Empires of the Undergrowth Review: What the Community Really Thinks

I haven’t played Empires of the Undergrowth yet. I did something different instead: I read through hours of player threads, Reddit debates, Steam reviews, and wikis to figure out why this ant colony RTS has such a hold on people. So this Empires of the Undergrowth Review is a community-curated review, what real players say about how it plays, where it shines, and why it keeps pulling them back. But Empires of the Undergrowth is a niche classic that belongs in PC Gaming’s Timeless Loop, thanks to its simple but addictive replay value.

What Is Empires of the Undergrowth?

It’s an ant colony management game spliced with a fast, sometimes brutal RTS. You carve out an underground base, build chambers, assign pheromone groups, then push above ground to battle spiders, beetles, and rival colonies. The whole thing is framed like a nature documentary, which gives even routine foraging runs a weirdly dramatic vibe.

If you need reference points, imagine SimAnt reinvented with modern RTS pacing and a heavier focus on nest design, pathing, and composition decisions.

Curious readers who enjoy smaller studios should also check our takes on indie versus AAA design and our picks for new PC games to watch.

How Players Describe the Gameplay

• Underground puzzle, above-ground chaos. Down below, you’re optimizing layout and upgrades. Up top, you’re juggling mark placement, retreat timing, and food runs while everything wants to eat you.
• Decisions matter early. Over-digging invites trouble. Efficient chambers and “highway” paths save entire runs.
• Learning curve with teeth. Most newcomers talk about their first collapse like a rite of passage. The game is fair, but it punishes sloppy planning.
• It feels alive. Players often say watching ants pour down tunnels or swarm prey has the same energy as a nature documentary, but you’re the one calling the shots.
• Fast and punishing. Unlike slower city-builders, actions have immediate consequences. Forget food storage once, and your colony might collapse within minutes.
• Every mission feels different. Community feedback notes that one level might be a survival scramble, the next a war against rival colonies, then a sudden boss encounter.
• Small decisions snowball. Players describe how a bad tunnel angle or a late pheromone shift can decide an entire campaign.
• The “Insane” difficulty is brutal but addictive. Many say they lose repeatedly — but can’t stop tweaking layouts and trying again.

Empires of the Undergrowth Review And The Strategy Wisdom the Community Repeats

Spend enough time in forums or reading reviews, and you’ll notice a pattern: players don’t just talk about this game, they trade survival blueprints like veterans swapping war stories.

Strategy in Empires of the Undergrowth is more than picking the right ants, it’s about planning, resource timing, and knowing when to push or hold back. Dive deeper into the evolution of open-world games and why simulation and strategy now drive the genre forward.

The community emphasizes that small missteps cascade into disaster, while smart choices multiply your chances of survival.
What makes it stand out is how these strategies are not theoretical; they’re born from repeated failures and hard-earned wins.
Here are some of the most common pieces of advice players share with newcomers.

Watch the gamplay of this thrilling game below

Build the Nest Like You Mean It

• Plan chambers in clusters. Hex-style layouts make upgrades cheaper, stronger, and easier to scale.
• Lay “highway” tiles in high-traffic lanes. Speed boosts matter more than you think for food flow and reinforcement timing.
• Don’t tunnel into everything. Opening too many pockets spawns fights you can’t fund.

Pick Ants for Roles, Not Vibes

• Black ants are a dependable frontline. Players often pair damage reduction with retreat behavior for sustainability.
• Wood ants carry runs from range. Rapid-fire plus corrosive or weakening upgrades is a fan favorite.
• Leafcutters are deeper management with fungus farming. Strong, but less forgiving for beginners.

Survive Missions and Challenges

• Stockpile before trouble. Food buffers are the difference between a regroup and a wipe.
• Use multiple pheromone groups. One mega-ball moves slow. Splitting forces lets you defend, harvest, and flank at once.
• Insane difficulty is a badge. The community treats “Insane” wins like trophies for good reason.

The Quirks Everyone Mentions

• The narrator. Some love the documentary tone. Others mute him. Either way, it gives the game a distinct identity.
• Scale. Watching a river of soldiers erase a giant predator never really gets old.
• Moments of panic. Night cycles, floods, raids — pressure spikes keep sessions memorable.

What the Reviews Say

Steam feedback trends overwhelmingly positive, with players praising the satisfying loop of careful planning followed by sudden, messy battles. Coverage from major outlets calls it a standout strategy game that does something different without feeling gimmicky.

Want the official materials and store info? Check the official site and the Steam page.

Why This Game Deserves Attention

I didn’t write this to sell you anything. I wrote it because the community reads like a living strategy manual, excited, organized, and honest about the bumps. If you want an RTS that rewards planning and punishes laziness, this colony of tiny soldiers might be your next obsession. If perfecting a loop is your thing, our Hades II Review explores how repetition becomes ritual instead of grind.

If you enjoy smaller studios doing sharp work, you might also like our pieces on PC gaming genres, great indie picks, and a wild card: a Roblox guide that surprised us.

Quick Takeaways

• Underground layout is half the game. Design for speed and upgrades.
• Start with Black ants and add ranged Wood ants as your economy grows.
• Keep food reserves for disasters. Use multiple pheromone groups.
• Expect to fail early, then enjoy the climb once it clicks.

Also For strategy pacing, micro versus macro, and practice habits that stick, check our Dota 2 Learning Curve.

Transparency: I haven’t played Empires of the Undergrowth yet. This review is a curated summary of community experience from forums, Steam, and guides, collected so you don’t have to sift through a mountain of threads yourself. That said, it’s already sitting on my wishlist for the next game I dive into, and my son, who has a soft spot for strategy and sim games, is just as eager to get his teeth into commanding an army of ants. When we finally jump in, I’ll be updating this with firsthand impressions. For now, consider this the voice of the community, distilled.