[PREVIEW] The Whims of the Gods – Tenochtitlán Was Not Built in a Day

City-builder games, although they rely on similar patterns and mechanics, can offer a wide spectrum of worlds and stories. However, most of them are still focused on single-player strategy. But what if I told you there is a city-builder with a co-op mode, auto-battler mechanics, and a transcendent narrative that leads to multiple different endings? You will find all of this in The Whims of the Gods, a new title from developer Juggler Games and publisher PJ Games. Although the game’s release is planned for the third quarter of 2025, we had the opportunity to try outthe second public playtest in February.

Unique City-Builder That Aims to Redefine the Genre

The Whims of the Gods is a city-builder designed with an emphasis on online co-op gameplay. The objectives in this game seem simple at first glance: gather resources, build an ancient city, and meet the needs of its inhabitants. However, when your plans are in the hands of ancient, whimsical gods, the situation quickly becomes complicated.

In this case, managing a growing civilization involves creating complex production systems, fighting terrifying enemies, and even adjusting to a mystical calendar. This is an opportunity to join forces with another player and collaboratively build a prosperous metropolis. If you want to find out more details about the game, be sure to check out our interview with the developers here.

I had the opportunity to play the game twice: first in co-op mode with one of the testers from the Juggler Games team, and then a second time on my own. In both cases, the gameplay focused on completing tutorial tasks, but the impressions from these two playthroughs are quite different. But before we get to that part, let’s look at the basics.

The Gameplay Loop is Surprisingly Fun

The game begins with an introductory dialogue between four ancient deities, who discuss their previous creations and failed experiments. Now, they’ve devised a new plan: to place humans on an island full of dangers to prove their worth to the gods. Right from the start, there is a strong inspiration from Aztec and Mayan culture; the names of the gods, their depictions, the drawings on the rotating circles, and the gentle melody in the background reflect elements we immediately associate with those civilizations.

Although this brief scene mostly serves as a story introduction, it also hints at some key gameplay elements: the rotating circles resemble the mystical calendar, while the conversation among the gods emphasizes their capriciousness and its consequences, which players will soon feel through blessings or curses. Another interesting detail can be noticed on the loading screen, which gives us a brief glimpse of a fully developed city, like the one we’ll be able to build in later stages of the game.

The introduction is followed by the tutorial. We start with the basics like camera control, UI navigation, and learning the main mechanics, and then quickly move on to gathering resources, building various structures, hiring workers, increasing the population, and expanding the territory. After this, it’s necessary to research more advanced buildings to sustain the economy and fulfill Quest Objectives.

Although this seems like a typical progression in city-builder games at first, original solutions are soon revealed: for example, making sacrifices at shrines and performing rituals to unlock new regions or receive a surprise. Also, the activation of the ancient calendar, which warns players about upcoming events, can bring unexpected consequences due to the gods. In general, the instructions are clear and easy to follow, but I believe additional help would be useful for assembling and activating the calendar mechanic, as it introduces kinetic and thermal energy into the gameplay.

Does it Have Cozy Elements?

As I mentioned at the beginning, the experience of playing this game in single-player mode is not the same as in co-op mode. Choosing the solo option definitely maintains the game’s challenge, and although you have access to a wider range of actions, ensuring the city’s prosperity becomes quite difficult. However, it is precisely the cooperative system that makes this title special compared to other games in the genre.

I particularly liked how the game adapts to two players and encourages them to collaborate. For example, when dividing responsibilities, you have to agree on who will be in charge of buildings, resources, and technology trees, while also ensuring that your mutual cooperation benefits both of you. This fresh and innovative multiplayer mechanic definitely makes the gameplay more dynamic and interesting, and it’s no wonder it is treated as the main attraction of the game.

While I was playing, I found out that one of the playtest participants made an interesting observation: The Whims of the Gods has cozy elements. While that might not be the first association when you’re battling challenges and watching your inhabitants die (which doesn’t exactly sound like a cozy experience), I agree that the game as a whole has a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to the vibrant and colorful environment, the soothing sound of waterfalls, and the rhythmic gameplay, I can easily imagine someone becoming completely engrossed in the game and spending hours on it.

Definitely Worth Following

To round up my impressions, this version of The Whims of the Gods offers a truly strong and fun experience. Moreover, the game is already fully functional, with no bugs, crashes, or major technical problems, which is worth mentioning considering that issues reported during the second playtest have already been fixed. Still, there is room for improvement: the instructions in the later phases of the game should be more precise, notifications appeared even when the inhabitants were already engaged in those tasks, and animations were missing at some points.

However, these details did not negatively affect the overall gameplay experience, and the game gets better with every new round; not only do you get used to the mechanics faster and complete tasks, but you also more easily notice details you might have missed before (like being able to see the names of all the inhabitants in their huts, which is quite cool).

I am particularly interested in how the auto-battler combat system will work and in what direction the story will develop; the volcano and multiple endings sound promising. Speaking of promises: although the exact release date is not yet known, there is a high probability that we will get the full version of the game in the third quarter of 2025. And given the current progress, I can assure you, it will be worth the wait.