Riding high on the breakout success of Manor Lords but insisting it's "a little unfair to judge us" on one runaway hit , publisher Hooded Horse announced a new city builder today that looks equal parts cute and engrossing. It's called Whiskerwood, and it's about colonies of mice toiling away "under the iron paw of cats." Picture Don Bluth's An American Tail spliced with Disney 's Aristocats and you're most of the way there – just add a few shakes of feudalism and then accidentally drop the whole dang bottle into the pot.
In Whiskerwood, oppressive cats force the mouse proletariat to create offshore colonies on untapped islands and ship their resources back to the motherland. "Come rain or shine, the shipments must be fulfilled to feline satisfaction lest they call upon their henchmen to violently remind you of your duties," the game's Steam page reads. "Will you forever serve this oppressive paw? Or will you raise your whiskers in defiance?" Developer Minakata Dynamics, previously known for the well-received train RTS game Railgrade , has given that premise a lovely look and some flavorful mechanics, using mice as a thematic base for automation and simulation within the "grand cities" you'll be building.
At first glance Whiskerwood smacks of colony and automation sims like Rimworld and Oxygen Not Included, with plenty to delegate and oversee in between the actual building. Limited space seems to be a recurring point with Whiskerwood. As mice, you'll need to tunnel into the .