Urukon is an experimental grand strategy game inspired by Euro-style board games. You play as one of 32 factions on a dying alien world. Each turn, you get to take just one of 10 actions. To achieve your chosen faction's goal, you'll need to carefully juggle multiple interactive systems.
The game features a stripped-down core loop, allowing players to take only one action per turn from a selection of 10 options. This design choice forces players to carefully consider and prioritize their actions, creating a constant tension and need to juggle multiple interactive systems. The clean, hand-drawn aesthetic and evocative world-building help immerse players, while the simple but effective user interface allows them to focus on the strategic gameplay.
Players can choose from 32 unique factions, each with its own asymmetric starting conditions and victory conditions. For example, the Hegemony faction may focus on conquering other cities through military might, while the Children of Eternity strive to accumulate a specific resource, the "Love," through diplomatic negotiation. This diversity in win conditions and playstyles ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and presents new challenges, encouraging players to explore the game's depth from multiple angles.
At the core of the gameplay is a robust resource management system, where players must carefully balance and juggle nine primary resources, such as labor, violence, and technology, to fuel their faction's actions and progress towards their goals. The streamlined approach, with no repetitive or tedious tasks, allows players to focus on the strategic decision-making process, weighing the pros and cons of their actions and their impact on the faction's overall standing.
Despite its minimalist design, the game offers a surprising depth of gameplay and replayability. The dynamic world, with its many interactive systems and random events, ensures that no two playthroughs are exactly the same. The unpredictable actions and relationships of the AI-controlled factions add an extra layer of challenge and uncertainty, further enhancing the game's replayability. The relatively short playtime, with most sessions lasting between one and two hours, makes the game an accessible and engaging experience for both casual and experienced strategy gamers. Players can quickly jump back in, experiment with different factions, and explore new strategies, further contributing to the game's replayability.