They Are Billions
By Neilie Johnson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Difficult real-time strategy isn't for casual players.

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They Are Billions
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Based on 1 parent review
This game is very good just not for little kids
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What’s It About?
THEY ARE BILLIONS is a steampunk-themed real-time strategy game with an unusual zombie twist. Like most other games in the genre, the idea is to build, expand, and fortify your base before enemies attack; in this instance, though, enemies have a particularly nasty advantage: infection. This weapon is far more difficult to counter than guns or bombs since one zombie's contagion can take a whole city down in minutes. Complex resource gathering, building, defense, and population growth are the key to survival. You can choose among different difficulty settings, and maps are unlocked as you beat them.
Is It Any Good?
This challenging strategy game demands absolute precision from players, which is difficult for veterans of this genre and almost impossible for newcomers, thanks to its lack of tutorials. Real-time strategy (RTS) games like They Are Billions can be one of the hardest genres to get into, thanks to its many moving parts and complex rule sets. Still, it can be one of the most rewarding once you get the hang of it. Tutorials and forgiving beginner levels are essential when it comes to absorbing such large chunks of information, and They Are Billions has neither.
True, it contains a player guide/glossary of sorts, but reading pages of instructions isn't as good as learning gameplay a step at a time. The difficulty settings could help things, but here they don't really mean anything. In keeping with the recent hard-core difficulty game trends, even the lowest possible setting is fairly punishing, and things play out so slowly that it's tough to quickly attempt new strategies. The problem is the infection mechanic. As cool as the idea is, it's unbalanced. Infection spreads exponentially, and that means if a single zombie gets through your walls, it's game over. New and less skilled RTS players could find themselves stuck on the same map indefinitely, which is the antithesis of fun. It's too bad, because They Are Billions could be a great game. The steampunk aesthetic is cool, graphics and sound are great, and the build and placement controls are easy and fun. Further, upgrades and unlockable maps promise all kinds of fun new buildings and combat units to toy with. As it stands, though, many players will never see those. High difficulty and the no-tutorial policy mean new and casual players are doomed to hours of time-consuming work followed by quick and painful defeat. If you have the stamina for that, you might enjoy the game. If not, keep searching for that starter RTS.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the hard-core difficulty trend. What do you think about games like They Are Billions excluding casual and less-skilled players?
How much learning do you expect to do before having fun?
Game Details
- Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Numantian Games
- Release date: July 5, 2019
- Genre: Real-Time Strategy (RTS)
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Last updated: August 26, 2022
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