[THE FINAL PREVIEW] Fata Deum with Christoph Schulze, CEO of 42 Bits Entertainment

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During our visit to Gamescom in Germany last month, we had the opportunity to sit down with Christoph Schulze, CEO of 42 Bits Entertainment. The studio is reviving a long-lost genre with its upcoming game Fata Deum, which is set to release in Early Access on Steam on September 15th. We got an in-depth look at the game and better understand some of its mechanics.

“There were games in the past, in the 90s, like Black & White and Populous, which were quite popular, and since then not much in this genre was given. Our goal was to revive this genre with Fata Deum. We are going into early access on the 15th of September, and we have over 200,000 wishlists already, so people are wanting the god game genre to be back”, said Schulze while talking about the game.

Customizing Your Divine Experience

When you first play the game, you’re given a great deal of freedom to define your own experience. The game’s configuration offers different play styles, some of which must be unlocked through a progression system. This gives players a reason to return and adds to the game’s replayability.

We have four different maps, two of which are unlocked from the start. You can choose to play against four different AI characters: Fertility, Violence, Deceit, and Pleasure. As their names suggest, each character has a unique playstyle. For example, if you choose Violence, you can expect a more aggressive, warfare-focused game. If you play against Fertility, the match will be more focused on who can build the best settlement.

Christoph Schulze

If you prefer to play without an opponent, a sandbox mode is available. In this mode, you can act as you wish without disturbance, and there are still in-game goals you can achieve to secure a victory. The game also features four different maps, with the first two unlocked from the start. You can choose to play against up to four gods, which can lead to a crowded, but possible, match.

The first map is designed for one-on-one play. You can also activate progression options to start at a higher level, beginning with multiple settlements and hundreds of believers, allowing you to jump directly into a major conflict. Additional configurations, such as more villages and cities, are available too. These larger settlements allow you to improve your economy through production chains and build large, epic monuments – one of the possible victory conditions.

The Basics of Being a God

First, you’ll learn the camera controls. You can freely move around the map and double-click to quickly teleport to any location. When you select a specific mortal or building, you can zoom in and rotate your view around them. Pressing the right mouse button returns you to your previous position. You can also view a larger map that shows the different settlements and their dominant belief, which is indicated by color.

You need to convert at least 50% of a settlement to your side. When you hover over a mortal, a color indicates their current belief. For example, an orange color means they believe in Mother Nature. You can convert them using either positive or negative methods, such as spreading love or infusing fear. A particularly entertaining method is the “godly fist,” a wonder that allows you to punch mortals around.

Doing so can impress them enough to convert them to your side, but be careful, they are fragile and can get hurt if you overuse this power. Hidden throughout the map are relics that provide a gameplay-specific mana boost. You need mana to perform wonders. When you find a relic’s shrine, you have two options: a “bad” one that gives you all the mana but provides no other benefits, or a “good” one that gives you half the mana but also earns you a new follower.

During the Steam Next Fest demo, we had over 4,500 filled out feedback forms where the community told us what they would like to have, and we have improved the game based on that feedback. That’s something we will also now plan for Early Access. Everyone who owns the game can make a vote for which features they would like to see in the game. Some already asked for things like a map editor or other workshop-related features, but we just have to see.

Christoph Schulze

Next, you’ll learn to build. Building is straightforward: select a building from the shortcut bar, find a spot, and hold the left mouse button to rotate it. Roads are automatically placed for you, so you don’t have to worry about the details. Once a building is placed, you can assign mortals to it. They will change clothes and begin their new tasks.

When night falls, the game’s pace changes. You can speed up time as the mortals sleep, and you’ll often get a level-up after a day of successful conversions. Leveling up allows you to unlock new skills for both the day and night phases. The day phase is in real-time, but the night phase is round-based. This allows you to relax after the potentially intense daytime conflicts. During the night, you can influence the dreams of mortals to sway their decisions for the next day, such as convincing them to attack a neighbor, work more or less, send resources, or build a new village.

What’s currently in the plan for the game?

There are a lot of features which need to be implemented. I guess that’s also part of the reason why there has not been a similar game because it’s difficult to achieve. We are very happy with the status quo, and we are confident that this will be rewarded, and we can continue on the game and make it even better.

Do you also plan to add more gods?

I don’t think so, not at this time. The main aspects are already reflected, and I believe there are other demands that are a higher priority, such as improving the existing AI to be more challenging. Over time, as we satisfy those other demands, players might ask for more gods, but for now, I don’t think it’s a priority. As for new maps, maybe later, but our current maps are already quite good. We’d rather focus on filling them with more life and stories, as that’s more important than simply adding more maps.

How long do you plan to stay in Early Access?

We are currently planning to be in Early Access for about a year. However, if the game is a huge success and we get more funding, the community will likely have a lot of new ideas. In that case, we will stay in Early Access longer to implement them. A one-year timeline is based on the quests and wonders we currently have in mind.

How long will it take us to beat the game?

For a first-time player, the game will likely take around 10 to 20 hours to complete, depending on your playstyle. A more aggressive player might finish faster than someone who prefers a relaxed, slow-paced game focused on building their settlement. The game offers a lot of replayability, as you can try different approaches each time. For example, you can play as a good or evil god, compete against multiple gods, or simply relax in sandbox mode.