If you love RTS games, city builders, tower defense, and resource management, I can easily recommend you try Diplomacy is Not an Option. While you control troops in a similar manner to Age of Empires or Command and Conquer, you’ve also got to worry about your citizenry. Just because they’re behind a castle wall doesn’t mean they’re safe, as you’ve got taxes, food supplies, and more to think about at any given time. If that all sounds like too much, don’t worry, because Diplomacy is Not an Option’s newest update puts you in control of a somewhat less demanding group: the undead.
Diplomacy is Not an Option has been quietly growing into one of the best RTS games on Steam. After spending two years in early access it finally hit 1.0 back in October, and it’s quite the mix of strategy genres. You start by building a base, managing your society’s economy, and making sure all the defenses are in place. War waits for no-one though, and soon an ocean of soldiers will come for you. There can be well over 25,000 enemies attacking your castle at any given time, and they won’t stop.
You might be severely outnumbered, but there are ways to fight back. Every arrow and catapult stone in Diplomacy is Not an Option is physically modeled, adding an extra layer of strategy to the proceedings. Perhaps you can use the landscape to make a choke point, or utilize the position of your castle walls to make retreat as easy as possible? You can even call down magical airstrikes, launch fireballs, and summon ghosts to chase down any deserting enemies.
As the name implies, the Diplomacy is Not an Option Undead update now gives you direct control of a zombie army. These creatures make up the fourth story branch in the game with five new missions to complete, alongside a completely different playstyle. Instead of building walls and shoring up your defenses, your army is the defense. You need to amass troops via a resurrection spell to keep your soldier count high. You can even use zombies as a resource, raising dead enemies and turning them into bones to help create more powerful soldiers.
The Undead faction provides a completely new way to play, and that means you’ll have to adapt. Undead buildings can only be built on defiled soil, and having no walls means you’re always on the offensive. Dead soldiers are now an invaluable resource, so keep them coming – no matter where you find them.
This new update isn’t the end of Diplomacy is Not an Option, either, as developer Door 407 says more levels for endless mode, extra challenges, and even a map editor are all planned.
The Diplomacy is Not an Option Undead update is out now on Steam, bringing even more material to the 1.0 version of the game. There’s also a Steam sale running until Wednesday November 4 where you can get the game at 35% off, so expect to pay $19.49 / £16.24 until then. You’ll find it for yourself here.
If Diplomacy is Not an Option isn’t enough for you, we’ve also got some of the best city building games and indie games you can play today.
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