We're currently developing two active projects with seemingly similar mechanics and visuals — our beloved brainchild Craft the World and its younger sibling (or sister, if you will) — Terra Trials. It's time to finally figure out the similarities and differences between these two games.
What do they have in common? 🤔
Let's start with the shared features. Both games use the same perspective — a vertical slice, the so-called "ant farm" view. The top part of each level usually features a blue sky or a virtual cave ceiling, taking up a small portion of the overall space, while below lie layers of earth for our characters to dig through.
Craft the World
Terra Trials
The world structure in both games is made up of fairly large blocks, proportionate to the size of mobs. Gravity, precipitation, bodies of water, gradually growing trees — everything functions by similar rules. Our players will feel right at home transitioning from one game to the other.
Now, let's talk about the differences. 🧐
Technology Tree ➡
Researching new technologies and recipes in both games follows a development tree: from primitive clubs and earthen blocks to metals and complex constructions. And this is where the differences start to show.
In Craft the World, the technology tree is a fairly linear horizontal "sausage" with only 4 branches, not always logically following one another.
In Terra Trials, it's a gradually branching tree with more starting trunks, structured much more logically.
Craft the World
Terra Trials
How Technologies Are Unlocked 🔓
In Craft the World, it's enough to craft a certain number of recipes from the preceding technology.
In Terra Trials, you need to set up a research table and gather a specific amount of resources, which varies from technology to technology. And you'll soon understand why.
The Main Difference — Gameplay and Control 👤 vs. 👥
Here we are at the most fundamental difference between our games.
In Craft the World, we manage an entire colony of dwarves. We are the "spirit" giving out tasks.
Craft the World
Terra Trials
In Terra Trials, we control a single character. We're tied to the hero, and every strike is made with a mouse click.
World and Lore 🌍👾
The lore of the games is also fundamentally different.
Craft the World is classic fantasy: goblins, elves, undead, and a cozy island in a picturesque location.
Terra Trials is sci-fi with rockets, robots, and cameras, all set in a reality TV show format with viewers and sponsors. The world here isn't a cozy nook — it's a laboratory cage, confined by force fields. You're not building a civilization, conquering the world! You're a "rat" trapped in a maze, mocked by the organizers of a brutal show in a futuristic world for the audience's entertainment. But that makes overcoming challenges on this specially constructed proving ground all the more interesting.
Co-op 👫
Terra Trials is largely oriented towards co-op play with friends. It's going to be a tough but fun challenge!
We look forward to seeing you in both games! Which one are you planning to play? Share in the comments! 👇