Overcrowd
Manage a chaotic London Underground network
The interface makes me think of the similarly slick PrisonArchitect
At rush hour on a hot day, the London Underground can qualify as the tenth circle of Hell. But something positive has come out of all that sweaty chaos: Overcrowd, by game developer Alastair McQueen, describes itself as a “commute-’em-up”. With a colorful, isometric visual style reminiscent of Theme Park (with a smidge of Habbo Hotel), Overcrowd is attempting to turn the bustle of the tube into a fast-paced strategy building game, and from the brief demo I played, it’s shaping up nicely. You begin by building a station, which is snappy and intuitive, objects clinging to a grid to keep things orderly. You can carve into the earth, and there’s an enjoyable amount of freedom to get creative with the layout. Then you fill your creation with turnstiles, ticket machines, generators and extras such as payphones, kiosks, and advertizing billboards to bring it to life. The interface makes me think of the similarly slick PrisonArchitect, with bold, simple icons that make the many items at your disposal recognisable at a glance.
Then the punters start rolling in. Watching crowds spill into your station is daunting, and the game captures the hectic feel of the tube brilliantly. But at least you’re floating above it here and not among the crowds waiting for the train to Liverpool Street. Words appear over commuters’ heads letting you know how they’re feeling about your station. If they’re annoyed, you’ll hear all about it. It’s a game about making people happy in one of the unhappiest places on earth.
There are no SimCity- style natural disasters to worry about down here, but the tube has plenty of problems that you have to deal with. Violence can erupt, scaring anyone who witnesses it, and leaving puddles of blood that will lower your hygiene rating. Rats will scurry around the station, too, spreading disease—which is where a janitor with extermination skills will come in handy. The way it presents the realities of the Underground in a lighthearted way reminds me of ThemeHospital. It has a sense of humor that matches its vibrant colors and cartoonish art style.
TEST TUBE
Overcrowd will feature a sandbox, but McQueen says the thrust of the game will be a campaign mode. You’ll be set challenges such as building around rock formations, processing a set number of passengers, and making the most of a budget. The more of these you complete, the more facilities, staff types and tools you’ll unlock. You’ll also have to think about commuter flow, making sure your stations don’t clog up with people, which almost makes it feel like a puzzle game. There are a lot of interesting ideas in Overcrowd, and I hope SquarePlay manages to bring it all together.