Gaming Blog – The Shockwave Spark

When I first saw My Tribe from Grubby games, I was skeptical. It looks almost exactly like Virtual Villagers. In fact, there’s no way not to call it a clone. I loved Virtual Villagers, so I was prepared to hate My Tribe. It appeared to be a blatant rip-off., but this is one book whose cover I misjudged because My Tribe is a fantastic clone. As much I liked Virtual Villagers, I found it to be a bit inaccessible. I thought the game was a little harsh. But My Tribe was much easier to play and I found myself getting more things done, and getting them done quicker. The tutorial is nothing less than excellent. I was instantly hooked and maybe that was because of the voice-over narration. The voice is soothing and bright. Grubby Games did a fine job of casting.

But Grubby Games did a fine job on everything in creating My Tribe. They didn’t simply clone a game, they improved upon a formula and made it more user-friendly and more fun. And this is no surprise. Grubby is one of the most underrated game developers out there.  They are incredible designers. Their Professor Fizzwhizzle games are genius. The attention to detail in their games is always superb and My Tribe is no different.

From the get-go My Tribe feels more inviting and more empowering than Virtual Villagers. The soothing female voice makes you feel safe and secure. Choosing your own island is a nice touch too and you have full access to the island right away. As I said, the game’s tutorial is excellent. It guides you through all the necessary tools and tasks of the game rather quickly. Now, this is not a typical download game. Unlike a match-three or a time management type game, My Tribe takes more patience. It’s not about instant gratification – though there is enough of that to sustain game play. In a game like My Tribe (which ‘persists’ while you’re NOT playing it) you have to take a different approach.

The game is about establishing a thriving, healthy community of people on a small, uninhabited island. You are given several people to start – a mixture of males and females who can have children to increase your island’s population. You must find food, explore the island to exploit its natural resources and develop technology and skills that will help grow your community and keep it going strong. In My Tribe this is relatively easy. The game is foolproof, and I did not have that depressing experience of coming back later to find that my tribe had all perished (like I did the first time I played Virtual Villagers). And this is important in a game like this because a big part of the game is about what happens while you were gone.

I recommend playing My Tribe in small doses for maybe thirty to sixty minutes at  a time and then putting it down for a few hours and coming back to see how things have changed.

Each tribe member can be put to a specific task (gathering wood, building, fishing, farming etc) and I like that in My Tribe you can set each ‘person’s’ priorities. The entire user-interface for My Tribe, from the map functions to the on-screen buttons and controls, are very well designed. It is not at all intimidating to find information, mix potions, make new clothing for your islanders or build structures. The game is very kind to the player. The overall vibe is gentle, soothing and pleasant. I never felt punished or stupid, or, that I didn’t have control over the game environment. To me this is the hallmark of a great casual game.

Grubby did an excellent job with leveling and progression of game play. The system of rewards and bonuses is well conceived and well-tuned. I particularly love how they use ‘Stardust’ and ‘Moondust’ – two objects that randomly (and frequently) fall from the sky. These objects are universal catalysts and helpers that give the player all kinds of boosts and extra powers. There are many mysterious objects to explore and unlock too. The game is filled with intrigue and feels very deep.

There feels like so much to do in My Tribe and so much to discover. And the game is just a joy to play, not just because of its premise (establishing a new community through hard work, teamwork and the resources at hand feels like a poignant allegory for our troubled times) but because it is so well produced. Grubby Games is a developer to watch and My Tribe is a great game.

-Vinny.