Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest

Multiwinia is, in a two words, chaotically fun.

Multiwinia is a superb showing from the developers at Introversion with approachable, entertaining RTS gameplay and style to spare.

A fast, frenzied trip back to the world that Tron forgot.

It's a gorgeous, charming and suitably priced offering. [Dec 2008, p.99]

Multiwinia makes most other RTS games look like bloated, honking walruses.

For fans of Darwinia, this game is an instant purchase, but I’d recommend waiting on the Arcade version for online play. For anyone on the fence, pick up the demo, and here’s hoping it gets the reaction on consoles it deserves.

Multiwinia has a ton of longevity to offer. The game will surprise you constantly, while the formidable AI and exciting variety of match types means there’s plenty of manic multiplayer fun to be had.

The graphics in Multiwinia have a certain retro functional aesthetic that fits in perfectly with both the theme of the game and the style of play – simple and elegant, with very little to distract you from the gameplay at hand. Little has changed from Darwinia and system specs are kept comfortably low as a result. The game is quick to load and quick to play, which is all that a game like this should be.

If you have dedicated friends to play with, pick it up. If not, wait for Darwinia+ to come out on XBLA so you can have some competition. If that doesn't sell like hotcakes, there's no hope for the world.

Fun little RTS on the cheap, proving that creativity can't be declared extinct just yet - even in this day and age of multi-million dollar game budgets. Best when played against human opponents.

While it certainly lacks the complexity of most RTS titles, Multiwinia still strikes a good balance between strategy and arcade action.

Great for getting a quick RTS-style fix, it's unadulterated fun, if slightly on the light side. [Issue#13, p.56]

Regardless of whether you're playing single or multiplayer, the game modes in Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest are well thought out and extremely good fun, even though they will confound you beyond belief should you be a newcomer to the series or, like me, not exactly the best strategist in the world.

This game isn’t just for arcade-aficionados, it’s truly enjoyable. [Issue # 16]

While it’s lacking in singleplayer content, Multiwinia is fun, simple, and addictive.

Best of all, the only real resource you need to manage is the Multiwinians, so the game becomes much less about who has the best build order and more about crushing the two-dimensional skulls of your brightly coloured foes. [Christmas 2008, p.82]

Click into its leftfield groove and Multiwinia provides a quirky but devilishly compelling distillation of all that strategy games can be - rich, deep and compressed into intense digestible chunks. Yummy.

It's a quick game which uses its brevity as a lure with that one-more go factor scoring very highly. Its rich visual style and strong core gameplay put many other monster titles to shame.

At the end of the day, Multiwinia is both a fun and different type of strategy title.

Endearing, yet thin. [Dec 2008, p.86]

This hectic, multiplayer-focused Darwinia spin-off is as full of glee and spectacle as any RTS I know. [Holiday 2008, p.73]

If Command & Conquer’s 45 minute matches are too meaty for you, or World In Conflict’s system specs too demanding, then Multiwinia may be the lean and achingly stylish RTS you’re looking for.

While there are gamers of all varieties seeking groundbreaking games in their appropriate niches, everyone and anyone is sure to enjoy an experience that is so innovative and downright fun.

Its simplicity and lack of major depths make it a pretty straightforward pick up and play affair.

Multiwinia largely succeeds as an enjoyable -- if slight -- multiplayer expansion of Introversion’s Darwinia. Its idiosyncratic design is as delightful as ever and the developer’s knack for capturing the essence of 8-bit gaming purity is once again evident.

While the selling point of Multiwinia -- that would be, multiplayer -- is somewhat lacking in regard to number of players all the other pieces are in place for a very satisfying experience.

Even though it is more of an enhancement to Darwinia than a new game, Multiwinia is a worthwhile purchase if you enjoyed Darwinia and were left wanting more with the same theme.

Multiwinia adds a multiplayer mode and even easier controls to the addictive gameplay and visually striking world of Darwinia.

If you want a simple game that doesn't require you to devote the whole of your brain or your evenings, can buy into the game's modern-retro visuals, and can forgive a few flaws; it's undeniably worth a spin. [Dec 2008, p.76]

The nagging doubt about Multiwinia is that it is possibly too simple and short term – fun to drop into in the odd quiet half-hour, but with no visible form of progression, nothing that you will stick with in the long term.

There’s a lot to like, and equally as much to dislike.

As a game to please fans Introversion probably has another hit on its hands, but Multiwinia is unlikely to broaden its fanbase too considerably.

The confusing title hides a solid strategy game. Gamers who enjoy graphics should avoid this game though, strategy fans should play the demo-version before buying Multiwinia.

There isn't all that much to Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, unfortunately. The gameplay is short, and necessarily so, because any single match can drag on very quickly, and once a clear lead is established, it is quite difficult to break.

Prepare for an extremely abstract experience. Nicely done multiplayer for renowned "Darwinia". A bit too straightforward for a strategy game though. [Nov 2008]

It isn't a bad game, not at first, and surely it will find some fans out there. Before you do, try the demo, and even then it would be best to tread carefully.