Not sure that city-builder or strategy are totally valid genres definition for Terra Nil, though puzzle is more on point. It’s kinda builder - terraformer game, since your aim is to restore planet from irradiated wasteland to green sustainable world and return animal species along with satisfaction of their needs.
So gameplay is what has most accent on here - you’re presented with planet separated into zone that you work through gradually. Your goal is same every time - fulfilling climate conditions, spread vegetation zones, introduce animals and satisfy their needs. However, you’re given different maps (most are generated anew each time you start the zone), tools and what conditions, greens and beats would be there. You’re free to use available instruments however you like to finish the mission. But here comes puzzle part - a lot of stuff needs to be placed carefully and strategically to avoid locking yourself out of completion, which might happen quite few times. There is also “price” for usage of all the stuff, but have never ran out of currency to use those, not even close. You’d have to do lots of things - cleanse toxins, radiation, replant grass, burn vegetation to nurture land for forest, grow reefs, lower or increase temperature, humidity, pressure, dredge ocean, salinate and freeze waters, cool lava - quite a range of activities. And after restoration of land, you remove all traces of humans involvement, leaving pristine nature.
Without much cutting edge uber realistic visuals developers managed to create very impressive graphics for Terra Nil, it’s like lots old 2d hand crafted backgrounds, but with modern touch up. Not everything looks equally great, but for the most part, it’s very calming, colourful natural appearance. Buildings and some animals care those bit less good things, but they are balanced out by your guide book that has flora, fauna, schematics in it and those are feast for the eyes.
Plot is just that - planet is done, you’re renewing in.
Music matches general feel, but in my opinion less impactful compared to visuals. Sounds on the other hand are very much doing heavy lifting in adding atmosphere and immersion, water, rain, leaves, bird cries do seem rather lo-fi, greatly enhancing your experience.
