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Empires of the Undergrowth

Empires of the Undergrowth

Slug Disco · released Jun 7, 2024

SimulationStrategyPC

Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.

Steam page ↗Metacritic · users 8.4 ↗
88
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “July 2026 Newsletter- Freeplay Setup Saves & Editing, New Artwork, Optional Beta” (1mo ago)

85%
At launch
94%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
75%
Player sentiment
95%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)––0
All-time Steam reviews94%891000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)95%89580
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.4, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 18,832 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 20, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 580 total reviews in window · weighted 239.4 up / 13.2 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (3)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 83
    GameStar
    trust 59Jun 11, 2024

    “Empires of the Undergrowth doesn't look particularly pretty, but its inner values are truly convincing.”

    read full review ↗
  • 76
    The Games MachineThe Games Machine
    trust 51Jun 18, 2024

    “You will never look at ants the same way! The small team at Slug Disco has not revolutionised the RTS genre, but they offer us a unique perspective on it, where the quality of world-building plays a huge role in how fascinating this game is. It almost make me forget there is no multiplayer.”

    read full review ↗
  • 95
    Hooked Gamers
    trust 40Jun 24, 2024

    “Empires of the Undergrowth is not a perfect RTS game, but it's about as close as you can get. With the multiple layers of gameplay and strategy packaged up in this charming and thoughtful box (or formicarium), no two matches or missions feel quite the same, giving you more reasons to return. A modern RTS effort should absolutely incentivize reasons to play the game, ways to discover and implement new things, and avoid the pitfalls of monetization, and that's exactly what we have here. There are moments when things don't feel entirely in your control, and there are times when understanding the minutiae of which side is winning a particular battle can be murky due to the clipping and overlapping bodies vying for position, but they're balanced out by how small-scale those problems are. Like a few bugs in the garden, you really have to pick nits to classify them as problematic. In a genre as diverse, contentious, and beloved as this, I think there are elements here for just about anyone, if they're willing to give it the chance, because Empires of the Undergrowth is a real-deal classic RTS modernized.”

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. July 2026 Newsletter- Freeplay Setup Saves & Editing, New Artwork, Optional Beta
    Jul 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. The Beach Brawl Update is OUT NOW!
    May 4, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Optional Beta Update - Lots of Fixes
    Apr 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  4. Optional Beta Update - Team Colour Toggle, Fixes & Changes
    Apr 3, 2026
  5. Changes & Fixes for the Beach Brawl Beta
    Mar 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  6. Optional Beta - The Beach Brawl Update, New Creatures, Maps & UI
    Mar 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  7. August 2025 Newsletter & Roadmap Update
    Aug 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  8. Changes & Fixes - Empires of the Undergrowth Patch 1.1010742
    Jun 5, 2025
  9. Optional Beta Update - Fixes & Changes
    Jun 2, 2025
  10. Optional Beta Invite - Large optimisations, Fixes
    Apr 21, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  11. Fixes - V1.101073
    Mar 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  12. Empires of the Undergrowth 1.1 - Art Remaster, Exploding Ants DLC - OUT NOW
    Mar 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  13. Optional Beta Updated - Fixes
    Mar 17, 2025
  14. Optional Beta - Artwork Remaster, Fixes & Changes
    Mar 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  15. Empires of the Undergrowth at the Hooded Horse January Publisher Sale
    Jan 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  16. OUT NOW! Remix Mode + Custom Colonies + 2 New Custom Game Maps + Achievements!
    Dec 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  17. Beta Update - Achievements & Other Fixes
    Dec 14, 2024
  18. Optional Beta Update- REMIX MODE! + New Freeplay maps & Tier 5 achievements
    Nov 26, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  19. Beta Update - Custom Colonies!
    Oct 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  20. Beta - Custom Game Stats & AI Changes, Campaign Balance, Lots More!
    Sep 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  21. Fixes & Changes - First post-release patch for Empires of the Undergrowth
    Jul 4, 2024
  22. Optional Beta - New Freeplay Titans & Bug Fixes
    Jun 22, 2024
  23. 1.0 Launch - Empires of the Undergrowth 1.0 is OUT NOW!!
    Jun 7, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  24. RELEASE DATE REVEAL!! Empires of the Undergrowth Version 1.0
    May 7, 2024
  25. Crash Fixes & Windows 32 / Mac Update
    Jan 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  26. New Year's Feast & Fixes
    Jan 4, 2024
  27. The Custom Game & Achievements Update is OUT NOW!
    Dec 21, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  28. Optional Beta Update
    Dec 19, 2023
  29. Optional Beta Update - Steam Achievements Now Active!
    Dec 14, 2023
  30. Fixes & changes for the Optional Beta
    Dec 6, 2023
  31. Experimental Leafcutter changes in Optional Beta
    Dec 2, 2023
  32. Optional Beta Update - New Strawclutch Option, Fixes & Changes
    Dec 1, 2023
  33. Nominate Empires of the Undergrowth for the Steam Awards
    Nov 25, 2023
  34. Nominate Empires of the Undergrowth for the Steam Awards
    Nov 22, 2023
  35. Optional Beta Updated - Fixes, Changes
    Nov 21, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  36. Optional Beta OPEN NOW! New Custom Game Maps, Achievements, Difficulty Settings
    Nov 16, 2023significant · resets scoring window