Alien Nations

Alien Nations (originally released in Germany as Die Völker and later published in North America as Amazons & Aliens) is a 1999 real-time strategy and city-building game developed by Austrian studio Neo Software and published by JoWooD Productions. Releasing during the golden age of isometric PC games, it heavily channeled the DNA of the legendary Settlers series, favoring deep economic management, production chains, and diplomacy over mindless, fast-paced combat.

Set on the vibrant planet of Lukkat, the game focuses on the struggle for planetary dominance between three highly distinct, quirky species. Rather than focusing purely on warfare, the game asks players to build thriving settlements, research new technologies, and keep their citizens happy and motivated.

Gameplay

While Alien Nations features combat and military units, it is fundamentally an intricate economic simulation. A player who ignores the happiness and daily needs of their population will quickly find their empire crumbling from within.

Key gameplay mechanics include:

• The Three Factions: Players choose to lead one of three unique races, each with their own distinct architecture, culture, and quirks:
  • The Pimmons: A laid-back, blue-skinned race of creatures that resemble portly hobbits. They excel at stonework and have a massive cultural affinity for drinking mushroom schnapps.
  • The Amazons: A fierce, militaristic matriarchal society of humanoid women who take themselves very seriously.
  • The Sajiki (or Sajkhi): A ravenous, six-legged insectoid race that lacks basic hygiene but possesses great mystic guile (and a cultural habit of smoking worms as cigarillos).
• Settlers-Style Economy: Players must establish complex, multi-tiered production chains. Woodcutters chop trees, sawmills process the wood, and masons cut stone, all of which must be transported to construction sites or warehouses by your citizens.
• Citizen Needs and Morale: Your people are not mindless drones; they have daily routines. Alongside basic needs like food and housing, players must provide entertainment and luxury goods to keep their citizens motivated. This means building pubs, circuses, theaters, and temples. If morale drops, your citizens will simply stop working.
• Diplomacy and Trade: Because certain luxury goods and resources can only be produced by specific factions, trade is essential. Players can build embassies, establish truces, and set up lucrative trade routes with rival nations to fulfill their citizens’ complex needs.
• Tech Trees and Research: Instead of just gathering gold, players collect tax revenue from their citizens to fund research. Unlocking new technologies allows for building upgrades, better economic efficiency, and advanced military units (like magicians and healers).

Development and Legacy

Alien Nations was a massive commercial success in the German-speaking market. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, city-building and management simulators (like Anno 1602 and The Settlers) were the absolute kings of PC gaming in the late 90s, and Alien Nations perfectly tapped into that specific regional zeitgeist. It dominated the German sales charts for years and ultimately sold roughly one million copies worldwide.

The game is also famously remembered for its localized censorship. When transitioning from the original German Die Völker to the international Alien Nations (and Amazons & Aliens), publishers heavily sanitized the game’s quirky adult humor to achieve a family-friendly rating. The traditionally topless Amazons were given pixelated bikini tops, the Pimmons’ beloved “Mushroom Schnapps” was changed to “Mushroom Juice,” and the Sajiki’s “Cigarillos” were bizarrely renamed “Lollipop Maggots.”

Thanks to its lush, colorful 2D isometric graphics, the game has aged surprisingly well visually. The success of the original game directly spawned a 2001 sequel, simply titled The Nations, which expanded on the lore of Lukkat. Today, Alien Nations maintains a small but incredibly loyal cult following and remains easily accessible via digital storefronts like GOG.com.

Key Features:

• Three Quirky Tribes — Command the peace-loving Pimmons, the fierce Amazons, or the insectoid Sajiki, each offering a totally different cultural aesthetic.
• Complex Production Chains — Master an intricate, interconnected web of resource gathering, refining, and city planning.
• Population Management — Keep your citizens happy, fed, and entertained with pubs and circuses to ensure your economy doesn’t grind to a halt.
• Trade Over War — Utilize a robust diplomacy and trade system to acquire exotic goods from rival nations instead of simply destroying them.
• Vibrant Isometric Art — Enjoy beautifully detailed, cartoonish 2D graphics packed with charming animations of your citizens going about their daily lives.

Release Platforms:

• Microsoft Windows (PC) — May 11, 1999 (Currently available via GOG.com)
• Mac OS — 1999