Terra Nil: revision #25

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**Terra Nil** is an environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem — purify the soil, clean the oceans, plant forests, reintroduce wildlife, then recycle every building and leave without a trace.[^1] Developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital,[^2][^1] it launched on 28 March 2023 on PC and, via Netflix Games, on iOS and Android.[^3][^4] Press coverage dubbed it a "reverse city builder."[^4]

## Gameplay

Each map is a ruined biome; the player deploys purifying technology in careful sequences, balancing resources against terrain, and finishes by removing all trace of the machinery — the goal state is untouched wilderness.[^1]

## Development and release

Terra Nil began as a free game-jam prototype (a Ludum Dare 45 entry) that remains playable on itch.io.[^5] The full game launched day-and-date on PC and Netflix mobile in March 2023;[^3][^4] an October 2023 update improved performance and added native macOS and Linux builds,[^6] and a Nintendo Switch version arrived on 18 December 2023.[^7] A major free content update, *Vita Nova*, followed in June 2024, adding five new levels, nine new buildings, an updated world map and an overhauled wildlife system.[^8]

Free Lives donates 8% of its Steam-sales profits from the game to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South African conservation organisation.[^2]

## Reception

Terra Nil was nominated for Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2023[^9] and for Game Beyond Entertainment at the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards.[^10] Its restoration-not-extraction premise made it one of the most distinctive [[cozy-game|cozy-adjacent]] strategy games of its generation — see [[What counts as cozy]] for how the wiki treats that border.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.terranil.com/)
- [Steam page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593030/Terra_Nil/)

[^1]: Valve. ["Terra Nil"](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593030/) — Steam store data. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^2]: Free Lives / Devolver Digital. ["Terra Nil — official site"](https://www.terranil.com/) — terranil.com. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^3]: Worthplaying. ["'Terra Nil' Gets PC And Mobile Release Date"](https://www.worthplaying.com/article/2023/2/20/news/135897-terra-nil-gets-pc-and-mobile-release-date-screens-trailer/) — Worthplaying, 20 February 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^4]: TouchArcade. ["Reverse City Builder 'Terra Nil' Is Now Available on iOS and Android Through Netflix Games Alongside the PC Version"](https://toucharcade.com/2023/03/28/terra-nil-download-city-builder-netflix-games-iphone-android-ios-steam-devolver/) — TouchArcade, 28 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^5]: vfqd, TheJunt, elyaradine. ["Terra Nil Prototype"](https://vfqd.itch.io/terra-nil) — itch.io. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^6]: GamingOnLinux. ["Terra Nil gets better performance and Linux support"](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/10/terra-nil-gets-better-performance-and-linux-support/) — GamingOnLinux, October 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^7]: Nintendo. ["Terra Nil for Nintendo Switch"](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/terra-nil-switch/) — Nintendo.com. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^8]: Bleeding Cool. ["Terra Nil Launches The Free Vita Nova Update Today"](https://bleedingcool.com/games/terra-nil-launches-the-free-vita-nova-update-today/) — Bleeding Cool, June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^9]: VGChartz. ["The Game Awards 2023 Nominees Revealed"](https://www.vgchartz.com/article/459017/the-game-awards-2023-nominees-revealed/) — VGChartz, 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
[^10]: Forbes. ["2024 BAFTA Games Awards Winners"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2024/04/11/2024-bafta-games-awards-winners-baldurs-gate-3-takes-best-game/) — Forbes, 11 April 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2026.