Without a doubt, Utopia can be considered a sort of prequel to the great and wildly popular simulation/strategy game series of today Civilization by Sid Meier. Utopia was originally released on the Intellevision port, but was finally released for PC in 1992.
Utopia is a surprisingly complex game that puts the user in charge of a small island nation. As the leader of the island, the user is charged with keeping its inhabitants happy and healthy by providing food, shelter and protection from a variety of dangers that threaten the primitive people.
The island could also be upgraded with several buildable units. Some were defensive or offensive in nature, some were economically motivated, and others were geared toward the well being of the people. For example, a farm would feed people and also provide income to the community when it rained. A fort would prevent rebel, pirate or enemy attacks for a given distance surrounding it. A hospital could improve factory production by raising the population, and a housing project would please the people by giving them shelter. Aside from building units and defending your island (or waging war on the neighbours), the user had a random weather model with which to contend. Just when everything seemed to be going well, a sudden hurricane could destroy
your navy or a pleasant season could end in drought and a lack of food.
There are many other factors in play in Utopia. The user controls the speed of the game by selecting the number of turns allotted before the game comes to a close. The gamer can also choose how long each turn will last, making it similar to a real-time strategy where users have to get more done than their opponents in the same amount of time. A leader who refuses to lead and lets his civilization flourish on its own, will certainly be usurped by the AI neighbour, so gamers have to be sure to make good use of their time. There was a minor amount of diplomacy involved, forming alliances with other islands. These, however, did not seem to be as binding as they are in modern games, and could often lull the user into a false sense of security and impending doom.
With all the features of an early micromanagement game, users will certainly appreciate Utopia’s complexity and attention to detail. Of course the graphics are dated, but in a simulation game, the focus is more on what is being played than what the play looks like. For certain, this is an intriguing game that will interest most strategists and simulation fans.
