lifeless wasteland. Your purpose is to clean the soil and water, restore rivers and lakes, and encourage vegetation to recover. Once wildlife begins to return, you fine tune the biomes to make better conditions for the animals. At the end of each level, you recycle all that you’ve built to make a hovercraft. When you lift off, there is a thriving environment with zero human footprint.

Some of the areas are more challenging than others. Currently I’m working in a landscape like Iceland, with active volcanoes amid snowfields. It’s been a challenge to use the volcanism for thermal power without making the area too warm for arctic plants and animals. That’s part of the challenge.

This isn’t a game with frantic action or fabulous graphics. There is no time limit, and you can fiddle with the vegetation as much as you want. You only “lose” if you run out of resources to continue the restoration. But even then, you can go ahead and try again.

Aside from the relaxing vibe and wholesome activity of habitat restoration, the sound track is really effective. It’s dainty and ethereal without being saccharine, calming without putting you to sleep.

If you need a break from it all, Terra Nil is a good way to go.

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