Populous

Populous, released in 1989 by Bullfrog Productions, is a groundbreaking real-time strategy game that pioneered the “god game” genre. As a deity, players wield divine powers to guide and protect their followers while shaping the landscape and waging spiritual warfare against rival gods.

The core gameplay revolves around raising and lowering terrain to help your population expand, build settlements, and thrive. As your followers grow in number and faith, you gain access to powerful miracles—like floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes—to smite enemy tribes or reshape the battlefield. Victory is achieved by overpowering opposing deities and their people across hundreds of increasingly challenging worlds.

With its innovative mechanics, strategic depth, and unique premise, Populous became a critical and commercial success, influencing countless god games that followed. Its blend of world-shaping power and indirect control made it a landmark title in PC gaming history.