Base building survival game and colony simulator RimWorld will soon be getting a free content expansion in the form of 1.3 called “Ideology”. As you may have gussed by that name, or our headline, the focus here is on religion.
As to why this was chosen as the main theme of Update 1.3, Tynan Sylvester, the game’s creator (heh) explains:
“This expansion lets you create a new belief system and act it out in your colony. You can play as tree-worshipping cannibals who carve skulls into every piece of furniture, or blind tunnelers who shun the light, or transhumanists obsessed with perfecting the human form using exotic technology. Or be nudists, or drug-stupor mystics, or piratical raiders, or charity-focused givers, or pain-loving animal sacrificers, or dance-party techno ravers, or rustic ranching cowboys, or many many more,” Sylvester writes.
This expansion has been 15 months in the making with the ability to create belief systems given to the players so they can properly roleplay and create a society as they see fit.
RimWorld is famous for its minutia and customisation and that has expanded to these new systems.
“You can mix and match different core elements of your belief system, and also customize every individual precept, ritual, special social role, venerated animal and weapon, culture and style, unique building, tattoo, clothing, background narrative, god, and beard preference,” Sylvester adds.
This is a great way to approach the sensitive topic of religion as players can really do what they want with it. We’re sure many people will take to re-making fictional religions inside of the game. We can’t wait to roleplay Dune at some point in the future inside of this game.
The belief system isn’t the only new part of Update 1.3 with much more accomplished in those 15 months. More is explained in the announcement here for those who don’t want to go in blind.
RimWorld Update 1.3 has a preview live right now through the Steam betas branch. This preview is intended for modders of RimWorld’s large community to get their content working with the expansion before its release.
A proper public launch is planned for the next two weeks, though this may change.
Speaking of Steam the Summer Sale 2021 is still live and RimWorld is 10 percent off. As an extremely popular indie game it currently has 86 764 reviews with an incredibly impressive 98 percent of them being positive. This leaves the game with the much coveted “Overwhelmingly Positive” review title on Steam, which is the highest possible rating.
If you’ve only heard about RimWorld in passing before, and its addictive qualities, we highly recommend this video by SsethTzeentach below. Just a content warning here as this channel does use some shock and insulting humour.
