They Are Billions

 PC
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 164 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 92 out of 164
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 164
  3. Negative: 31 out of 164

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  1. captainincredib
    Jun 21, 2019
    9
    what a variety of opinions, mine , i like it so much , ok the game is not perfect , but the new mode is from three days ago? what do you want ? i love hero missions , and with the last patch you can see blinking some items on the ground.
  2. kretas
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    I never felt that challenged in a game in the last years.
    Some people don't like the no save option, but there is,
    how much I tried to abrupt close the game because of a stupid mistake I made, It always jumps back to the latest point reminding me that I have to deal with my mistake even when its meant having hours of planning wasted. I really adore this and kept me pushing myself and    I never felt that challenged in a game in the last years.
    Some people don't like the no save option, but there is,
    how much I tried to abrupt close the game because of a stupid mistake I made, It always jumps back to the latest point reminding me that I have to deal with my mistake even when its meant having hours of planning wasted.
    I really adore this and kept me pushing myself and perfecting my strategy.
    Love it!    … Expand
  3. destinical
    Jan 26, 2021
    10
    This game is really underrated. Most people gave bad score only because of its poorly executed campaign. However, the core gameplay is of genius level! I've never enjoyed such rts masterpiece since the time of Warcraft 3, Age of Empires 2, Rise of Nations... I've seen some games inspired by They Are Billions, but sadly nothing comes close to its level and uniqueness. Despite some of itsThis game is really underrated. Most people gave bad score only because of its poorly executed campaign. However, the core gameplay is of genius level! I've never enjoyed such rts masterpiece since the time of Warcraft 3, Age of Empires 2, Rise of Nations... I've seen some games inspired by They Are Billions, but sadly nothing comes close to its level and uniqueness. Despite some of its flaws, TAB deserves more recognition. I guess it will be a long long time until I enjoy another superb rts.… Expand
  4. sherbz
    Aug 9, 2019
    8
    Despite a lacklustre campaign, this is still a very good and surprisingly influential RTS. If you are the sort of person who enjoys narrative, story and casual play, then it probably isn't for you. If however you have OCD, are a perfectionist at heart, and enjoy getting maximum efficiency from your in game decisions then TAB will scratch that itch like no other game can.
  5. Midgar_citizen
    Jun 21, 2019
    9
    I was playing around 20 from Campagin after early access, and around 500 before of it, i was reading so much about the feedback of this game, is not the perfect game, but i spend a lot hours enjoying the game, quick fixes , everyday can found a new patch , that thing noticed me about the dev team is working on it, a bit hard the swarms but only at the beginning. 9/10
  6. LittleTerrapin
    Jun 22, 2019
    8
    This is most certainly not a game for casual players! (Such as those above who want a boring save button in the middle of a mission)

    In my opinion this game is for people who like to spend long times on single maps trying not to die and to feel the sweet success of having beaten something truly hard. I play the campaign on brutal difficulty and find it very challenging and fun.    This is most certainly not a game for casual players! (Such as those above who want a boring save button in the middle of a mission)

    In my opinion this game is for people who like to spend long times on single maps trying not to die and to feel the sweet success of having beaten something truly hard.

    I play the campaign on brutal difficulty and find it very challenging and fun.

    The animations of the cutscenes are not hi quality and seem outdated, but that is not why I play a game like this anyway.
    I play for the challenge and if you are looking for a challenge with a game that finally is not a game that lets you forget every mistake by saving some random save-spot in the middle of a mission this is for you.

    The one thing I find sad so far is that the storytelling is a bit meh and that some of the missions feel like just a grind. For example in early missions when I have built up a wonderful defence and then BOOM, the mission ends and my defences have never been tested because no waves or serious zombie hordes came.... That feels like I wasted my time to build all those nicely placed walls because they were never seriously tested.

    I really LOVE that this game does not come with saving slots in the middle of a mission.
    Do it right or fail.

    The survival mode is still the best mode and is a standalone game that is great fun.
    And the survival to me atm is more fun than the campaign.

    One thing I find sad is that there is no decent reward for playing at higher difficulties except some points that don't do anything and punishment in form of a fail counter that takes away from that score.
    This part it not made well.

    This game is hard and should reward those who play brutal or nightmare in a good kind of way.    … Expand
  7. zeroram
    Jun 20, 2019
    9
    Very good RTS, tower defense cross-over. I say cross-over because of the 'zombie horde' invasions. There is quite a bit of standard builds you must master as in late game you will get shut down. Art style is very good and the tech tree in campaign mode is pretty extensive. Can be punishing if you start on wrong foot. Must have for RTS fans. (see; Starcraft fans)
  8. Chaltor
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    Polished. Fun. Hard. Addictive.
    A bit of a hard learning curve.
    Get it and shut up and play.
  9. Seregramor
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    i was exciting about the final versión after the early access, and is just AMAZING, good work guys
  10. Yuber
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    The final camping is awesome, you have so many kind of stages, including quests from the heroes and stages tower defense style, new units and so many gameplay hours. Definitely the best option ni RTS games.
  11. suikoyami
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    So great game!! i love RTS based games , i purchased the game in early access and i think the new campaign mode is very cool , some kind of issues at the beginning but the game is perfect , i love it
  12. LETO
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    An amazing RTS, there is hate for the campaing, dont get why, i love it, but the true greatness of the game is behind survival. 10/10
  13. Violett
    Sep 30, 2020
    8
    Much was said about the campaign - it has many flaws, like dumb and boring hero missions, unability to reset research points etc. But the game itself is really challenging on high difficulty levels and really satisfying. Finished every mission in the campain on 200% difficulty and really enjoyed it.
  14. Golconde
    Sep 16, 2020
    9
    It's a tough game. It will challenge you. One thing to know about this game is the campaign was released after early access where before all you had access to was the skirmish. The skirmish is where this game shines. It's where the twitch streamers started a cult like following for the game. I read a review once where someone said "its a shame the campaign wasn't perfect like theIt's a tough game. It will challenge you. One thing to know about this game is the campaign was released after early access where before all you had access to was the skirmish. The skirmish is where this game shines. It's where the twitch streamers started a cult like following for the game. I read a review once where someone said "its a shame the campaign wasn't perfect like the skirmish because it kind of brings attention away from it".
    If you're looking for an rts that will challenge you then this is the game. From a long time rts fan this is one of the best. Game devs even started copying its game play style including the Command & Conquer vets at Petroglyph Games with Conan Unconquered.    … Expand
  15. Monkeybear
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    The best on RTS games, Steampunk style, and they are billions in real, so good work guys ¡¡¡¡
  16. nohasp
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    yeah finally is here, you have three kind of missions and now you can choose a hero/heroine for complete the “hero missions” , now the game is more accesible in the first missions and its very well balanced. i totally recommended!!!
  17. ohayobtchs
    Jun 25, 2019
    9
    After the patch 1.08 TAB fixed and improve a lot of things, very quick Dev teams reaction.
  18. blanch
    Jun 25, 2019
    9
    I'm very tempted to start on the new highest difficulty. the 500% like it wasn't even a challenge. new Apocalypse mode on!! now that is my game
  19. Bryan3902
    Aug 30, 2019
    9
    The game is awesome, but it can make a bad first impression if you jump right into the campaign. Reading the negative reviews, I think most are due to the campaign game.

    Here's how to enjoy this game: 1) Play survival! (not campaign). The survival mode is well-balanced, challenging, and has plenty of variety. Every survival map is randomly generated and they need different    The game is awesome, but it can make a bad first impression if you jump right into the campaign. Reading the negative reviews, I think most are due to the campaign game.

    Here's how to enjoy this game:

    1) Play survival! (not campaign). The survival mode is well-balanced, challenging, and has plenty of variety. Every survival map is randomly generated and they need different strategies. Ignore the campaign game (where the maps are pre-made) until you've totally mastered survival. Even then, you'll probably only play the campaign once. The campaign is not that good. Survival rocks!

    2) Set the difficulty level on something like 10% to start. I'm serious. The game is hard and you'll need some easy time to learn the game. Once you've won a game, you can gradually bump up the difficulty (my favorite now is 700%).

    3) Use the patrol function to cover every entry to your colony. You can't see zombies that are outside your units' view range, so you must patrol.

    4) It's OK to die. What would be the fun of playing a survival game if you always won? All it takes is 1 zombie to end your game. So, you need to be paranoid, build more defenses than you think you need, and always be asking yourself what could go wrong.

    I've never had a crash...not one, ever. I don't know of any bugs in survival mode.

    When you face a massive final wave of literally thousands of zombies of all varieties, it's really exciting...all your hard work on the line...is it good enough? And, when you survive, you'll definitely feel like you accomplished something!    … Expand
  20. aeito
    Sep 10, 2019
    9
    Great RTS. The campaign is a little difficult. But I admit it: a great game. I've been hooked since I installed it.
    I recommend to play the campaigns that the community has done with the editor in steam-workshop. great game.
  21. TheTota
    Feb 29, 2020
    8
    They are billions is a very captivating strategy game, that takes you through a campaign of "reconquest of the world" that has been overtaken by hordes of zombies. Completing it will take well over 60-70 hours that include missions with their own goals and specific environment where base building and map cleaning will be the main focuses. But the campaign also contains some third personThey are billions is a very captivating strategy game, that takes you through a campaign of "reconquest of the world" that has been overtaken by hordes of zombies. Completing it will take well over 60-70 hours that include missions with their own goals and specific environment where base building and map cleaning will be the main focuses. But the campaign also contains some third person exploration missions where you will slowly get pages of newspaper that will help you understand what happened to the world and what caused the infection.

    While the campaign contains a lot of hours, and diverse experiences, at some point the missions will feel very similar and less interesting, despite the addition of new enemies and technologies.
    It's important to know that there is NO recovery points in missions, losing mean starting all over again, which could be pretty frustrating, but once you've figured out how the game works I haven't found it that difficult overall.

    The game runs on a very powerful engine, allowing really thousands of units to live their lives on the map. The post-apocalyptic feel has really been nailed too, and the steampunk universe is very well represented. Some characters seem interesting but lack of a bio or some kind of history. For example, one of the units is a small british man (or perhaps a dwarf?) piloting a massive zombies killing machine. It just feel pretty random without any explanation on the character.

    So, They are billions is a very unique game, with its own feel and gameplay that will hook you up into a pretty long campaign, that will sadly lose interest mission after mission once passed the 50% because you will be repeating the same patterns over and over again. But don't get me wrong, the feel of having a big army crushing zombies, or seeing your defenses take down some hordes, or even having your economy thrive makes an overall enjoyable experience.    … Expand
  22. lucorp
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    What happens when you combine steampunk with spawning zombie hordes and make game really (I mean like really really) hard? One of most enjoyable base building + tower defense indie strategies.
  23. Ksie
    Feb 4, 2021
    9
    Классная стратегия на выживание. После появления компании стала еще лучше, хотя и весьма затянута.
  24. Bibikelis
    Dec 7, 2021
    10
    На пс 5, просто очень мало и конкурентов. Достойная игра , всё кто любит стратегии обязательно к покупке!
  25. Scherzade
    Feb 16, 2022
    9
    I find the concept and tide of the enemy is really attractive - it is a zombie horde game, tons of brain eating waves of corpse is exactly what I expected - However, I feeling when I quickly adapt to the game, I start feeling quickly loosing interest as well. perhaps the reason is, that I prefer micro control and enjoy when I manage tons of things altogether.
  26. CGlenn79
    Dec 18, 2020
    9
    This review is strictly for the Zombie survival portion of the game. I did not play the campain.

    Wow, This was some fun. I have played this game numerous times and at first took me some time to actually pass the map at 100%. I refused to lower it any more to beat it. I am not the avid gamer that can beat it at 800% percent but I do find 180% is about all the challenge I can handle.    This review is strictly for the Zombie survival portion of the game. I did not play the campain.

    Wow, This was some fun. I have played this game numerous times and at first took me some time to actually pass the map at 100%. I refused to lower it any more to beat it. I am not the avid gamer that can beat it at 800% percent but I do find 180% is about all the challenge I can handle.

    Since I started playing they have added a few more things for both the colony and zombies. This has added its own unique challenges and has kept the game going.

    The game does get a bit repetative and has a slow part at the beginning while you are not making money, have any troops. It gradually increases as time goes on to the point you have to pause to take care of things. If you are looking for a fun cheap game give this a shot. You will enjoy it.    … Expand
  27. apokalipto
    Aug 13, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.

Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
53
#53 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Games.cz
    Aug 19, 2019
    70
    Solid, but unbalanced mix of strategy genres. It suffers from several suspect design choices that all but destroy the tempo of the game, further exacerbated by a lacklustre story campaign.
    Read full review
  2. Game Informer
    Jul 23, 2019
    80
    They Are Billions is an interesting mashup of classic RTS, tower defense, and survival that successfully conjures up that “one more game” feel, assuming you can persevere through countless defeats.
    Read full review
  3. Wccftech
    Jul 15, 2019
    85
    They Are Billions offers an almost perfect gameplay loop, mixing tower-defence with city building and exploration, as you balance resource-management, defence and offense, all against your ever-impending doom at the hands of a world infested with the undead. The only downside to a game that looks and sounds great, offering a tense experience in a compelling setting, is a campaign that doesn't fully make-use of the gameplay loop perfected by Numantian Games, leaving the campaign feeling weak, compared to the survival mode, which is the real draw.
    Read full review
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